He sat up against the headboard and played with my hair, which was like a relaxant drug, making my whole body go completely limp.
“What if the teen version of us could see us now?” I wondered out loud.
His grey eyes went to mine. “Teenage me would high-five myself,” he said with a laugh. “You were my only goal left. I’m so glad I went on that cruise.”
“I’m so glad Kappy and Colt got you on the cruise,” I corrected with a laugh.
He gave a rueful shake of his head. “Assholes. For what it’s worth, I really did think I booked it because I was thinking about it that night.” He traced my hairline with his finger. He got a faraway look in his eye. “Sometimes I still think this is all too good to be true, and this is not what you really want.” He paused for a beat. “What would teen Ali say about all this?”
I thought about my answer for a second. “Remember what you told me when we went skating for Mer’s seventeenth birthday? You said we were—”
“Inevitable,” he answered with a smirk.
“Yeah. I loved that you said that. I had the biggest crush on you.”
“You did?” His eyebrows popped up.
“Oh yeah, I thought it was very sexy the way you stuck me with my Epipen when I was basically dying at ice show practice.” I laughed.
“Yeah, that’s not funny.” He grinned despite himself. “I made Hans keep an Epipen in the office after that.”
I smiled. I knew that, and I loved him for it. “I’ve always loved you, JP. But I just felt like we always had obstacles stopping us from being together romantically. Sometimes it was you, other times it was me. We’ve grown and changed so much over the years. But I hope you know that every version of me has loved every version of you.”
He intertwined his fingers with mine and brought my hand up tokiss it.
“This version of me is my favorite,” I told him. It was true. I felt more in control and self-assured than I ever had before, than I ever thought was even possible. I felt at peace. If I could stop time and stay a single age forever, it’d be this one. “And this version of me is so madly in love with you.”
“I love you too, Ali,” he rested his forehead on mine. “In every way possible,” he said, then he kissed me once more.
I fell asleep to him playing with my hair.
When I woke up some time later, I could vaguely hear their voices through the wall.
“You’re ready for this? You’ll stand by her and make it right?” Cliff asked.
“Yes, dad. Of course. I love her more than life,” JP answered.
Cliff was silent for a minute. “You always have.” It wasn’t a question, he said it like a statement.
“And I always will,” JP confirmed, making my heart squeeze in my chest.
“What about that guy? Mark? Is he still around?”
My body tensed, waiting for JP’s reaction.
“Yeah, unfortunately I think he is,” JP said.
“He could be a problem, Son.”
“They’re still married.”
Cliff let out a dry chuckle. “That son of a bitch. Yeah, he could definitely be a problem. Does he know she’s back? Does he know she’s pregnant?”
JP let out a sigh. “He will soon.”
“Just be prepared. It might be hard, but you’re a fighter. I know this probably goes without saying, but you need to protect her.”
“I know.”
