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I pulled my hand free and wiped it on the napkins we’d been handed with our drinks and popcorn.
Xander’s intense gaze made my breath catch. “We need to tell them,” he said, as if he’d just figured something out.
“Yeah, I know.” I swallowed, the moment between us gone.
“You know, I haven’t fooled around like this in a really long time.” A panty-melting smirk spread over Xander’s face.
“Oh yeah?”
He leaned in, brushing his nose against mine. “Yeah. Since high school.”
“Well, I guess dating a younger woman has its perks.” Despite the warring emotions inside me, I smiled back.
“I guess it does.” Xander stole a kiss before tucking me back into his side, where I remained for the rest of the movie.
* * *
We walkedthe short distance back to Xander’s truck, his arm around my shoulder as I ate my hot dog. It was late, time to get back to Rixon, leaving a bittersweet feeling in my chest.
Tonight had been amazing, a glimpse of how things would be once we came clean to our friends and families.
“The only thing that could make this night any better is sn—oh my God.” My eyes almost bugged as snowflakes began to fall.
“Did you plan this?” I grinned up at Xander and he chuckled.
“I have many talents but controlling the weather is definitely not one of them.”
A contented sigh slipped from my lips as I buried closer into his side. “I wish tonight never had to end.”
“Only a few more weeks.” He kissed my head.
We’d talked earlier, wandering the quiet streets of Halston and decided that although we would tell Jason and Felicity the day after tomorrow when I had no shift at the diner, that we would wait until I’d graduated to go public.
It would be hard, but at least once those closest to us knew, I could spend more time at his place.
“Are you scared about what they’ll say?” I asked him as he climbed into his truck.
“Scared, no. But I suspect the fallout will be messy for a while.”
My chest tightened. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
Xander shoved the key into the ignition and the truck rumbled to life. He turned up the heater and leaned over, taking my hand. “You’re worth it,” he said, quietly.
“You are too, you know?” My lip curved.
Xander was worried about what the truth would do to my reputation, but it wasn’t me people would judge. He was the adult, the one who should know better. People would twist that, turn it into something it wasn’t.
My stomach dropped.
“Hey,” he said, brushing his knuckles over my cheeks. “It’ll be okay, Peyton.”
“I know.” So long as we were together, it would be okay.
The vibration of my cell phone pierced the tension and I dug it out of my purse. “It’s Bryan,” I said, scanning the screen.
“I like the kid, but I’ll be glad when he isn’t your cover story anymore.”
“Seriously, I already told you, you don’t need to be jealous of Bryan.”
