Free One Moment by Kristina McBride Page A

hint.” I decided to lie down again, hoping the action would lure him closer. “Is everyone meeting us out here? Is that what we’re waiting on?”
    “Nope.” Joey slid toward me. “Tonight’s just for you and me.”
    I smiled. Then pinched my lips together. Tight. It had been awkward, this thing between us. Whatever it was. Joey and I had hung out alone a zillion times. I mean, we’d grown up together, the six of us, and we’d all spent time in small groups or pairs while the others were busy. But when Joey had stopped me after school exactly one week earlier and said he had a surprise planned, that he wanted me to be his first passenger after passing his driving test, he was nervous. And nothing made Joey nervous. I knew from the way his voice wavered, how his eyes looked everywhere but right into mine. And that had gotten me excited. I’d never told anyone about my long-standing, secret crush on Joey. Ever. Because I knew what feelings like mine could do to a friendship. And I couldn’t lose him.
    “Joey, look!” I flung my hand into the air, pointing at a brilliant trail of light streaking across the sky.
    “There we go,” he said, lying down and scooting his body right up against mine.
    “Should we make a wish?” I stared at the fading light. “Shooting star, and all?”
    Joey’s hand reached out, his fingers twining into mine. “We’re going to have plenty of wishes to make tonight.”
    As soon as he spoke, another star flashed across the sky. “Did you see that?”
    “It’s a meteor shower,” Joey said. “And the show is just starting.”
    “No way!” I wiggled a little with my excitement, causing the truck to sway beneath us. “I’ve never seen a meteor shower. I’ve always wanted to.”
    “Same here,” Joey said. “I thought it would be the perfect way to show you … well, how I’m feeling.”
    I turned toward him, but not all the way. You never want to go all the way. “How you’re feeling?”
    Joey rolled his eyes. “You really gonna make me work for it?”
    “I just want to hear you say it.”
    “I’m having feelings. Different than normal.” Joey traced his thumb along my lower lip. “For you.”
    “Good feelings?” I licked my lips, tasting the sugary coating left over from my donut. The song on the stereo changed, and I recognized the beginning beats of the Dave Matthews Band’s “You and Me.”
    Joey leaned forward, his breath a sweet, delicious heat that had me spinning under another leaping star.
    “Definitely.” His voice was a whisper, but it washed through me.
    And then he kissed me.
    It was insistent from the beginning. That kiss, there was nothing soft about it. Like he’d been waiting his whole life to finally make it happen. And it swept me away, carried me further than anything ever had. I rode the wave as long as I could, feeling his fingers twisting through my hair, the way his body pressed against mine, how his eyelashes brushed against the upper part of my cheek. I’m not sure how long it lasted, our first kiss. All I know is that it was long enough to flip the earth inside out. To turn everything around forever. I no longer cared about the beauty of the plunging stars. All I wanted was to kiss him again. And again. And again.
    Joey stopped before I was even close to ready. All kinds of things raced through my mind— Did the kiss not measure up? Did his feelings vanish as quickly as they had appeared? —until he smiled, his fingers stroking my chin, trailing slowly down my neck, lighting my entire body on fire.
    “That was nice,” he said.
    I nodded, unable to find my voice.
    “I want to gulp you down.”
    I loved the smoky sound of his voice as he whispered to me.
    “But I have to take sips. Or else this thing could be dangerous.”
    I took a deep breath. And I finally understood. He felt the same way I did. And everything was going to be fine. Slow. But good. I could handle that.
    After bumping his nose against mine and giving me one last