Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Zane
Maxinne is falling for me.
It all seems too good to be true, but I refuse to start overthinking everything and ruin this moment. I want to stay right here in this perfect little bubble for as long as we can. I reach over and lace my fingers through hers, as I drive us back toward the cabins.
When I first suggested that we hike Silent Mountain, I wasn’t sure what type of resolution she’d find up there.
I hoped she would discover what she truly wanted after the summer is over.
I didn’t expect God to answer so clearly…
or so quickly. This is exactly what I prayed for the entire hike up the mountain.
I could power a generator with the energy buzzing through me right now. Maybe even launch a rocket ship into space.
Thank you, Jesus, for hearing my prayer.
I look over at Maxinne, searching her face carefully for any traces of doubt, but I don’t see any.
All I see are bright eyes and pink cheeks and a mouth that makes my brain forget how to function.
When she catches me staring, a smile spreads over her face, and I have to force myself to focus on the road.
“What do you say we make some homemade pizza tonight to celebrate?” Maxinne suggests, rubbing the inside of my palm with her thumb.
“I’d say that you’re speaking my language.”
The sky ahead darkens, clouds thickening into a heavy moodiness.
My shoulders tense as I watch a few drops of rain splatter against the windshield, leaving soft, uneven trails behind.
I checked the forecast this morning, and it showed clear skies, but the weather around here has never been good at keeping promises.
Rain itself doesn’t bother me, but it’s the rest of it I don’t trust. The thunder that rattles loudly, the lightning that splits the sky open, and the wind that sounds like it’s hunting for prey to destroy—especially when it all leads to tornadoes.
I keep my eyes forward, both hands steady on the wheel, telling myself this is only a summer shower and nothing more.
The rain thickens as we wind through the streets of Covewood, the scent of wet pavement sneaking in through the small cracks in the windows.
The world seems to blur at the edges as we drive, softened by water and motion.
By the time we pull into the driveway, it’s coming down hard with fat drops pounding the roof of my truck.
“We’re going to get soaked,” I say, already reaching for the door.
“It’ll be okay,” Maxinne assures me.
“Are you ready?”
She nods once. “Ready.”
We jump out and sprint together toward my cabin. Maxinne stops halfway in my front yard as she tilts her face up toward the sky, spinning once, then again, rain plastering her hair to her cheeks. She sticks her tongue out, laughing as she flings her arms out wide.
She is completely beautiful and free in this moment.
The rain clings to her, darkening her blue shirt, tracing the curve of her smile, turning the moment into something almost cinematic.
I don’t pay attention to the thunder or the flash of lightning above us.
All I see is the woman who’s completely stolen my heart.
I walk over to her slowly, rain soaking through my clothes, my fear dissolving with every step as I focus on her. I call out to her, and Maxinne turns, her eyes shining with joy, her laughter becoming breathless. I reach out, my hands sliding to her waist, pulling her closer.
She smirks up at me, an idea sparking to life behind her eyes. “Have you ever wanted to dance in the rain like they do in romantic movies?”
“I don’t know about dancing but what about kissing?”
The rain drums around us like the world is trying to drown out everything except this, and I close the last inch between us and press my mouth to hers.
I kiss her softly, slowly, pouring into it everything I still don’t know how to say out loud.
Her fingers curl into my shirt as though she’s finally letting herself trust what we’ve both been fighting.
We pull each other closer until there’s no space left between us, her chest rising and falling against mine, our breaths falling into the same rhythm, like we’ve both finally stopped resisting where God has been leading us all along.
Every shaky exhale she gives me feels like another piece of her trust, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it’s safe with me.
She pulls away first, sighing as she does, and the sound rockets down my spine.
I stay where I am, forehead hovering close to hers, rain sliding down the back of my neck, not trusting myself to move yet.
My hands find her face, thumbs brushing the rain from her cheeks.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she admits, her fingers sliding over my hair.
“I haven’t.” I chuckle and lean in to kiss the tip of her nose. “I’m not sure if you remember, but I don’t really like storms.”
“And yet, here you are, kissing me in one.”
“Like I’ve told you before,” I say softly, brushing my thumb along her jaw, “I’d do anything for you.”
