Текст книги "Angel Fever"

Автор книги: L. A. Weatherly

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Текущая страница: 25 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

38

MY DREAMY FEELING OF PEACE evaporated the second I pulled out onto the highway. Alex. I couldn’t sense him any more – at some point I’d lost the connection. As I drove, I hastily scanned.

Nothing. I took a deep breath and tried again, reaching for the strong, familiar sense of him.

Panic clutched me. It wasn’t there.

No, that wasn’t it – confusedly, I realized that I didn’t know whether his energy was there or not. Whenever I tried to send my consciousness out of myself, nothing happened.

As the truth hit me, my hands went cold on the steering wheel. The road suddenly looked strange, off-kilter. Apparently my angel hadn’t been the only thing damaged by the ethereal storm that had raged through me. I was still psychic; I could feel it…but on nowhere near the same level.

I swallowed hard; I couldn’t even begin to process this yet. Alex is okay, I told myself harshly. He’s got to be.

As I drove into the town, people were cheering, waving their weapons. They shouted my name as they saw me, pounding on the hood of the truck as I passed. My heart quickened as I brought their auras into view. They lay flat and flickering against their bodies. Oh my god – had I actually done it?

I sped the rest of the way to the square, looking for Alex at every turn. There was no sign of him.

When I got to the town hall, people were gathering in front of it; jubilant shouts filled the air. As I jumped out, I saw Nina and Jonah holding each other tightly on the lawn, his dark head against her golden-brown one. They spotted me and came running over; I met them halfway.

Nina and I embraced. She was crying. “Oh, Willow, you did it! We saw them all sweeping away through the sky, and then they vanished—”

“Is everyone okay?” I gasped.

She gulped and wiped her eyes as we drew apart. “No. We’re still counting, but we’ve lost eight so far.”

My chest turned to ice. Then Nina named some of my old classmates – no one I’d known well, but I could put faces to all the names. One was a girl I’d shared notes with in English class.

“Eight people,” I murmured, my throat tight. “But I thought—” I stared at the shouting crowd, their auras still flush with their bodies. Slowly, I let go, and watched them all return back to normal.

“I thought I’d saved everyone,” I said in a small voice.

Jonah touched my hand, his brown eyes intense. “Willow, you saved so many,” he said. “You saved me, for that matter – I had five on me at once, but they couldn’t grab hold.” When I didn’t respond, he added, “We all would have died, you know. Just like the attack at your base.”

“And you know what else?” Nina said, her expression fierce. “We are going to have the celebration to end all celebrations today – because the angels are gone, and that’s what we’ve all been fighting for.”

Wrestling with pain, triumph, confusion, I hugged her again, unable to speak. Then I pulled away. “Have you seen Alex?” I asked urgently.

Jonah shook his head. “I got a glimpse of him during the battle. He was up on a roof at the far end of town, holding off – well, an entire army of angels. He must’ve killed hundreds.”

Alex. He’d been the reason why the army hadn’t reached me in time – the reason I was still alive. “Is…is he all right?” I got out.

“I don’t know. I lost sight of him—”

“Jonah!” shouted an urgent voice. Rachel came panting up. “It’s Seb. We found him behind one of the houses – he looks pretty bad.”

My heart gave a sickening lurch. Following Rachel’s gaze, I saw a small knot of people carrying someone on a makeshift stretcher. The next second I was running across the square as fast as I could, with Nina and Jonah right behind.

A girl I hardly recognized was crying. “I didn’t mean to! I was trying to hit the angel attacking him—”

I skidded to a stop on the damp ground and fell to my knees. Seb lay with his head to one side, not moving. A dark bruise stained the left side of his face. Blood was everywhere – in his curls, mixing with the stubble on his face, staining his green jacket.

“Seb – no.” I gripped his hand; it felt cold. With my other hand, I touched his face, trying not to shake. “Seb, please.”

Rachel was pale. “He was up on a roof – he got hit with shrapnel from a chimney and fell off. We know you’re not supposed to move someone who’s injured, but…but we couldn’t just leave him…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Seb’s face. “I have to get him to Schenectady,” I said in a rush. “He needs a doctor.”

Nina stared at me. “But Schenectady’s an Eden! Even if the angels are gone now, won’t—”

“It’ll be fine,” I said shortly. I was certain of it, though I couldn’t begin to explain why just then. The girl who’d shot at Seb was still crying. Resisting the urge to slap her, I jumped up and fumbled in my pocket for my keys.

