I hand my cell over while she adds the details.
“I feel like I should apologize for my brothers’ behavior Saturday night,” Kai says while Abby works on my cell.
“There’s no need. Joaquin already apologized, and we worked things out.”
Kai’s lips twitch. “Guess we know the identity of the vampire biter now.”
My cheeks instantly inflame.
“Oh my god, Kai.” Abby thumps her husband in the arm after passing my cell back to me. “You have no tact.” She turns to me. “Ignore him. He’s an idiot.”
“Please don’t mention that to Zayn,” I plead. Explaining to him what happened between me and his brother will be bad enough without divulging the gory details.
“I’ll take it to my grave.” He mimes zipping his lips, and the knots in my stomach unwind a little.
After punching the coordinates into my GPS, I leave Abby and Kaiden’s house and head toward Mount Cadillac and my destiny.
Zayn’s bike is the only bike up here at this time of night, so it’s not hard to find it. The man himself is another matter. There aren’t any lights up here, and it’s pitch-black. Retrieving a flashlight from the trunk of my car, I switch it on and wave it around in all directions, but I don’t see him. I call him and head in the direction of the ringtone through a small, wooded area.
“Em,” Zayn answers.
“I’m here,” I say, emerging from the woods to find him sitting on a bench, facing the cliff edge a few meters ahead.
His head whips around at the sound of my approach, and my heart breaks at the devastation written all over his bruised face. He’s clutching a bottle of whiskey to his chest. Some of it has been drunk but not too much.
“Emery,” he says in a pleading tone, standing and dropping the bottle onto the grassy floor as I come toward him repocketing my cell. He moves forward, and we meet in the middle.
I don’t hesitate when I reach him, dumping my flashlight on the ground and wrapping my arms around him. I pull him close. He comes willingly, and his arms encircle my back as he buries his face in my neck. I hold him tight, savoring the feel of his body flush against mine and the warmth of his lips at my neck. His familiar scent wafts around me like a security blanket, and my heart thumps wildly as electricity charges the air surrounding us.
After a few minutes, he eases back, still keeping his arms around me but looking down at me in the dark. “How are you here?”
“Abby and Kaiden gave me your location.”
“Motherfucker,” he mumbles, and I arch a brow. “My brother’s been spying on me,” he says, dipping down to pick up the flashlight. “I’m guessing he put a tracker on my bike.” He takes my hand and brings me to the bench.
“Abby was right. You two are so similar.”
“More than I like admitting,” he says as we sit side by side.
I tap out a quick text to Abby, letting her know I’m with Zayn. A shiver tiptoes down my spine, and I really should have brought a jacket. But it’s summer, and I thought I was going to his house. At this elevation, there’s a bite to the wind swirling around us, and it’s chilly.
“Here.” Zayn removes his jacket, placing it around my shoulders.
“Thanks.” I slide my arms into the sleeves, soaking up the warmth and the scent that is uniquely Zayn. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Not that I’m complaining, but why are you here? You said you didn’t want to hear what I had to say.”
“I’ve changed my mind, but I think we should table that.” I reach out and cup his face, and the stubble on his jawline tingles my palm as he nuzzles into my touch. “You’re hurting, and that hurts me.”
Holding my hand, he turns his face, pressing his lips to my palm. “I never want to hurt you again, Emery. I have so many regrets.” His words slur a little.
“Tell me what’s troubling you now. You can tell me anything, Zayn, and I promise I won’t breathe a word of it to anyone. I just want to help.”
“You’re too good for me, Emery Copeland. You always have been. I should let you go. Let you be with my brother.”
“I don’t want Joaquin, Zayn, and he doesn’t want me.” I suck in a brave breath. Maybe I should make him grovel before admitting this, but I think he needs to hear this now, and there will be plenty of time for him to make it up to me later. “I only want you, Zayn.” I cup his other cheek and stare directly into his eyes, wishing it wasn’t so dark so I could see him properly. “I love you.”
“You do?” Wonder seeps from his tone.
