“But I did,” Arlo muttered.
“Oh, I know. It’s impressive, really.”
“Thanks?” Arlo said. “So, what do we do now?”
“Nothing. You do nothing. You go home, and you live your lives and you forget this night ever happened. The judge won’t file a missing person’s report. He’ll likely make sure people everywhere know that Holden’s studying abroad or taking a mental health break.”
“But eventually, the judge will figure out Holden’s not where he thinks he is,” Dimitri said.
“And by then, it will be far too late for him to do anything about it. Any evidence behind the coffee shop will have washed away. Holden’s car is a cube of scrap metal and, without his body, there’s no proof a crime even took place.”
Arlo shook his head. “That can’t be it. We just go on with our lives?”
August shrugged. “You know all our secrets. I suppose you could train to work with us like the others, but you’re quite young. Maybe just go back to school and finish your education.”
With that, August turned and walked away, but then stopped short. “Oh, and apologize to your mother for me. She scares me a little.”
For a long while, Dimitri and Arlo just stood there in the cold before returning to the car without saying a word. Once inside, Arlo turned to look at Dimitri. “So, that’s it? We just got away with murder?”
Dimitri leaned in close. “I think so, yeah.”
Arlo just blinked at Dimitri. “I don’t know if I’m relieved or numb.”
“I love you, too,” Dimitri said, grabbing Arlo’s face in his hands.
“What?” Arlo asked, bewildered.
“I said I wouldn’t say it like that, like it was the end for us. But I can say it now. Now that it’s just the beginning. ”
“So say it,” Arlo said, breathless. “Say it again.”
Dimitri grinned, kissing him deeply. “I love you. I have loved you my whole life. I will keep loving you for the rest of it.”
Arlo flung his arms around Dimitri’s neck, burying his face there. “I love you, too.” They held each other for a long moment, then Arlo said, “Do you think we should call your mom and tell her we’re alive?”
Dimitri nodded. “Yeah. Probably.”
“She’s going to be pissed,” Arlo said.
“Very.”
“She’s probably going to yell a lot.”
Dimitri sighed, voice resigned. “Most likely.”
“Maybe we call her when we get home, instead?” Arlo suggested, pulling back to give him a hopeful look.
Dimitri grinned, smacking a kiss on Arlo’s lips. “Yeah, maybe we do that.”
Arlo leaned in for a longer kiss. “And maybe we stop and get food at that twenty-four-hour diner that we passed a few exits back? I’m starving.”
Arlo’s stomach dipped as Dimitri dropped a kiss to Arlo’s forehead, “Whatever you want, babe.”
“So the babe thing is here to stay?” Arlo teased.
“What? You don’t like babe?”
Arlo wrinkled his nose, shaking his head. “It’s a little generic.” When Dimitri protested, Arlo held up a hand. “You know what, we’ll workshop it over pancakes.”
