Page 43 of Resisting the Fall

Carson just smiled. “Thanks, but Ben’s taken.”

Levi’s gaze flicked to me, and I could see it in his eyes. He had just correctly guessed who it was I had been taken by.

Then, as if Carson and Maven had planned it, she was suddenly at my other side, her hand sliding into mine and those big green eyes of hers looking up at me. “Hey.”

“Hey.” All my nerves from earlier vanished instantly at how right holding her hand felt. “How was your day?”

“Better than yours, I’m guessing.” Her gaze shifted to Levi, then back to me. “Ready to get out of here?”

“Absolutely. I just need to drop my stuff off at my locker.”

“Hey, Bennett,” Levi said, pausing the three of us when we’d turned to leave. “Don’t get your hopes up. The little angel doesn’t put out.”

I started toward him, but Maven gripped my arm and stepped in front of me.

“He’s not worth it,” she said.

Carson, however, clearly disagreed and took hold of Levi’s shirt, pinning him against the lockers with a loud bang. “Say something like that again, and I swear you’ll regret it.” Before anyone could even attempt to step in, Carson released Levi with a quick push and stepped past me. “Let’s go.”

The crowd in the hallway parted as we walked through.

I glanced at Maven, but instead of appearing worried, she smiled and took my hand again. How did she do it? How did she make me feel like I’d never been better when I was suspended, benched, and grounded?

“Hey, Carson,” she said, making him stop and wait for us.

His eyes dropped to our interlocked fingers. “What?”

“Is this a bad time to tell you that Ben kissed me last night?”

My gaze shot toward her before returning to Carson. “Hey, man. Look, I’m sorry. I should have talked to you⁠—”

“Maven, you’re heartless.” Carson was shaking his head, the tightness in his jaw gone, and a reluctant smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “She already told me, Ben.”

My mouth slackened, and I looked over at Maven’s satisfied, troublesome smile. “You’re going to pay for that.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her against me, wriggling my fingers into her sides.

She squealed, laughter bursting out of her. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

I stopped tickling her momentarily. “How do I know you’re sorry?”

Maven lifted onto her toes and kissed me on my lips in front of anyone and everyone watching. Warmth flooded through me, and I couldn’t do anything but smile that same goofy smile from last night.

“That’s enough, you two.” Carson started forward again. “Don’t make me regret saying I was okay with this.”

Maven cuddled up to me in the middle seat of my truck while I drove, one arm tucked through mine and her other hand holding a milkshake. She gave a little shiver. “It’s freezing!”

I turned the dial up on my heater. Not that it would help for a while in this old truck. “Why did you insist on getting a milkshake if you’re so cold?”

“Just because your birthday happens to be in the coldest month of the year doesn’t mean you should waste an offer for a free milkshake.” She took another long sip and shivered again.

I draped my arm around her and pulled her as close as her seatbelt would allow. “Do I get any of my birthday milkshake?”

She lifted the cup so I could reach the straw.

I swallowed the sweet, cold liquid. Cookies and cream wasn’t my favorite flavor, but that’s what Maven liked best.

“Have you had a good day?” she asked, her green eyes fixed on me.

We’d spent the entire day driving around, collecting free birthday offers based on a spreadsheet Maven had put together and printed out. We’d been as far north as Burlington and as far west as Port Henry. The food had been great. Spending the entire day with Maven had topped it all. “Best birthday ever.”