Page 57

“Good night, Will,” I said.

He laughed. “Night.”

Chapter 20

I went upstairs, changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and washed my face. Then I crawled into bed and pulled out my phone. There were no texts.

I wasn’t sure who I’d been expecting. Okay, fine, I knew who I was hoping for. I wanted some sort of text from Ryan apologizing for what his dad had said or telling me how his parents had reacted when he’d called them to the door earlier and nobody was there. Or … no, I needed to stop wanting things.

I pulled up social media and scrolled. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been scrolling when a tapping noise sounded at my window. I gasped, fear spreading across my chest. I was on the second floor, so it wasn’t often there was any noise at my window. Just the occasional storm-based events. But tonight was clear. I could still hear Harris down the hall, talking loudly about wanting to read one more book before sleeping. I couldn’t hear Mom’s response, but I knew she was there.

The tapping continued. I yanked the blanket off my legs and walked to the window. I lifted a slat on the blinds to see a person there. I yelped and threw my hand over my mouth.

“It’s me,” I heard through the glass. “Ryan.”

My bedroom door was closed, but I quickly rushed across the room and locked it. Then I was back at the window, pulling open the blinds and sliding open the glass.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “How did you get up here?” I wrestled with the screen. I’d never taken one out in my life, so I had no idea how to do it.

“Those tabs on the bottom. Pull up and then toward you,” Ryan said like he professionally took out screens. Or maybe he just snuck into a lot of girls’ bedrooms.

I did as he said, pulling the tabs up and then toward me, freeing the screen from my window. I immediately stuck my head out to see him standing atop an extra-tall ladder. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“You forgot this.” He held out my coat. I took it from him, tossed it onto my bed, and then pulled his arm so he could climb inside. His position on top of the ladder seemed precarious. He got the hint, stepping over the windowsill and into my room.

“You’re crazy,” I whispered, but a smile took over my face. Cold air poured into my room from the open window.

He smiled too, but then he grew serious. “I’m sorry about what my dad said.”

I shrugged, a lump rising in my throat. “Sounds like you might’ve joined in, had I not been there.” That’s what his dad had implied, that Ryan had made comments about my house, about us, before.

“I’ve been stupid.” He brushed a hand along my arm. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve been stupid too.” I had said some pretty mean things about him and his house over the years as well.

He pulled me into a hug, and I let him—wanted him to. His neck was cold against my cheek, but his arms felt warm around me.

“Did your mom see my coat?” I asked, my arms around his middle.

“Surprisingly, no.”

“Thanks for risking your life to bring it back to me.”

“Anytime.”

I shivered.

“Sorry,” he said. “You’re cold. I should go.”

But neither of us moved. Instead, I snaked my arms into the coat he was wearing. I could feel him smile against my temple as he pulled the sides of his coat around my back, wrapping me up. I laughed and looked up at him. But when I met his eyes, instead of finding humor there, I found intensity, fire. The smile slipped from my face.

We stared at each other for a couple beats and then, instead of waiting for a kiss not to happen again, I pushed myself up onto my toes, pressing my mouth against his.

He took in a surprised gasp, but then melted into me, tilting his head, deepening the kiss. Our lips parted and his tongue brushed against mine. He tasted like mint and winter.

Harris’s voice sounded down the hall again, and I jumped away from Ryan.

“I should go,” he whispered.