Kiss Now, Lie Later

by C. W. Farnsworth

  “Dinner is delicious,” Wes compliments as we begin to eat.

  “That’s very sweet of you to say, Weston,” my mother replies. Liam lets out a quiet snort that earns him a harsh look from our mother.

  The room descends into silence again, and I keep stuffing my mouth with food so I don’t choke on the awkwardness. I risk a glance at Wes. I wouldn’t blame him if he was about ready to bolt from the room. I’m surprised by how equanimous he looks.

  “So, Weston, how is your senior year going?” my mother asks, breaking the silence.

  “It’s going well, thanks,” Wes replies politely.

  “Do you have a favorite subject in school?” she continues. I’m tempted to roll my eyes at her lame question, but I resist. I know she’s just trying to help. Liam doesn’t do the same, and I frown at him as Wes answers.

  “Probably English. I’ve always loved to read.”

  “Really?” My mother grasps on to the tidbit. “I was an English major in college. Any favorites?”

  “Shakespeare,” I toss out between bites, and Wes grins.

  “I like novels too. To Kill a Mockingbird has always been a favorite,” he tells my mother.

  “I’m impressed you find time to read with all the other activities you have going on,” she replies, tactfully avoiding any mention of football.

  “I tend to read on the bus to away games,” Wes responds. “It helps me get out of my head.”

  “That's nice,” my mother responds. “I’m sure you’ll miss it now that the season’s over.” She realizes her mistake at the same time everyone else at the table does, but Liam is the one who corrects her.

  “He’s from Alleghany, Mom. Their season isn’t over.” His voice is dripping with derision.

  Silence falls again as my mother scrambles for a way to navigate the topic back to safer waters. She settles on me.

  “Did you hear about Maeve’s game yesterday?” she asks Wes. Before he can answer, she continues on a detailed, embellished description of the game.

  Finally, I intercede, embarrassed. “Mom, he knows. He was there.”

  “Oh, well that’s . . . ” my mother scrambles for an adjective that won’t be an affront to the two people at the table who chose not to attend my game. She settles on “nice.”

  “Weston, what are your plans for college? I assume you’re going to play football?” Of course football is how my father would choose to enter the conversation. But he's talking, which means we're not sitting in silence. His voice is neutral, not antagonistic like Liam’s, so I don’t intervene.

  “My dad went to Lincoln University, and he’s always wanted me to attend there as well,” Wes replies. My father’s eyebrows raise slightly in response to this information, a subtle acknowledgement he’s impressed. Lincoln is known to be one of the most competitive universities in the country academically, and it’s revered for its football program in particular.

  “That’s a worthwhile opportunity,” my father acquiesces. It’s the equivalent of a ringing endorsement from him. “I assume they’ve shown some interest?”

  “They made an offer,” Wes replies. “But I’m still weighing my other options. Like Arlington. Coach Phillips spoke very highly of you, sir.”

  I though the enmity in the room hit its peak when Liam last spoke. I was wrong. The tension in the room ratchets up to that of a taut string about to snap in response to Wes’s casual words. Liam’s the one who snips it. “You’re looking at Arlington? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Liam,” my mother admonishes. My brother doesn’t say anything else, but he glowers, first at Wes, then at me.

  “Lincoln’s program is higher ranked.” I’m surprised my father is the one who breaks the strained silence. To disparage his alma mater and the team he used to coach, of all things.

  “Yes, it is,” Wes agrees. “But Arlington is Maeve’s first choice.”

  I stare at him, stunned. Surprised he realized that, and even more shocked he’s factoring it into his own future plans, especially given the recent upheaval in our relationship.

  “It is?” my father questions, looking to me.

  “Yeah, it is,” I admit, looking away from Wes and cutting my chicken. “I applied to lots of places, though.”

  Dinner doesn’t last much longer, and it’s mostly filled with my mother and Wes talking. I chime in a few times, but my father and brother are silent.

  “What time is it?” I ask my mother as soon as we all finish eating.

  She checks her watch. “Almost seven.”

  “Wow, we’d better get going,” I tell Wes, looking at him meaningfully.

  He catches on quickly. “You’d better hurry up and change, Stevens. Then we can get moving.”

  I give Wes a clueless look, because we didn’t actually make any plans past dinner. I was thinking we could escape my house and go to the cabin. What am I supposed to change into?

  “Change?” my mother asks. “Where are you two headed?”

  “Mini golf,” Wes responds.

  “That sounds fun,” my mother replies as she stands and starts collecting the dishes. “Better dress warm, Maeve. It’s chilly out.”

  “Okay, I’ll do that,” I say, standing. I shoot Wes a look to make sure he really meant it, and he just gives me a serene grin. I head back out into the front hallway and up the stairs to my room. I pull off the blouse I was wearing, and start pawing through my closet for a cute sweater to change into. There’s a knock on my door just as I’ve pulled one over my head.

