Page 63 of Falling

He shakes his head. “Let’s keep those just for us, Wren. Please.”

The pleading in his tone catches me off guard, and I nod. Maybe there are some parts of this agreement that we can keep to ourselves. There’s no harm in that. Is there? Like how right now we’re just staring at each other, covered in snow, and neither one of us has moved.

“We should try to find a way out of here. It’s like we’re in a maze,” I say after a while.

“You’re going to have to get off me for that to happen, princess,” he mutters before he drops his head back into the snow and crosses his arms behind his head. “Or don’t. I like this view.”

I groan and stand up. As I do, I collect some snow in my hands and throw it in his face. “Come on, Milesy.”

I’m really contemplatingwhy I let Miles talk me into this because we go another half an hour without getting anywhere. The view is gorgeous, with our entire town covered in white snow and the sun still peeking through the clouds. The snowball fight tired me out, and the sun is still harsh, so the only thing Miles is really good for is keeping my jumper in his bag while I walk around in jeans and a shirt.

“We’re lost, Miles,” I say for the tenth time. “I’m tired and hungry, and the only end I'm seeing in sight is death.”

“You know, you’re the most dramatic person I’ve ever met,” he says, shaking his head at me. “Trust me, I’ve got it all figured out.”

He sticks his finger in his mouth and moves it around in the air. This must be the third time he’s done that, and he makes us changedirection every time. I lean against a thick tree as I watch him do his Boy Scout ritual.

“Do you actually know what you’re doing, or do you just like getting your finger wet?” I ask.

He turns to me, hands on his hips. “Why would I like getting my finger wet?”

I shrug. “I dunno. It could be a kink of yours.”

“That's not a kink, Wren; that’s just weird.”

“Whatever you say, pretty boy,” I tease. I cross my arms against my chest, tilting my head up to the sky. “You’ve got to admit that we’re lost. Let’s just give up. The sun is about to set, and all the freaks come out at night.”

He grins. “Oh, so you mean you?”

“Is your love language bullying?”

“You know, over the last few weeks, it’s changed. Words of affirmation might be taking the top spot, actually,” he says.

“Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed. You don’t do much of that with the girl you’re supposed to be dating,” I say, laughing.

“What do you want me to do, Wren?” He groans, dropping his arms from his hips.

“Right now? I’d appreciate it if you could try to get us?—”

“No, I mean with the fake dating. What else do you want me to do, to tell you?”

My heart stutters. I thought we were just joking around, but maybe not. “What are you talking about?”

His eyes darken, and he steps closer to me. I’d back up if I wasn’t already pressed to the tree. "Do you seriously think I don’t compliment you enough?”

“I-It was a joke,” I spit out.

“But do you really mean it? If you want me to tell you how stunning you are every day, I’ll do it.” He steps closer, and his hand grazes my cheek. He’s not wearing his gloves, and I feel my entire body melting into him. He tucks a strand of hair behindmy ear, and I blink up at him. “If you want me to admit that you’re all I fucking think about, this is me admitting that to you. You consume all my thoughts, princess. You consumeme.”

I try to search his face for something. For some sort of sign to tell me that he’s joking, but I find nothing. He flirts with me all the time. It’s been our go-to banter since we met, but this doesn’t feel like it usually does.

“Are you being?—”

“Yes,” he bites out. His hand curls around my neck, and his other grips my hip. “I mean it, Wren.”

I stare up at him, and no words come. I want to tell him he’s lying, that he doesn’t mean it, that hecan’tmean it, but I’m legitimately speechless.

I let him grip the back of my neck tighter, and he searches my eyes for some sort of answer, but I don’t give him one. His breath tickles my neck before he kisses me there. The sensation is so intense and unknown that my head tilts to the side, giving him more access.

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