My voice thrummed with quiet electricity as I said, ‘Do you feel the same?’
Another tiny nod as a tear slid down her cheek. ‘This semester ostensibly should have been the worst times of my life,’ she said softly, ‘yet some of the best moments of my life were hidden inside it. And the thing those moments have in common isyou.’
My heart burst into a thousand glittering pieces.
Then, cupping her pixie jaw with my free hand, I leaned in and I kissed her; the softest brush, my lips against her scar, the salt of her tears and the gentlest moan escaping her throat. Everything in me sang. A slow, sad ballad, but still a song, nonetheless.
‘I want you to write the story with me,’ I whispered. ‘It’s yours too.’
She swallowed hard, lips still close to mine. ‘Okay. I trust you.’
We kissed again, and it was so deep and so right, and yet I was terrified all over again – just for very different reasons.
I was falling in love with Alice Wolfe.
‘Hey,’ I said softly, pulling my phone from my pocket. ‘I just need to make a quick phone call, okay?’
Alice nodded, wiping her cheeks on the back of her sleeve as I walked towards the enormous fir tree in the opus of the library.
My dad picked up on the second ring.
‘Lottie,’ he said, voice gruff with emotion. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘Yeah, Dad. Everything’s all right.’ I swallowed hard. ‘It’s just . . . I have some news about Janie.’