“Cole?” I asked, a lot unsure now.
“The vision,” he said, and I noticed he, too, had a few extra scrapes.
Like me, Gavin blinked. “Yeah. That was it. The one we had. Part of it anyway.”
And there’d been nothing romantic about it. “He saved my life. I owed him. I was just saying thank you.”
“I know. Now.” Cole massaged the back of his neck. “I broke up with you for nothing,” he said softly.
“That wasn’t the only reason. You were afraid I’d—”
“Don’t make excuses for me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He grabbed me up and meshed his lips onto mine.
Cheers quickly abounded, soon joined by whistles. I didn’t care. I took and gave and took some more. All that he was. All that I was. The past, the present and the future.
When he lifted his head, I could only sag into him.
“I missed you,” he said, rubbing his nose against mine.
“I missed you, too.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better now.”
He chuckled softly, but the spurt of humor didn’t last long. “I’m sorry for everything, Ali.”
“Hey. It’s done. It’s over. We’re here now. But why are you and Gavin sporting new injuries?”
“The guy who shot and bombed your Dr. Bendari showed up and tried to take Ethan away from us. He must not have realized we were letting the guy go. Anyway, he was back on his feet, and stronger than he should have been, so there was a fight. We won, but he got away again.”
The cheers seeped back into my awareness, and I looked around.
“Sweet fancy,” Nana said, fanning herself. When had she gotten here? “The hormones in this room.”
Frosty and Kat were engaged in a similar kiss. Bronx and Reeve had claimed the couch and were talking softly. Everyone else watched us unabashedly and grinned.
“Give me five minutes to check on everyone,” Cole whispered to me, “and then I want some time alone with you.”
I nodded, already counting down the seconds.
He gave me another kiss before joining his friends at the Ping-Pong table, and they each clasped palms before punching each other in the shoulder. It was like a secret handshake or something.
Nana ruffled my hair, saying, “Oh, to be young again.”
“You’re still young enough to go on the prowl,” I said, then immediately wished I could snatch back the words.
She smiled, and suddenly she looked ten years younger. “Speaker’s remorse?” she asked with a laugh. “No worries. I might enjoy looking, but I’m not interested in taming one.” Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed my cheek. “I’m headed back to bed. I just came down to find out what was going on. Have fun...but not too much.”
“Love you, Nana.”
“Love you, too.” She flittered away.
I munched on a crab cake and watched as Cole went from friend to friend, talking and laughing. He epitomized beauty, everything right in the world...in my world. He moved to Veronica’s side, and said something that made her frown. There wasn’t a single spark of jealousy inside me. Good Ali.
“By the way, I want you to know I’m done coming on to you, Ali Bell,” Gavin said as he approached me. “You’ve never looked at me the way you look at Cole, and I’m starting to think that’s a look I’d like to receive.”
“Aw. This means my little boy is growing up. I’ll even help you out with rock-solid tip to get you started.”
“And that is?”
“Give up your ho-bag ways.”
Grinning, he bumped my shoulder with his own. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a brat?”
“I’m just certain Cole has mentioned it a time or twelve.”
“Smart boy.” He enfolded me in his arms, giving me another hug.
I hugged him back.
“Are you happy with the way things worked out?” he asked.
I cupped his cheeks, and the action reminded me of the vision. I looked at Cole, still with Veronica. The tension he’d worn like a second skin had fallen away. “I am. But what about you?”
“Never better. Veronica and I have decided to move here. I don’t know her reasons, but mine are simple. Alabama is an ocean of untapped, horny fish and daddy likes his seafood.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you’re staying. I would have missed you.” My gaze returned to Cole. He was watching me now. There was no suspicion in his eyes, no anger. He still trusted me, the same way I trusted him.
He closed the distance between us.
“I’m more certain by the second that the visions don’t always mean what we think they do. And now your five minutes are up,” he said, taking my hand. “It’s time for our talk.”
“Talk? That’s what we’re calling it these days?” Gavin said with a laugh.
We passed Mr. Ankh, and then Mr. Holland, and my cheeks heated.
“Where are you going?” Mr. Holland demanded.
“Ali’s old room.”
“You have ten minutes. And then I come up to get you.”
From the corner of my eye, I think I saw Cole flip off his dad.
“Fine, fifteen minutes,” Mr. Holland grumbled.
“You give them fifteen. I’m giving them five,” Mr. Ankh said. “Her grandmother has a temper and I don’t want to face it again.”
Nana had a temper?
The moment we entered my old room and shut the door, I turned to him and wrapped my arms around him. We were kissing in the next instant, and it was electric, consuming, the force of it so great I felt as if I became a part of him.
“Ali,” he said, when he finally came up for air. “People are always throwing the word love around, but before you, I never did. And I’d never needed to hear it, either. Then, the other night, you uttered those words to me, and it’s okay if you don’t remember, but I heard them, and it affected me, and now I want to hear the words for real because I love you so much it hurts. I need to hear the words. If you’re ready to give them.”
Huge step. The one that would send me over the cliff.
He took my hand and shoved it under his shirt, placing my palm on his skin, just over his heart, where the last part of my name was etched. “You’re a part of me, and you’ll always be a part of me, and if you need more time, that’s all right, too.”
“Cole...”
He shook his head. “Don’t say anything. Not yet. I want to get the rest of this out.”