  “Yes?” I call out, expecting it to be my mother, checking up on me. It’s not. It’s Liam. And based on the agitated expression on his face, he hasn’t come to apologize for his moody behavior at dinner.

  "What is it, Liam?” I ask impatiently as I grab my winter coat out of my closet and shove my phone in the pocket.

  “He’s considering Arlington?”

  I sigh. “I guess so. He didn’t tell me.”

  “Yeah, right,” Liam scoffs. “He’s only considering playing at Arlington because of you! Over higher-ranked programs!”

  “Liam, I get why you’re upset. I know you’ve always wanted to play there. But I only just applied. I might not even get in, and a lot could change between—”

  “Maeve, your grades are perfect, you’re student council president, and you were captain of a soccer team that just won state for the first time ever. You’re going to get in, and he’s going to follow you there, and I’m going to spend another four years stuck in Weston Cole’s shadow.”

  “You don’t know that! We’ve never even discussed going to the same school. A lot could change between now and then. There’s a good chance he’ll change his mind and end up going to Lincoln to please his dad.”

  “He announced to Mom and Dad at dinner he’s choosing a school based on where you go, Maeve. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s going to change his mind.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say, Liam,” I reply. “I’m sorry you’re upset, but this isn’t my fault.”

  “Of course it’s your fault! Every other girl in Glenmont manages to stick to the guys in town, and my sister is the one stupid enough to fall for the Alleghany quarterback? Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me, Maeve? How much shit the team is giving me?”

  I can feel it coming. The moment Wes was talking about. The moment where I have to choose.

  “I’m sorry you feel personally attacked by the person I fell in love with, Liam,” I reply. “But I won’t apologize for it. And it would be nice if you could just be happy for me rather than tossing insults. And also tell your team to shut up about my love life.”

  “Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to say when they make comments about my sister sleeping with the enemy? ‘Shut up?’”

  “It’s none of their business.”

  “You made it the entire school’s business, Maeve! As soon as you got involved with a guy from Alleghany. I mean, any guy would have been bad enough, but Weston fuc
king Cole?”

  “Why do you hate him so much?”

  That question pulls Liam up short. “You’re joking, right?”

  “No, I mean it. Aside from the rivalry. Why don’t you like him?”

  “He’s a jerk.”

  “Which you know from . . . what? All the quality time you’ve spent together over the past few years?”

  “No, I’ve heard stuff, okay?”

  “So you believe every rumor you hear?”

  Liam’s face hardens. “I doubt they’re all lies.”

  “But you don’t believe me when I say he’s a good person and he makes me happy? I mean, Liam, you’re upset because he wants to go to the same school as me. I get why you’re threatened by that, but it might not be all bad. He could help—”

  Liam snorts. “I don’t need help from Weston Cole when it comes to football.”

  “Fine. But if you’re asking me to pick you over him, I won’t.”

  Fresh betrayal streaks across Liam’s face at my words. He strides out into the hallway, and I hear his door slam shut a few seconds later. I finish getting ready and head downstairs.

  My father and Wes are standing in the entryway, talking. To my immense shock, they’re both smiling.

  “Ready?” I ask Wes, coming to a stop beside them.

  “Yup,” he confirms.

  “Weston was just telling me you run drills at the track every other night,” my father says. “I was thinking I might come with you tomorrow night, if that’s okay?”

  I stare at him, gobsmacked. Now that my season is over, I wasn't planning on training tomorrow night, but I’m not about to dissuade my father from something I’ve hoped he’d do for years.

  “Um, yeah. Sure,” I reply.

  “All right, then,” my father responds, as though the two of us making plans is entirely normal. “You two have fun tonight.”

  “Thank you, Coach Stevens,” Wes replies respectfully. I simply nod, too surprised to say anything as we head outside into the cold winter air.

  “Was I hallucinating back there?” I can’t help but ask as Wes backs out of my driveway. “Or did my dad just offer to run drills with me?”

  “Nope, that’s what I heard too,” Wes confirms, smiling over at me. He looks pleased with himself, and I’m immediately suspicious.

  “Did you say something to him?” I ask.

  “I may have mentioned I thought he should pay a little more attention to what a star athlete his daughter is when he said he regretted missing your game yesterday.”

  A lump grows in my throat. “Thank you.”

  Wes shrugs. “I was just being honest. No need to thank me.” He pauses. “You were upstairs for a while.”

  “Yeah. I was talking to Liam,” I admit.

  “I thought I heard some yelling.”

  “You did.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Wes gives me a concerned look.

  “No,” I respond. After a moment, I add, “I chose you.”

  I can feel Wes’s eyes on me. “I’m sorry, Maeve. Sorry you had to.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “And I don’t have any regrets.”

  Wes smiles at me as we pull into the parking lot of Alleghany’s mini golf course. It’s twice the size of Glenmont’s, but I’m still amazed it’s even open this time of year. Unsurprisingly, it’s mostly empty.