Nina and Jonah looked at each other. Nina said, “Okay, I’ll come with you—”

“Willow!”

My head jerked up. Alex was running across the square towards me. The relief was too deep to fathom – I held back a moan as he reached me and swung me into his arms. “You’re all right,” he whispered against my hair. “Oh, thank Christ, you’re all right.”

Suddenly it felt as if I’d forgiven him everything – all I wanted was to wrap my arms tight around him in return. Confusion reeled through me. Shakily, I pulled away, hugging myself and avoiding the sudden hurt in his eyes.

“I’m fine, but – but Seb isn’t,” I said. “We’re taking him to the hospital.”

Alex crouched hastily beside him. “Oh, shit, man – I told you to stay alive,” he muttered. He pressed two fingers under Seb’s jaw. “His pulse is weak. I hope this looks worse than it is.”

We loaded Seb gently into the back of my truck, trying to keep him as steady as possible. Alex took the keys from me without asking, and I crawled in beside Seb. Nina got into the front, asking, “Do you know how to get to Schenectady?”

Alex’s gaze met mine in the rear-view mirror; he had a scratch over one eye. “Yeah, I’ve been there,” he said. “You’ll have to give me directions to the hospital, though.”

As we headed out of Pawntucket and onto I-90, Seb’s hazel eyes flickered open. “Meggie?” he whispered.

My heart broke for him. I rubbed his hand between both of mine. “No, it’s Willow,” I said softly. “But you’re going to be with Meggie, Seb. I promise.”

He gave a groan as the truck lurched around a curve, and seemed to pass out again. My throat clutched as I held his hand tightly. The two of us had taken so many wrong turns together these past two years. But he was the brother I’d never had – and I hadn’t had him in my life for nearly long enough.

Nina twisted around in her seat, her eyes wide. “Willow, what happened up there, anyway?”

I swallowed hard and stroked back Seb’s curls. And, still staring down at him, I explained.

I’d used the energy field to alter everyone on the planet. It was now impossible for angels to feed from humanity. And though I couldn’t change it if someone had been physically hurt by the angels…I’d taken away people’s delusions about them. I’d tried to do it as gently as possible, but the whole world knew the truth now, and that the invaders were gone for ever. I’d managed to heal the ether in the angels’ world a little; it might last long enough now for them to figure out a different way to save themselves.

But they couldn’t get back here again – ever. I’d sealed off our dimension for good.

As I finished talking, Alex was staring at me in the rear-view mirror. When he faced forward again, his expression was dazed.

“So it’s really over,” he murmured finally.

Silence fell; I could see him and Nina trying to come to grips with all this. It still felt dreamlike to me: nowhere near as real as Seb’s hand, cold in mine.

Or Alex’s dark, tousled hair as he sat in the driver’s seat. I swallowed. “What happened with you?” I asked. “Jonah said he saw you up on a roof holding off hundreds.”

Alex shrugged, still looking stunned. “Yeah, trying to. When they finally got past, I thought I was dead, but they couldn’t get hold of my aura.” His eyes met mine again. “Was that you?”

I nodded. I was so overwhelmed by what he’d done that my voice came out too formally: “Thank you. If you hadn’t held them back, I never could have done it.”

I saw his flash of hurt. “Christ, Willow, you don’t have to thank me.”

None of us spoke again. When we got to Schenectady Eden, the main gates were open – there was already a flow of traffic heading out. Crowds of people stood just outside in small clusters, talking intently; some were crying. No one paid any attention as we drove through.

When Schenectady Hospital came into view, we pulled up to the ER and a pair of attendants came racing out with a clattering gurney. “Here,” I cried, sliding open the door to the back.

A few minutes later, we were all sitting in a crowded waiting room. Seb had been taken away down a long corridor. A nurse came over and held out a clipboard. “I know everything’s kind of upside down at the minute, but could you fill this out for us?”

I stared blankly at the form, not even able to take it in just then. Alex was sitting across from me; he leaned over and took it. “He’s not an Eden resident,” he said, scanning the sheet.

The nurse tried to smile; underneath it she looked as flattened with shock as everyone else. “That’s all right…I guess none of us are any more, are we? Just do the best you can.”

39

WE SAT IN SILENCE. I kept glancing down the hallway, worried about Seb – wishing I was able to send my angel to see what was going on.

The room was full of dazed, weary-looking people. I saw a woman in the corner clutching a Church of Angels pendant and crying silently, tears streaming down her face. Pressing my fingers against my head, I hoped I’d done the right thing – that humanity would find its way forward.

