Jude clicked off his seat belt, flew across his seat, and kissed me.

I kissed him back as I fumbled with my seat belt. It was Jude who finally found the release button, and when I was free, he pulled me over the cup holders and onto his lap. In the passenger seat on top of Jude, my right leg was cramped, and one of the heat vents was scorching my back. And it felt like the best place in the world to be.

I didn’t know how long I stayed there—I lost all sense of time—before I heard the plaintive wails of “Memory” coming through the Broadway channel. I swiveled around to turn it off, but Jude grasped my wrist. “No, wait, keep it on.”

I stared into his eyes for a moment. Then I cracked up and couldn’t stop. “If you can only make out to show tunes, that’s a problem,” I finally managed to say. He laughed but kept swatting my hand away from the button.

“Really? Cats? That’s what you want to listen to right now?” I tried my best to be outraged but couldn’t stop laughing.

Jude smiled but didn’t explain himself. He only put his hands inside my coat and tickled my sides, which forced me to keep retracting my finger from the radio buttons. But as that incessant woman yowled on about her memories, I suddenly remembered something.

“Memory” was the only Broadway song I knew when I’d given Jude a ride home for the first time. It led to the Broadway rabbit hole, which led to “Finishing the Hat,” which led to Winter Formal and sadness puppies and sexy dancing and trampolines and skating and ballet. It led to kissing. It led to right now.

“Okay. Let’s keep it on,” I said.

Jude’s smile grew, wide and bright and beautiful. He twisted the ends of my hair in his fingers. Then he sang softly along.

And yeah, this song was cheesy. But right now, it etched itself into my heart, where I’d remember it, and this moment, forever.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

WHEN I FINALLY WALKED in the front door, it was midnight and Josie was in the kitchen getting a glass of water. Her eyes widened at the sight of me. My stage lipstick was smeared all over my face. I knew because it was smeared all over Jude’s face, too.

“What the hell?” Josie stared at me in horror.

“Hey!” I said brightly.

“Why is your face like that? Why are you smiling? Are you all right?” she asked, utterly weirded out.

“I’m great, actually. Really great. What are you doing up?”

Josie still eyed me suspiciously but seemed convinced I hadn’t been possessed by aliens, at least. “I couldn’t sleep. I’m stressed about showcase auditions. I haven’t found a duet partner yet.”