Chapter 9: The Fifty-First Floor

"Then she told two of us the same thing," Kenneth said.

His voice was almost lazy, and I felt the cold under it.

"That's between her and the test, Carson. Go home."

"I'm only being honest."

"You're being a coward. You came up here to see if I'd flinch."

Carson's smile held for a moment longer.

Then he shrugged, turned on his heel, and the elevator doors closed on his gold watch.

The roof went quiet.

The last sun had gone, and a few early stars were showing over the river.

Kenneth stood with his hands flat on the table.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That's not how I wanted tonight to end."

"It hasn't ended."

He looked up.

I had not known I was going to say it until I did.

My hands were shaking, and it was not from the wind.

"I'm so tired of being careful," I said.

"Molly."

"I've been scared for two weeks.

I've been scared for years, in a way I can't explain to you.

I'm sitting on a roof with a man I don't understand.

All I want is to stop being afraid for ten minutes."

I stood up.

"Tell me to leave," I said, "and I will."

He did not tell me to leave.

He crossed the space between us in two steps and took my face in both his hands.

The kiss was nothing I had imagined.

It was slow, and it shook.

His mouth moved over mine.

When I gasped, he made a low sound in his throat and kissed me harder.

I fisted my hands in his shirt.

"Not here," he said against my lips.

"Where?"

"Downstairs. There's a room behind my office. Nobody will come."

"Then take me there."

We did not speak in the elevator.

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