“No. I’m –”
“It sounds like you’re defending him. He’s mad at me over an accident, Pete.” Well, two accidents.
“Listen. Did you ever stop to think that he –” Pete hesitates, then lets his head fall back. “Fuck it.”
“Fuck what?”
He looks at me. “Both of you are messed up over this. I’m sick of seeing you sad.”
I get sarcastic. “You’ve only seen me one day.”
“You’re forgetting the rest of the weekend when this whole thing happened. Not to mention I’ve had to listen to your depressed voice every time I call.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out my car keys. He starts to hand them over, but stops. “Before I give these to you, I need to know one thing.”
“What?”
“When you said you loved Latson,” he sighs, “did you mean it?”
I’m confused. “How do you know I said that?” I’ve only told Ariel how I felt.
Pete points at me. “If anyone finds out I told you this I’m going to say I don’t remember because I was drunk.”
Maybe he really is drunk. He’s not making much sense. “Okay.”
“Dean sent a video to Latson,” he says. “It was from the bus. You can’t see much, but you can hear voices. Ariel asks if you could tell Latson anything, what would it be? You answered that you love him.”
My eyes narrow. Dean was recording me?
“So?” Pete gets impatient. “Do you really love him?”
“Of course I do. I don’t profess my devotion for people if I don’t mean it.”
He hands me my keys. “You need to go home now.”
“Home? As in –”
“Your apartment. And before you get mad, yes, I made a copy of your key.”
My heart starts to pound. “Is Latson –”
Pete stands and pulls me to my feet. “Don’t ask questions. Just go. I already gave too much away.”
I take a step, then start to sprint toward the pool room doors. “Don’t speed!” Pete calls out.
Jogging through the hotel, I burst through the front doors and into the parking lot. I have no idea where my brother parked my car, so after going up and down a few rows, I give up and push the panic button on my key ring. Once I find it, I jump in and head to the expressway. It’s not long before I realize I ran off and left everything I own at the hotel. I don’t even have my driver’s license on me.
Shit. I’ll have to make a trip back in the morning.
During the drive to my place, a million thoughts swirl in my mind. Is Latson really there? If he’s not, something else certainly is. What it could be? Dean’s covert video obviously made an impression, which reminds me of Ariel’s expression when she asked me her question. Was she in on this, too?
When I pull into my apartment complex, I spot Dorothy right away. Latson is here. I park next to his car, then jump out of mine. Racing inside, I take the stairs two at a time until I’m outside my door. I raise my hand to knock, but stop when it seems weird. It’s my apartment. Plus, it’s almost three a.m. Latson’s probably sleeping. On what, I don’t know because I need to replace my furniture. The carpet, maybe? At least it’s new. I need to stop rambling and just open the damn door already.
Placing the key in the lock, I try to be quiet when I turn the knob. I step inside and notice all the lights are off except for a strange blue glow coming from the living room. Closing the door behind me, I take a few stealthy steps until I’m staring in awe. Light from a fish tank I never had illuminates my place, and there, on a brand new couch surrounded by all new furniture, lies a sleeping Oliver snuggled against a sleeping Latson. After my rush to get here, my pulse slows to a steady pace. Everything about this feels right. I can see myself coming home to these two every day of my life.
Soft sounds coming from the corner lure me over to stand in front of the fish tank. A lump forms in my throat when I realize what’s inside. Four seahorses are hiding amongst the seaweed and coral; two are a grayish color, one is yellow, and another is red. They float weightlessly, hanging on to the plants with their tails. They’re gorgeous. I know this had to be Oliver’s idea, and it makes my heart melt.
“Hey,” a sleepy voice whispers as arms slowly wrap around my waist. “You’re home early.”
I fall back against Latson’s chest and close my eyes, content to be there. He kisses the side of my neck before setting his chin on my shoulder. “Do you like them?”
I nod. “They’re beautiful.”
He holds me tighter. “I hope you don’t mind we named them. O couldn’t wait.”
I smile and open my eyes. “What are they?”
“The two gray ones are Oliver and Uncle Gunnar,” he says. “The yellow one is Ed, and the red one is Jen.”
I stifle a laugh. “Ed? Really?”
Latson smiles against my skin. “I came up with that one.”
I stare into the tank as he holds me. “Why am I red?” I whisper.
“For cardinal,” he says. “I remembered your rule.”
This makes me so happy. I turn around in his arms and wrap mine around his neck. He leans forward and sets his forehead against mine. “God, I love you, Jen. I’m sorry for everything. I don’t ever want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to be lost,” I whisper. “I love you so much.”
He ducks his head and finds my mouth. My entire body reacts as my blood rushes through my veins. Out of all the kisses I’ve ever received, I never knew I was waiting for this one. It’s full of passion, but it’s not seductive. It’s an apology and a declaration; it’s longing and relief. It’s everything I’ve always wanted.
One of his hands leaves my back and travels up my arm to circle my wrist. He leans back and moves my hand, pressing my palm over his pounding heart. “Do you feel that?”
I nod.
“It’s for you,” he says. “Only for you.”
I look up and get lost in his eyes.
“C’mon,” he murmurs as he steps back. He leads me past Oliver and into my bedroom, which I’m not surprised to see has a new bedroom set. He turns on a lamp for some light, and I run my hands over a thick sage comforter. “Why did you do all this?” I’m still whispering. “It’s too much.”
“You don’t like it?” He looks worried. “Everything can be exchanged. I thought –”
I hold a finger to his lips. “I love it all.”
He relaxes.
“But …” I glance around. “What does this say?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want me to stay in Michigan?”
Latson reaches for me and wraps his arms around my waist again. “No. I mean, yes. I mean, I want whatever you want.”