Nina was flicking through a magazine called Eden Now. Alex frowned up at the TV that hung from the wall. Bizarrely, an old episode of Cheers was playing.

“Nothing on the news yet,” he said finally, almost to himself.

I shook my head. “No. I guess it’ll take time for people to organize themselves.”

Our gaze met; my cheeks heated and I glanced away. Alex had been keeping his distance from me for hours now. I knew he thought this was what I wanted…only I wasn’t sure if it was any more.

Mom, I’m so confused, I thought miserably.

Even without looking at Alex, I was so aware of him: the curve of his dark eyebrows, the sense of easy strength as he leaned back in his chair. All I wanted was to sit beside him and feel him put his arm around me. But it didn’t make any sense. How could my anger have just evaporated?

But you know why, piped up a tiny voice inside me.

I went very still as those minutes at the willow tree rushed back in vivid detail…and now I was able to take it all in. When I’d clung tight to Alex’s grounding energy, I’d seen him with so much clarity, right down to his soul. Leaving me when he’d thought he was going to die had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. His decision hadn’t been perfect, not by a long shot. But he’d done the best he could.

I sat frozen in my seat, recalling how I’d touched every person on the planet: explored the rich tapestry of all their frailties, hopes, strengths…their humanity.

Oh, god, of course I could forgive Alex – I already had. After seeing all that, how could I not forgive someone who’d struggled with such a terrible choice, and would now give anything – anything – if he could somehow change the outcome?

Especially when I loved him so much it hurt?

Suddenly my eyes were full of tears. Alex wasn’t looking at me; he was staring at the TV with the thoughtful frown I knew so well. Why was there a coffee table between us? Why were we in a waiting room full of people?

I cleared my throat. “Alex, um—”

Before I could ask if he’d step outside with me for a second, a doctor came into the room. “Are you with Sebastián Carrera?” she asked, crouching in front of us.

She’d pronounced his name wrong; I hardly noticed. Nodding, I sat up straight and gripped Nina’s hand.

“He’s okay,” she said.

I let out a shivering breath. Across from me, Alex had closed his eyes in relief, shoulders slumping.

The doctor’s expression held a deep sadness of her own, but her tone was compassionate. “He’s got a bad concussion and a few broken ribs. We’ll need to keep him overnight for observation. But his X-rays are clear, no internal cranial pressure. He’s going to be fine.”

Remembering how Seb had asked for Meghan, I had a sudden feeling that fine was relative. My half-angel awareness of him had lessened, but I could still sense his despair, and my chest tightened.

“Can I see him?” I asked.

The doctor looked at her watch.

“Please? I’m his sister.”

It didn’t even feel like a lie. The doctor nodded. “Just you, then, and only for a few minutes – he needs to rest.”

As I got up, my eyes met Alex’s. “Tell him I said hi,” he said quietly. “And that I’m glad he’s okay.”

I nodded, feeling choked by everything I wanted to say to Alex, but this wasn’t the time. I hurried after the doctor. “I won’t be long,” I said over my shoulder.

The doctor led me down a maze of corridors, then stopped in front of a door. “He’s in here – I’ll be back in five minutes.” Her gaze widened as she studied me. “Wait. Aren’t you—?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said softly. “I just look like her.”

When I pushed open the door, I found Seb lying in a bed with crisp sheets, his bruises worse than before; harsh black stitches slashed diagonally through his left eyebrow.

I sat on the bed beside him and reached for his hand. “Hi,” I whispered.

Wincing, Seb turned his head on the pillow to look at me. He tried to smile, but the look in his hazel eyes was breaking my heart.

“You were right,” he said.

I didn’t have to ask. I squeezed his hand tightly between both of mine. “I know.”

Neither of us spoke for a long moment, and then Seb let out a breath. “We defeated the angels, yes? I can feel it.”

“Yes, we did it. They’re really gone now – for ever.”

He sagged against the bedclothes and closed his eyes. “That’s good,” he whispered. “Oh, that’s so good.”

I stroked his curls from his forehead. “Alex says hi,” I added.

Seb smiled faintly, but I could feel his mind wasn’t on it. “Willow, what am I going to do?”

“You mean about Meghan?”

His fingers gripped mine restlessly. “How is it possible for a man to be this stupid, querida – how?”

“Shh, you need to rest. Seb, it’ll be okay.”

