C
O
M
E
N
I
G
H
T
L
Y
“He told me to tell you he’s got fireworks planned for the next month, and he’s put the pyrotechnics company on notice in case he needs more,” Clancy says, giving me a tight squeeze from the side. “So I’d say he’s not giving up anytime soon, son.”
My face is soaked with tears.
I press a hand to my chest, struggling to breathe past the lump in my throat. The pressure of denying my feelings for Maverick for so long hits me all at once. My entire body throbs with raw emotion as Maverick’s message seeps into my bones.
“You okay?” Clancy asks, sounding a bit choked up, too.
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
“Maverick is by the doors,” he tells me softly. “But it’s totally up to you if you want to speak with him right now. You can say no. There’s no pressure.”
“Just the threat of more fireworks,” I say, sniffing and snorting and wiping my nose on my jacket sleeve. “But yeah. We can talk.”
“All right then. I’ll leave, but I’ll stay close by. If you need me, just holler. Okay?”
“Thanks, Clancy.”
Clancy’s fading footsteps get replaced by Maverick’s approaching ones. I hear Maverick quietly thanking Clancy, and even though I may not be able to see him in detail, I feel his presence the moment he gets near me.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey.”
“Thanks for coming tonight.”
“Didn’t have a whole lot of choice.”
“You have a knack for ending up in hostage situations.”
“Might need to start reevaluating my life choices.”
He emits a low chuckle. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
A beat passes.
My bodyachesfor him to come closer. I want to touch him so much. I’ve been such a fucking idiot trying to push him away from the very beginning.
