I knew, deep down, that if he ever wrote something, it would be extraordinary. He hasn’t said it outright, but it’s obvious this song belongs to him. He wouldn’t sing it with this kind of fire otherwise. And the sparkle in his eyes as he plays only makes me fall deeper.
It’s strange—I don’t even know if it’s possible to feel this way—but it’s as if my heart has always known it was beating just for him. As if I was created to love Vincent Cooper. Now that I’ve finally admitted it to myself, I can’t think of anything else.
He whispers the last words of the song, his eyes on mine, and my face burns. With one final slide of his fingers, the music ends. The guitar hits the stage with a soft clatter, and before I can even take a breath, he jumps off the platform and runs straight to me.
Aurora nudges me forward, while Max smirks from the stage as he retrieves Vincent’s guitar.
Around us, the audience explodes into wild applause, but Vincent doesn’t even hear it. All that exists for him is me.
He sweeps me into his arms, spinning me around, my hair flying everywhere as I hold on to him, laughing so hard I can’t stop. “Oh my God, Cooper! I knew you’d kill it!”
We twirl until he finally slows, setting me down gently. He slips me onto his shoes, takes my chin between his fingers, and tilts my face toward his. “Hey,” he murmurs with that smirk that unravels me completely.
I don’t answer. I just clutch his shirt in my fists and bury myself against his chest. His laugh vibrates against me, warm and steady, and I smile into him. No place in the world will ever feel as safe as this.
On stage, the student council rep has already stepped up, thanking Straight Punch and rattling off details about the drive-in. I barely hear it. All I can hear is the sound of Vincent’s heart under my ear.
“Wanna go for a ride? We could head to Ocean Beach,” he whispers, his breath tickling my hair.
God, I want to. I want to more than anything. “I promised Aurora I’d drive her home. She wants to stay for the movie, and Tom ditched her again. Oh, and I have a plan to make him pay—I have to tell you about it.”
Vincent chuckles, brushing a strand of hair back behind my ear. “I’m all ears, Marshall.”
Before I can start plotting, Max interrupts, lugging his bass case on his back and Vincent’s guitar in his hand. “I can give Aurora a ride. I’m heading to the drive-in anyway.”
I glance at Aurora and she gives me a quick nod and a reassuring smile.
“You’re sure?” I ask.
“Totally,” she says, grinning.
Max tousles my hair like an annoying brother. “Don’t worry, Supernova. I’ll treat her like a princess and get her home before she even risks pricking her finger on a spinning wheel.”
I laugh and nod. I trust him—if Vincent does, then so do I. Besides, Max is sweet and always gives me his muffins at lunch.
“You’re sure you don’t wanna stay for the drive-in? It’ll be packed with girls.”
Vincent silences me with a look, shaking his head, and I lose myself in his hazel eyes. “I just want to be with you.” So do I. More than anything.
Go, Nova. Forget that your mom told you to be home by eight. Forget the consequences. Asher’s safe with Grandma for the weekend. For once, there’s no reason to hold back. For once, I can choose myself.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Nova Marshall
PAST (2017)
"You can only make a good noise on the guitar if you're committed. Little careful noise doesn't work. You have to be bold."
Hans Zimmer
“What’s this?” I ask as he pulls a CD from his gray backpack and hands it to me.
Faster Than the Speed of Nightby Bonnie Tyler. I’ve never listened to her before. Vincent zips his backpack shut, and we continue walking barefoot along the beach, our shoes abandoned by his aunt’s car in the parking lot.
He shrugs, taking a sip of his Cherry Coke. “Our tradition. I saw it at the music store, and it made me think of you.”
I press the CD to my chest as if it were a precious treasure—because every gift from him is a treasure.