He gave a shattered laugh. “Really? When we broke up, do you know what she said? That she’d wanted to tell me she loved me for so long…but never had, because she knew I wouldn’t say it too.”

Holding onto Seb’s hand, I got a faint flash of Meghan sitting on Seb’s bed, her blue eyes anguished. I’m sorry, Seb. I just can’t do it any more.

“And I just sat there. I told her that, yes, I understood, I didn’t want her to be unhappy – and all I could think was, Meggie, please don’t do this…” Seb’s voice faltered.

“But you know how you feel about her now! She’ll see that; she’ll realize.”

He shook his head, closing his eyes again. “No,” he said dully. “I don’t think so.”

Time for a change of subject. I cleared my throat, looking down at our hands. “Seb, listen. When I was manipulating the energy, it was like I had this incredible rush of knowledge, about every living thing. And…I found out more about half-angels.”

His eyes flew open. “Really?” he said after a pause.

I nodded – and told him what I’d seen. Altogether, there’d been maybe a dozen half-angels throughout time; I’d sensed it in people’s genes. But Seb and I had been the only ones for centuries. And I had a feeling we were the only ones ever who’d been aware of our angels.

As I spoke, I tried not to think about that other part of myself, broken inside of me. Especially as I told Seb the rest: angels weren’t supposed to be able to breed with humans at all, but in a few cases of extreme angel burn, the human’s system had morphed slightly, becoming receptive.

Seb and I existed solely because our mothers had been so severely damaged by our fathers.

Now it seemed like Seb’s hand was comforting me, instead of the other way around. “This doesn’t change anything, not really,” he said after a pause. “Neither of us thought we were here because of some great love affair.”

I nodded, throat tight.

Then Seb’s forehead creased. “You feel different,” he said suddenly.

Before I could answer, I sensed his angel reaching out for mine, and I winced and ducked my head. I hadn’t wanted Seb to know yet, but of course I couldn’t hide it from him.

I sat very still. As his angel touched my own, I felt him realize. He didn’t speak. When I lifted my head, his eyes were bright with tears. Softly, his angel slipped inside of me, finding and cradling that wounded part of me.

Oh god, the look on his face… “I’m all right,” I whispered hoarsely. “Seb, I promise you, I’m all right. Don’t you see? I still have my angel, inside me. And I’m alive. And so are you and Alex – I have everything that matters.”

I clutched his hand. “Please listen to me: you have got to tell Meghan how you feel. You love her – and you tried your best the whole time, and she knows that. She’ll forgive you.” I managed a lopsided smile. “Trust me, okay? I kind of know what I’m talking about on this one.”

I saw hope battle disbelief in Seb’s eyes. “Maybe you’re right,” he said finally.

“I am.”

He smiled slightly then. “You often are,” he said. “It’s very irritating.”

The doctor eased open the door. “Time’s up,” she said.

I bent and kissed his stubbled cheek. “I’ll be back tomorrow when they discharge you, okay?” I lowered my voice. “And by the way, I told her I’m your sister.”

He was already half asleep, his stitches stark against his eyebrow. “Then you were right again,” he murmured. “Because that’s what you are.”

40

AS I WALKED BACK TO the waiting room, my stomach tightened with anticipation. Alex, can I talk to you? Nina could wait a few minutes. All I wanted was to get Alex someplace private and feel his arms around me again – press my face against his warm neck and never let him go.

When I entered the waiting room, my brow creased: his blue plastic chair was empty. Nina sat looking through a different magazine. I perched beside her and then twisted around in my seat, glancing at the restroom.

“Where’s Alex?” I said.

Nina had tossed the magazine aside and was reaching for her coat. “He left.”

My heart stopped. “What?” I said blankly.

She nodded at a pair of empty seats nearby. “He got a ride with those guys; they said they’d drop him off in Pawntucket so he could get his truck. He said to tell you goodbye.”

She saw my expression then and stared at me, flustered. “Willow, the way he said it, I thought you knew. He made it sound like something you’d agreed on.”

Once I know you’re all right, I’ll leave. Suddenly the world was crashing in on me. “How long ago?” I gasped.

“I don’t know, maybe five minutes?”

I’d grabbed up my parka and was running before she finished talking. I darted around a crowd of people as they came in the entrance, heard someone give a startled cry. Nina was shouting behind me. “Willow! Wait!”

The cold air hit me as I shot through the doors. I pounded down the sidewalk, not stopping until I reached the parking lot. I craned up on my tiptoes, longing for my angel. I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Alex!” I shouted. My voice echoed over the half-empty lot. “Alex!”

