He shook his head. “And I don’t want to anyway.”
“Neither do I.”
He brought his hand to my face, his thumb brushing over my lips. “I love you, Emery. You make me believe in magic.”
I smiled, my heart full. “I love you, Xander. In this universe and in all the rest.”
***
When prom was over, we went home to Xander’s place.
“This is your house now too,” he said fiercely. “Whatever I have is yours. Whatever happens to you, happens to me.”
In his room, I stood with my back to him while he unzipped my dress. It fell in a puddle at my feet, and then he unhooked my bra and let that fall, too. He took off his clothes, down to his boxers, and the gravity of the night hit us at the same time, pulling us down with exhaustion. Xander stood for a moment, his skin warm against mine, his hands touching my cheek.
That’s my husband,I thought, the purest joy sweeping through me. We then lay down together, kissing and holding each other. I took his glasses off and set them on the nightstand, then tangled my fingers in his hair.
“My beautiful boy with the mismatched eyes,” I murmured.
He kissed me. “Forever and always.”
My heart sang because I knew in that moment that as long as I was with Xander, I was home.
Chapter 40
Xander
July
Cassidy’s was bustling with the tail end of an afternoon lunch rush.I watched Emery glide between tables, her arms laden with food, talking and laughing with her customers. Her financial aid package had come in, but as soon as school ended, she began working at the diner, making her own money. I’d never seen her happier.
Across from me, Harper sipped her chocolate shake. She’d left town for a few weeks after graduation, but in typical Harper fashion, she hadn’t given us many details. She looked happy, though, and that made me happy.
“It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?” Harper said.
I nodded. “Yes, yes it has.”
“And quite a summer. I need to get caught up.” Harper raised her brows. “So. California?”
“It seems that way,” I said with a smile, watching Emery laugh with one of her patrons.
In three days, she and I would drive west to California, where Emery would attend UCLA and I’d go to Caltech for my doctorate. It wasn’t the life I’d meticulously planned, but Dean had beenright—good things had a way of working themselves out.
Harper’s voice turned gentle. “Emery told me about your mom. Are you okay?”
I toyed with my coffee mug. Seeing my mother after nearly eight years felt like being punched in the face, stomach, and heart, all at the same time. A ghost from my past had reappeared right in front of me, then vanished all over again.
“I have some closure,” I told Harper. “Maybe not the kind I wanted, but the kind I expected.”
“I’m so sorry.” She gave my hand a squeeze. “Do you ever think about reaching out to her? Now that you know her secret identity?”
“No,” I said. “She made it clear she’s closed that chapter in her life, so I will too.”
It sounded so simple to say it, but the emotions involved were too complex for a loud diner at lunch rush. I couldn’t move on, but I could move through, and that had to be enough for now.
Emery scooted into the booth beside me. “Last check is dropped.” She slung her arm around my neck and planted a long kiss on my cheek, lingering there, then gazing at me as if she hadn’t seen me in weeks.
“Girl,” Harper said, rolling her eyes.