Her eyes drag down to my mouth then flick up again, appearing darker than I’ve seen them before. I have to swallow against the groan that rumbles inside of me. Another crack of thunder shoots through the sky, shocking me back into reality.
“We should probably head inside.”
She nods and threads her fingers through mine, and we race for the cabin.
We laugh as rain continues to soak through our clothes, our shoes squelching against the porch boards.
Inside, water drips onto my wooden floors, a small puddle beginning to form beneath us.
Sven immediately trots over and starts licking it up, his tail wagging happily.
We look down at our rain-plastered clothes, then at each other, and burst out laughing.
“I’m going to take my clothes off.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
“Only my shirt and shorts so I don’t drip water all throughout my house. Just turn around.” I chuckle, shaking my head at her. “Unless you want to watch.”
She spins around instantly, hands flying up to cover her eyes. “I’m absolutely not watching,” she insists, though the tips of her cheeks turn pink. “Not because I don’t want to but…” She pauses. “Actually, I’m just going to stop talking now.”
I laugh as I peel off my clothes as fast as I can, my shorts and socks clinging to me like a second skin. I dump them on the mat before I jog down the hall to grab towels.
When I return, I hand her one and say, “You can turn around now.”
She peeks through her fingers. “Are you decent?”
“Define decent.”
She turns around, and her eyes do this slow, unguarded sweep of me that makes heat rush through my veins. A towel hangs low on my hips, droplets of water dripping down my chest. I swear her gaze lingers everywhere, an awareness following in its path, setting my nerves on edge.
“Let me grab you some of my clothes.” My voice cracks at the edges, and I swallow around it. “To wear.”
“Yeah…” She nods her head a few times. “That’d be good.”
I make a beeline for my bedroom, because if I don’t put some space between us, I might do something I’ll regret. I want to take things slow and make the right choices with Maxinne. God didn’t bring us this far for me to start chasing my own desires instead of trusting His timing.
After tossing on my own clothes, I grab her a pair of my sweatpants that might fit her—if she rolls the band a few times—and one of my old t-shirts. When I hand it to her, she unfolds it and studies the picture of a raccoon.
“Stay trashy?” she reads out loud, cocking a brow, a smirk tugging her lips.
I shrug. “What? It’s my favorite shirt.”
“Makes sense since you love raccoons so much.” She chuckles as she makes her way into my bathroom, closing the door behind her.
I busy myself by going into the kitchen and grabbing the pizza dough in my fridge that I put together before we left for the hike.
As I search my kitchen for toppings, the door to the bathroom opens and out walks Maxinne.
Surprisingly, my sweatpants seem to fit her okay, and my favorite shirt almost reaches the tops of her knees.
She’s pulled her wet hair into a braid that lies over her left shoulder.
Even like this, she’s breathtaking.
“What toppings do you like on your pizza?” My voice comes out a bit husky, and I try to clear it away.
“Cheese, obviously. And…”
She makes her way through my living room, stopping as she reaches the kitchen island.
“I usually like spinach and peppers. Sometimes mushrooms.”
I give her a nod and look inside of my fridge. I’m thankful for the distraction as I pull out the ingredients, chopping and prepping them. She joins me, grabbing the cutting board and a knife to chop up the mushrooms I just washed.
Occasionally, our elbows bump, or our arms rub against each other, and then our hands brush more than necessary. Every time it happens, there’s a pause, like we’re both deciding whether to lean in or pull back. But we behave ourselves, which is for the best.
I slide the pizza into the oven, and we move into the living room, taking a seat on my couch. Sven jumps between us and demands our attention. We take turns giving him scratches on his head and behind his ear until he’s satisfied and moves over so he can place his head onto Maxinne’s lap.
“So…where do we go from here?” I finally ask the question that’s been gnawing at the back of my mind.
She hesitates for a second, but then she relaxes into me, taking my hand into hers. “I need to figure out a few details about going back to school.”
I nod once, my thumb stilling against her hand, as I mentally brace myself for her to continue.
“I only have one year left. And...I need you to know something. When I was with Derek, I walked away from school for him.” She shakes her head, almost embarrassed by the memory.
“I kept telling myself I’d go back the next semester.
Then the semester after that. Before I knew it, a year had passed.
I promised myself I’d never do that again. ”
“You shouldn’t.”