  We’re about halfway through our game when I notice that start to change. More people start arriving. Alleghany high school students, to be specific. I get my first taste of what it must be like to be Weston Cole as people keep walking past us, trying to unsuccessfully appear like they’re not staring.

  “Is it always like this?” I ask Wes as one girl passes us for the fourth time.

  “Pretty much, and it’s only going to get worse,” Wes cautions me. “Do you want to leave?”

  “Not until I beat you,” I inform him.

  My burst of bravery falters at the sound of a male voice behind us. “Well, well, well. Maeve Stevens and Weston Cole. I feel like I’m watching one of those unlikely friendship animal videos.”

  I turn to see Chris Fields standing with two other guys who I know are on the Alleghany football team.

  Wes sighs. “Guess I’m not entirely surprised you three have nothing better to do on a Saturday night than crash my date.”

  “Catch up, Cole,” Chris says. “The whole school’s here.”

  “Maeve, these are the people I sometimes claim as friends. Adam, Chris, and Charlie.” Wes points to each guy as he says their name.

  “Hey, guys,” I greet. Charlie is the one who spoke first, so I focus on him. “What’s your favorite video?” I ask him.

  “What?” he replies, looking confused.

  “Of the unlikely friendships.”

  Charlie laughs. “No idea. My little sister watches them. Why, what’s yours?”

  I don’t miss a beat. “The horse and the bird.”

  He stares at me for a moment as the meaning sinks in. A slow smile starts to spread across his face, until he's grinning widely. “Damn it, I might actually like you, Maeve Stevens.”

  I’m surprised to realize the feeling is mutual. Not just about Charlie, but all three of Wes’s friends. Once we stumble through the initial awkwardness, it's shockingly easy to see them as three normal high school guys rather than the embodiment of the town and team I’m meant to hate. They banter and joke with each other easily as we finish the rest of the course. Despite the stares we're receiving, no one else approaches us, and I'm grateful. I left my comfort zone when we crossed over the Alleghany town line.

  I beat Wes by one point, and he doesn’t hesitate to remind me I said that was within the margin of error. I expect him to take me up on my offer of a rematch, but he doesn’t. He says goodbye to Charlie, Chris, and Adam, tugs me over to the window to return our clubs, and then tows me to the parking lot. I barely have time to wave goodbye to his friends.

  “Someone’s a sore loser,” I remark as we climb back in the car. “I wasn’t going to tease you about it. Much.”

  Wes laughs as he turns back onto the road. “That’s not why I wanted to leave. I thought of somewhere else I wanted to show you.”

  “What did—”

  The rest of my question dies when Wes pulls over to the side of the road. Up ahead, I can see the thousands of twinkling lights Alleghany wraps around the pines framing the beach on their side of the lake each year for the holidays. It’s a beautiful view from Glenmont’s side of the water, but even more stunning up close.

  “Wow,” I breathe. “It’s gorgeous.”

  We walk hand in hand onto the sand. We’re not the only people here, but I’m too fixated on the dazzling display of lights to focus on anyone else. Except for Wes.

  “Did you mean what you said at dinner? About going to the same college?” I ask as we walk along the beach.

  Wes doesn’t blink an eye at my abrupt subject change. “Yes,” he replies immediately.

  “That’s good to know,” I respond, smiling widely. They’re the same four words he spoke before he kissed me for the first time, and I know the reference isn’t lost on him when he leans down and kisses me again.

  I’ve kissed Weston Cole dozens of times by now. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. But I still experience the same dizzying rush I did the first time. The flood of heat. The sizzle of lust. The way the world disappears.

  We pull apart and take seats side by side in the sand. For the first time, we’re not confined to the small Fayetteville stretch by his uncle’s cabin. We’re out in the open, where anyone can see us. And we’re not alone. But it feels like we are.

  I lean against Wes’s side, and he draws me closer.

  We’re a living contradiction of the Alleghany Glenmont rivalry. Because we disregarded it. Overcame it. Faced it. To most people, that wouldn’t mean much. For anyone who's never lived in either town, it probably wouldn’t mean anything.

  But to Wes? To me?

  We kno
w it means we can survive anything.

  The End.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read Kiss Now, Lie Later. I hope you enjoyed Weston and Maeve's story. If you did, please consider leaving a review. It's an invaluable, irreplaceable way to reach new readers, especially for an author just starting out, like myself!

  Books By This Author

  Four Months, Three Words

  Book One

  Two Decisions, One Duty

  Book Two

  About the Author

  C.W. Farnsworth is the author of three novels. She has always been a voracious reader, and grew up devouring books by flashlight under the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep. She primarily writes young adult and new adult romance, her favorite genres to read, often involving sports.

  When she's not reading or writing, her favorite hobbies include running in the rain, cooking elaborate meals, and drinking excessive amounts of seltzer.

  Charlotte is a native New Englander, but attended college in New York, and now resides in Washington, D.C. Find her on Instagram @authorcwfarnsworth, Twitter @cw_farnsworth, and check out her website www.authorcwfarnsworth.com for upcoming book news!