MAXWELL’S POV
I wasn't acting.
The words hung heavily in the stale air of the car, feeling far more oppressive than the humidity of the coming storm.
Staring at Andrea for exactly three seconds revealed an open, vulnerable, and terrifyingly honest face. Offering me something entirely unpurchased meant she was offering me something undeniably real.
And because cowardice won out, panic immediately took over.
Failing to kiss her or tell her that her fierce defense in the library had made me feel seen for the first time in a decade was a massive mistake. Instead, gripping the steering wheel tightly with my left hand, putting the car in drive, and merging back onto the highway with a little too much gas became the chosen escape route.
"We need to get back," I said, my voice sounding flat