Nina caught up with me, panting. “Willow, what—”

Where was the truck? I spotted it and started running again; as I reached it, I whirled towards Nina. “The keys, did he give you the keys?”

She handed them over, and I lunged into the driver’s seat. “Get in!” I cried. A second later we were screeching away from the parking lot.

“Willow, what is wrong?” Nina said loudly.

What’s wrong is that I can’t scan for him any more. If he leaves, I won’t be able to find him – and he’ll think that’s what I wanted. I couldn’t say the words. I knew Seb wouldn’t be able to find him either; it took such a deep, multi-layered bond.

I clutched the wheel hard. “I just – I’ve got to find Alex.”

I almost cried in frustration as we reached the main gates and got caught in a traffic jam: a river of glittering metal. It looked as if every car in Schenectady was leaving at the same time. People were carrying their belongings, heading out in droves on foot – it was like the refugees that Alex and I had once seen heading for Denver Eden in reverse.

“How many of them do you think are sick?” asked Nina in a soft voice. Over half an hour had passed.

“A lot,” I said shortly as we crept forward. “But at least their minds are clear, and they’ll get treatment now, once things are a little more normal again.”

She looked at me. “Do you really think the world will ever be normal again?”

“Not really,” I admitted. My hands felt clammy; I wiped them on my jeans. “I guess we’ll have to…find a new normality.”

Finally, finally, we drove through the gates. I got off the traffic-laden highway as soon as I could, taking a country road that was the scenic route. Nina set her jaw and reached for the strap on the ceiling.

“Good – now burn rubber,” she said.

“Believe me, I plan to,” I said as we whistled around a curve. I swung the wheel hard to avoid a pothole. Alex, I don’t want to lose you – not again.

When we finally reached Pawntucket, I plunged into its damaged streets; they were all empty. Alex’s truck had been parked in front of the elementary school – near the front door, with its bright construction-paper decorations.

My chest was clenched as I turned into the school’s parking lot. The words were part prayer, part hope: Please, Alex – please.

His truck was gone.

“No!” I gasped.

“Try the town square – maybe he’s there,” Nina said urgently.

When we reached it, I lurched to a stop in front of Drake’s Diner and jumped out. I couldn’t see Alex’s blue truck anywhere. The square was full of people, though, all gathered in front of the town hall. Someone was bashing out “We Are the Champions” on a guitar; raucous singing filled the air.

“Is Alex here?” I cried, as Jonah came running over and we got out.

He looked surprised and shook his head. “No, he came and said goodbye about twenty minutes ago.”

The world stopped. Somehow I got the words out. “Do you…do you know where he went?”

“No, he didn’t say.” I could tell how much Jonah wished he had a different answer. “I’m really sorry.”

I stood frozen in the weak winter sunshine. Twenty minutes. Oh god, I’d been so close! He could have gone in any direction, and I had no idea which one he’d choose. He was miles away now…thinking it was what I wanted.

I was too late.

Nina squeezed my arm as I stood there speechless. From the town hall lawn, loud singing was still going on. Someone had started banging on an upturned garbage can; the sound pounded at my skull.

Finally Nina cleared her throat. “Do you want to go join the party? You deserve it, Willow.”

I’d never cared less about celebrating. I shook my head dully. “No. Maybe later.”

Nina looked as if she was racking her brains to think of something to cheer me up. “Okay, well…I’ll just go get us some Cokes or something. There’s a whole stash we’ve been saving.”

I managed a smile. “Thanks. That would be nice.”

As Nina headed off towards the square, Jonah stayed beside me, propping himself against the truck. “Is Seb okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “He’ll be fine.”

We stood watching the party. A few people had started a snowball fight, laughing and shouting. “So…what will you do now?” Jonah said, glancing at me.

I had no idea. Remembering that serene moment when I’d gazed over the Wyoming plains, I knew that I didn’t need Alex…but I wanted him so badly it hurt.

Even if I love you, I might as well hate you, because that’s what it feels like! I shut my eyes, wincing at the memory. I might be fine on my own, but I wouldn’t find peace again. How could I, when Alex thought I hated him?

And someday, I guessed he’d fall in love with someone else.

The thought brought so much pain that the celebratory scene in front of me seemed to dim at the edges. “I don’t know,” I answered Jonah finally. “I, um – I guess I’ll stay in Pawntucket, for a while at least. It’ll take a lot of work to get things back the way they were. What about you?”

