Page 129 of Edge of Unbroken

“She’d deserve it,” Tori says. We all nod affirmatively.

“Alright, why don’t we stop with the depressing shit,” Shane says with a heavy tone.

He’s right. We can all spend hours, days, or weeks talking shit about Ronan’s mom and analyzing everything that happened, but we’re here to celebrate Summer’s birthday and have as much fun as we can.

We sit around the deck, enjoying the fire that provides warmth as the sun slowly sets to the west and it starts to cool down.

“I still can’t believe Zack is heading to California,” Shane says after taking another sip from his beer. We just spent the last half hour talking about everyone’s college plans. Zack got into both UCLA and NYU—his dream schools—and he turns his head toward us, grinning, while leaning forward and resting his elbow on the deck railing.

“Honestly, I’m still in shock, too,” he says, happiness radiating from his face. “I mean, it’s going to be different being away from everyone, but it’s what I’ve wanted for a long time, so it’ll be good.”

“Have you decided which school you’ll attend in the fall?” Tori asks Vada.

“U of Penn,” Vada states matter-of-factly. “Go Quakers,” she says, making Tori laugh.

“How about you, Cat? NYU?” Shane asks with a knowing grin. I haven’t shared my final decision with anyone but my parents, but Shane obviously figured I’d end up making this choice.

I nod. “Yep, go… whatever NYU’s mascot is, I guess,” I say, and now Vada laughs, too.

Shane chuckles. “Staying close to the boyfriend?”

“Absolutely.”

“That’s good.” Shane nods. “You guys have some catching up to do.”

“Steve’s here,” Zack says.

I see headlights make their way down the private road leading to the house. “In Ran’s car,” he says, and my heart gives a little jolt. Every time Steve pulls up in Ronan’s Mustang, or any time I sit in it, the ache of missing Ronan momentarily increases. It’s like I can connect with a piece of Ronan when I run my hands over the car’s interior, knowing that Ronan’s hands have touched it, too.

“Wait… what the hell?” Zack says.

I have no idea what’s going on and I raise my eyebrows at Vada. She just shrugs.

“No fucking way,” Zack says, his voice rising, almost pitchy with excitement.

“What’s happening?” Vada asks her brother, irritated.

“No. Fucking. Way,” Zack repeats even louder. He turns toward us, a giant grin on his face. “It’s Ran.”

“The fuck you talking about?” Shane gets up from his spot on the sofa to walk toward the railing.

“It’s Ran! He’s back.” Zack smacks Shane hard on the back, then turns to me with a wide smile. “Your boyfriend’s here.”

As though invisible hands move me, I get out of my seat, followed by Vada. I walk toward the railing and look down toward the driveway where Ronan’s satin-black Mustang is parked.

Steve climbs out of the passenger side, his face happy and relaxed. If Steve isn’t driving Ronan’s car, that can only mean one thing.

The driver’s door opens and Ronan steps out of his car—safe, and whole, and oh so perfect.

As if he can somehow sense me, he looks up to the deck. Our eyes connect and his face breaks into the most incredible smile.

It’s an unrelenting pull, a lasso tightening, my lungs squeezing with an overwhelming need to be in Ronan’s arms this very moment. He’s here, flesh and blood, and if I remain physically separated from him even a moment longer, I will simply cease to exist. In an instant I whirl around and run into the house and to the front door, yanking it open. He must have sprinted up the stairs, because there he stands. Tall, and broad, and beautiful as ever, and everything around me fades away.

Ronan

You know those sci-fi movies where people are trapped in space for centuries, maybe millennia, their bodies suspended in hyper sleep, and then something happens and they finally wake up? That’s how it feels the second I lay eyes on Cat, see her in all her perfection. Holy shit, it’s like an explosion of color and sound. Life and love radiate off her in powerful waves and crash into me, my lungs expanding with what feels like my first real breath in months. Without Cat I exist, but with her I’m alive.

I’m relieved to have her back, to see her, to make sure she’s alright. I’ve been a tightly wound ball of nerves since Sunday, since she finally told me what Adam had been doing, and I hope to God she finally told me everything rather than just half of the story.

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