Page 47 of New Year's Faye

SAM

Some secrets are written in melodies

Some truths hide in harmony

Mine is a love coded in every breath

- The Wild Ones, "Coded"

The drive back was too quiet.

Faye hadn't said more than two words since her talk with my dad, her fingers tapping restless patterns on her knee. I knew that look—had seen it countless times before shows or press conferences. It meant her mind was working overtime, trying to control something that scared her.

"They liked having you there," I said, testing the waters.

"Hmm."

"Frankie's already planning Sunday dinners when we're in town."

"That's nice."

I watched her reflection in the car window, the city lights painting shadows across her face. "She also suggested we should start a nudist colony."

“Uh-huh.”

“And offer skidoo rentals.”

“Sounds good.”

“With free puppies for the first five hundred members.”

"That's a good ide—wait, what?" She finally looked at me.

"There she is." I smiled. "Want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing." Too quick. Too sharp.

Liar.

"Faye."

"Sam." She mimicked my tone, but I caught the slight tremor in her voice.

I slid into the seat next to her, gently brushing her cheek with my knuckles. “You can tell me. Let me take some of the weight off your shoulders.”

Her gaze raked across my face, her dark eyes flashing with some yet to be expressed emotion.

“I don’t want to talk.”

Disappointed, I made a move to lean back, only to have her stop me with her next, devastating words.

“I want you to kiss me.”

I froze, searching her face for any sign of hesitation or doubt. "Are you sure?"

I knew that once I crossed this line with her, there’d be no going back. No way I could pretend I didn’t want her, didn’tneedher like this. I’d kept my distance for so long, telling myself it was for the best—that she deserved better, that what we had was good enough. But every time she was near, that thin resolve chipped away, bit by bit.

"I'm tired of being scared," she whispered, her fingers curling into my shirt. "Tired of pretending I don't want this. Want you."

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