Jonah’s eyes were on Nina as she returned. “Yeah, I’m staying too,” he said quietly. “This is my home now.”

Even through my sadness, I thought how strange it was: the way the threads of life can weave destinies together like a spider’s web. My brief meeting with Jonah two years ago had brought him here, to my best friend.

“Here, fresh from the snow,” Nina said when she reached us, pressing an icy can into my hand.

A whoop of laughter; Scott Mason lurched past with Rachel on his shoulders. “Hey, Willow!” he cried, reversing quickly. He and Rachel both went silent; Scott held out his hand to me, suddenly serious and inarticulate. “Thank you so much,” he said fervently. “You are a hero, you know that?”

Suddenly I knew that, no matter whatever else happened to me, I did not want a lifetime of people looking at me the way the two of them were.

“That’s okay,” I said as I shook his hand. “But it wasn’t me, actually.”

Scott blinked. “It wasn’t?”

“No. I was just there when it happened. Maybe I was a catalyst or something, but…the angels’ time here was just finished, I guess.”

“Oh,” he said, looking bewildered.

“Well, at least they’re gone,” Rachel put in. After a pause, she added, “Too bad Alex couldn’t stay for the party. He was incredible during the fight.”

Scott glared up at her, jiggling her legs. “Yeah, could you have been any more obvious?” He put on a falsetto voice. “‘Ooh, Alex, are you sure you can’t stay?’”

I’d been leaning against the truck; now I jerked upright. “Wait – you saw Alex?”

Scott shrugged. “Yeah, on his way out of town. He asked us for directions.”

Suddenly my heart was racing. “Where to?”

He looked taken aback by the urgency in my voice. “Route 16.”

I caught my breath; my gaze met Nina’s.

“Go!” she cried, grabbing the Coke from me and shoving me towards the truck. Because she knew as well as I did what was down that road.

I must have set new speed records as I drove out of Pawntucket; two years earlier I’d have been pulled over before I even reached the town limits. On Route 16, winter-bare trees flashed past.

Please, I thought. Please.

I slowed down at the brown-and-white sign: MURRAY PARK. My heart pounded as I took the turn.

At first glance the parking lot was empty, and my soul withered inside me. And then I saw it: a blue 4 × 4 sitting in the far corner. Suddenly I was trembling almost too hard to park. I rested my forehead against my fists on the steering wheel for a second. When I looked up, the truck was still there.

It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.

I got out and walked quickly up the hiking trail. When I got to the clearing, I could see the willow tree – and a boy standing beside it. His hands were in his back pockets, his dark hair rumpled by the wind as he looked up at the tree’s branches.

As I approached, Alex turned at the sound of my footsteps. His eyes widened in a flash of blue-grey. I stopped short as our gazes met, my mouth dry.

I saw him swallow. “I just…wanted to see it,” he said finally, nodding at the tree.

“I’m glad,” I said as I started to cry. “I mean, I really, really cannot tell you how glad I am.”

I took another step towards him, and then I was running. Alex met me halfway and caught me up hard in his arms.

For a long time we just held each other. I clung to him, my face tight against his neck as I drank in his familiar scent – the feel of his arms around me. Finally he stroked my hair back with both hands. Without speaking, he started pressing slow kisses over my face, brushing away the tears.

His warm mouth caressed its way over my cheeks, my lips. “I thought I’d never see you again,” I whispered, closing my eyes. “That years would pass – that you’d fall in love with someone else…”

Alex stopped and stared at me. “Are you crazy?” He sounded almost angry. “There will never be anyone else for me, Willow. Never. If you hadn’t come after me, I’d have come back here in a few weeks – I’d have begged you on my knees.”

I reached up and gripped both his hands. He rested his forehead against mine; we stood with our heads bowed. The willow tree stirred as the wind whispered around us.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Alex, I was just so angry and confused…”

“I know,” he said. “I deserved it. Don’t apologize.”

And somehow that was all that needed to be said.

We drew apart a little, gazing at each other. I slowly felt a smile spread across my face. I just stood there, smiling. I couldn’t stop.

Finally I cleared my throat. “You know, there’s something I have to do,” I told him gravely – and I took his head in my hands and kissed him, gliding my fingers through his dark hair.

By the fourth kiss, he was grinning. “Wait, are you sure you definitely want me back? You seem kind of indecisive.”

I could feel myself grinning too. “Don’t talk,” I said. “Just kiss.”