Page 19 of Every Hidden Truth

“Cool,” I said, voice embarrassingly breathy.

In an unexpectedly tender gesture, Ben drew my hand to his face and pressed the sweetest kiss to my palm. His breath fanned over my skin, and goosebumps pebbled along my arms.

“You wanna get outta here?” he asked against the skin of my palm.

I nodded, more than ready to get away from prying eyes. We shrugged on our coats, and I fumbled with my wallet. Ben stopped me.

“My treat.”

“Thanks.” I tucked my money away and waited at the door for him to pay at the register.

The dining room was filling with churchgoers now, and I grimaced as I squeezed through the crowd slowly forming near the door. We’d picked the right time to leave.

As Ben followed me outside, a finger curled around my pinkie, the touch intimately familiar. Once we cleared the door, I fastened our hands firmly, and he grinned at the ground as we walked back to his car.

He opened my door for me, and I rolled my eyes, pretending it didn’t warm my chest pathetically.

Before I could sit down, Ben caught me around my waist and kissed me again.

“You have coffee breath,” I mumbled against his lips.

“Deal with it,” he said.

And then he kissed me again and then again, coffee breath be damned.

6

One-Track Mind

When Ben parked outsidehis house, the driveway and garage were empty. Excitement quickened my heartrate as I unbuckled my seatbelt. We were going to be alone in his house, most likely in his bedroom. And we were boyfriends now.

I hoped he wanted to make out. A lot. Because I did. A lot!

“Where are your aunt and uncle?” I asked casually, hoping to gauge how much time we had before parental figures might interrupt us.

“Church.”

Unfortunately, his answer jarred me out of my current train of thought as I followed him into the mudroom. “Wait, church? They go to church?”

Ben slipped off his shoes and set them on the shoe rack as I plopped my used Vans onto the floor beside it.

“Not religiously,” he said, lips quivering with the need to smile.

I shoved his shoulder as he hung his coat on the hook. “Wow, telling terrible dad jokes at age eighteen. You should be embarrassed.”

“I thought it was clever.” He turned on the light and descended the stairs. “But, yes, they do go to church every once in a while.”

“And they’re cool with…” I trailed off as we hit the landing, and Ben glanced over his shoulder in question. “Us?”

He nodded as he caught my meaning. “Aunt June could tell I liked you the moment she met you. Why do you think she acted so weird while we washed dishes?”

True, she had been extremely interested in my non-existent love life. “She was fishing?”

“She likes to think she’s good at matchmaking.” As we entered Ben’s room, I slipped my bomber jacket off and tossed it on the back of his couch as he propped himself against the pool table with a sheepish smile. “Unfortunately, she’s not as subtle as she thinks she is.”

“Well, maybe I’m dense. I just thought she was nosy.”

“Oh, she’s definitely nosy,” he corrected with a half-humored, half-exasperated shake of his head. “I apologize in advance for everything she’ll put you through.”

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