Page 57 of Even if You Fall

“I can’t,” I told him, my voice dropped to a low whisper. “I seriously might die if I eat anything else tonight. I don’t know howyou’reeating.”

After quite literally the best dinner of my life—of which I’d had seconds because,wow, so good, and also because his mom had appeared out of nowhere with a second plate for me—we’d had dessert. Also the best of my life.

And now there were muffins.

I felt like a hobbit. A very full hobbit.

Amusement lit Adam’s eyes as he leaned closer and intentionally took another bite, just to see how I’d react. But my full stomach was once again forgotten as I found myself fighting a genuine smile, and not for the first time this evening.

This Adam...I hadn’t met this Adam before this evening, and there was just something about him.

He’d stopped looking at me like I was the worst thing to ever happen to him, or like I was one giant puzzle he needed to figure out. He seemed to be free of the weight he’d been carrying. He was funny and affectionate with his family. And he was undoubtedly dangerous to my heart.

“Wait until the box comes back around,” he muttered, tipping his head closer still, and I knew from the way he purposefully kept from signing that these words were for me alone. “We’ll slip it back into the box when my mom isn’t looking.”

My smile faltered. “Will that hurt your mom?”

His chest pitched with a silent laugh as those eyes sought out mine. “She’ll keep feeding you until you’re sick, Bubbles. Gotta find ways around—” His muffin-free hand shot out, catching a pillow just before it smacked into his face, and I whirled around.

Embarrassed heat was already spreading into my cheeks as if Adam and I had been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to. Not the muffin talk part, but how close we’d gotten without realizing. However, all worries of what his family might’ve seen or assumed—which was ridiculous given what they all still believed—vanished when my abrupt movement caused the room to tilt and blur for a moment.

“Right?” their other sister, Dani, asked as if Adam would know what she was talking about, and I struggled to control my features when a wave of nausea finished out the momentary dizziness.

I really didn’t want to be holding that muffin right then.

Just as I started worrying there was actually something wrong with me, Adam gave a hesitant laugh and leaned closer until his shoulder was pressed against mine.

It was a trivial action, but it had a huge impact on me.

Erased my worries, stole my breath, and made my heart skip as that earlier flush came rushing back. And, somehow, that small, probably unintentional touch gave me the strength to fortify my necessary persona.

“Uh...” he muttered, prompting a groan from Dani.

“Have you not been listening?” she asked.

If it bothered Adam that I leaned into his touch, selfishly craving more of that strength he’d unknowingly offered, he didn’t give any indication. He just let me rest against him as I drew in as deep of a breath as my strained lungs allowed and refocused on the conversation.

“Sorry, what?” he asked, sounding like he still wasn’t fully listening to her.

With a roll of her eyes, Dani said, “Ellie’s been sayingthis guy’s the onesince halfway through college,” as if in confirmation.

But Adam just asked, “We’re still on that?”

“Thank you,” Ellie snapped, and I realized in that moment, in those two words, how right Adam had been earlier.

I didn’t know sign language, butthank youhad been easy enough to pick up. For as effortlessly as Adam’s family signed as they spoke, it was just as fascinating to watch how their expressions and gestures changed from small to large.

Not that I’d known how much of a difference it would make to someone who couldn’t hear until Ellie had just signedthank youin that way. Her frustration and annoyance had been clear in every part of her.Almostevery part of her.

I didn’t study people at all, let alone the way Adam did, and even I’d caught the little glimmer of enjoyment in her eyes as if she secretly loved having the attention on her. Even for something like this.

Something that was immediately confirmed for me when Dani accused, “Don’t act like you’re so tired of this when you’re the one who keeps bringing it up.”

Which meant, it was highly likely Adam had never just guessed that I was hiding something with my smiles, but had truly seen past them...

“You always bring it up,” Adam whispered to me, drawing my attention back to him.

Before the question gathering on my tongue could slip free, surprise silenced me when I realized just how close our faces were—not that his focus was on me. And even though I should’ve, I didn’t shift away as I took the moment to study him this close.

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