The Name on the Broadcast novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Thanksgiving

"Yes," I said. "Anywhere."

He took me to the diner on the highway, across from the stadium lot.

The same booth at the back.

He ordered two coffees and one slice of pie.

"You said the pie here was terrible," I said.

"It is." He pushed it across to me with two forks. "I wanted you to have a pie you're allowed to hate."

I ate the whole thing.

It was terrible.

I laughed until the waitress came over to check on us.

The next Friday, after his show, he drove me back from the station the long way.

He parked in the empty stadium lot under the one light that worked, and he didn't turn the engine off.

The heater ticked. The windows started to fog at the edges.

"I've wanted to kiss you since the bridge. Before the bridge. Since the dish water."

I reached over and took his glasses off his face.

I folded them and put them on the dashboard.

"You're about eight inches away," he said.

"Six," I said, and closed it.

His mouth was warm and tasted like bad coffee.

He kissed me carefully at first.

I answered by pulling him in by the front of his coat.

Then it wasn't careful.

His hand slid into my hair and held the back of my head, and he kissed me so deep I felt it.

I climbed half over the gearshift without deciding to.

My knee hit the horn. Neither of us stopped.

He pushed my denim jacket off one shoulder and put his mouth on my neck, just under my ear, and I heard the sound I made.

I'd never made that sound in my life.

My hands were under his sweater, on his bare back, and his skin jumped under my fingers.

"Laney," he said against my throat.

His voice was wrecked.

I wanted to take him home. I wanted it so much my hands shook.

I put my forehead against his instead and breathed.

"Not tonight," I said.

He went still at once.

"Okay," he said. "Okay. Did I..."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong." I held his face in both hands. "My whole life, somebody else picked the man and the night. I want to walk to your door on my own feet. I want to be the one who knocks."

His forehead rested against mine.

"Then I'll be home," he said. "Every night. Whenever you knock."

I kissed him once more, slow, so he'd know I meant it.

Then I climbed back into my own seat, and fixed my jacket, and handed him his glasses.

← Chapter 21 · All chapters · Chapter 23 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend