Page 5 of Every Hidden Truth

“Hot chocolate and a chili-cheese dog,” I said as I handed the kid a twenty, pointing my thumb at Ben. “And whatever he’s getting.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Shush, and order,” I commanded, and Ben obeyed.

“Thanks,” he said as I collected my change.

“You’re welcome.”

Picking up our cheap, unhealthy food from the next window a few minutes later, we joined our friends at the picnic tables. Ben sat beside me and shared his fries. When he asked to taste my hot chocolate, I handed it over and he took a sip, sighing in bliss.

“That’s good hot cocoa.”

“It’s a little too sweet,” I said around my bite of hot dog.

Ben grimaced. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

I stuck out my food covered tongue, and he pretended to gag. Then we laughed.

“Boys are gross,” Caroline said, and Kim hummed in agreement.

Once everyone was fed and watered, we headed back to the hills. Ben had to be freezing in his damp clothing, but he didn’t complain as he dragged a two-person sled behind him, smiling like a kid in a candy store. His dimple carved into his flushed cheeks, and several loose curls escaped the confines of his hat to tickle his forehead.

He caught me staring more times than I wanted to admit as we climbed to the top of the hill. Kim and Caroline sat on the wooden toboggan as Harris gave them a running start, hopping on the back at the last minute. Jordan took the circular one-person sled, and Ben lined up the plastic two-seater before gesturing for me to sit.

The sled was old and rickety. I imagined the plastic cracking and impaling my ass when we hit a bump. But Ben was excited,his smile wide and unhindered as he waited for me, expectant. How could I refuse him?

I climbed in with a silent prayer for protection, and Ben gave the death trap a shove before leaping in behind me. His legs landed on either side of mine, and I startled as his arms slid around my waist from behind. Holding me tightly, he laughed as we soared down the hill, the biting wind stinging my cheeks.

Faster and faster, we gathered speed, plummeting toward the bottom. He grasped me tighter when the sled shook beneath us. When we hit a large bump, the sled spun. I shrieked and grabbed onto the only handholds I could find—Ben’s arms at my waist. We both cried out in panic as we spun in circles.

In an effort to gain control, I stuck my leg out and dug my boot into the snow.

Unfortunately, that only accomplished flipping the sled completely, and we tumbled into the snow, rolling over the frigid, packed earth. Something hard smashed into my spine. I kneed Ben somewhere soft and squishy, making him grunt in pain. I hoped it was his stomach and not his balls.

The sky above me swirled like a drain as I blinked away dizziness and caught my breath. A heavy weight pressed into my gut, and I glanced down as the pressure vibrated. Ben and I were tangled, his arm somehow stuck between my legs as his face smashed into my stomach. His shoulders shook with laughter.

Peeking out with one eye, he smiled wide, then buried his face in my stomach to muffle his guffaws. As my hand landed on his back, I burst into laughter right along with him.

“You kicked me.” His mumble was barely discernible, muffled by my coat.

I patted his back. “Sorry. You okay?”

He nodded against my navel, his cheek on my belly. He continued to lay on top of me, completely at ease with his proximity to not just me but, specifically, my crotch.

A sweet, slightly shy grin lit his face. “That was fun.”

“We almost died.”

“What’s life without a little risk?” Snickering, he lifted himself onto his hands and knees. His eyes widened at the position of his hand between my legs, inches from my groin. “Shit, I didn’t punch you anywhere important, did I?”

I sat up, my palms burning from the cold of the snow beneath me. “No, my dick’s fine. Thanks for asking.”

With a blush, he sat back on his heels and brushed the excess snow from his clothes. “Good to know.”

I wrapped my arms around my raised knees, our bodies way too close for us to be talking about my dick. Ben’s wind-chilled cheeks darkened further, his tongue moistening his bottom lip. Wanting to erase the distance between us but too afraid of rejection, I angled my head and held eye contact.

When his frigid fingers slid under my sweatpants-jean combo to circle my ankle, I inhaled sharply.

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