Page 45 of Always Red (Chasing Red 2)

In a daze, I stepped out. His green eyes were so focused on me that I felt my heart trip. And I fell a little deeper in love.

He must have seen it on my face. His eyes widened slightly, and he opened his arms for me. I stepped into them, wrapping my arms around him, burying my face in his chest and inhaling his familiar scent.

“I miss you,” I said softly.

He rested his chin on top of my head, his arms tightening around me. “Say it again,” he requested.

“I miss you, Caleb.”

I felt him sigh. His shoulders relaxed as if a heavy weight had fallen from them.

“You make me happy when you say that,” he said.

“I’m sorry I don’t say it often.”

“It’s okay. We’ll work on it.” He moved away briefly and placed the flowers on a bench. His body swayed as he held me again, as if we were dancing. “Practice makes perfect. Now say, ‘I love you, Caleb.’”

I laughed quietly. “I love you, Caleb.”

I felt him nod in approval. “Good. You get an A. Now say ‘Caleb is the best’—ow!”

I bit his chest.

“What’d you do that for? Now you get a B minus.”

I was smiling. I couldn’t seem to stop. He was the best. I rubbed the spot where I’d bitten him. We danced for a moment, the sweet fragrance of the lilacs surrounding us.

“I got you lilacs because of what they represent,” he murmured in my ear.

I shivered when I felt the warmth of his breath. “What do they mean?”

“First love.”

I felt my heart stutter.

“You’re my first love, Red. And my last.”

My heart felt full, like it was about to burst. Like it was too big for my body. I wanted to find the right words to express what I was feeling, just like he always found the perfect way to express himself to me.

But I couldn’t.

So I just rested my cheek on his chest, right over his heart, and squeezed my arms tighter around him.

I sighed, feeling safe, content, and loved—for the first time in my life.

“I love you, Caleb,” I murmured, meaning every word.

Chapter Sixteen

Veronica

Caleb made a small fire using the fire pit in Kara’s backyard. The sharp scent of burning firewood filled my nostrils. I wasn’t sure what kind of wood he used, but it smelled sweet.

Mesmerized, I stared at the fire, enjoying the pleasant heat on my face. It crackled and hissed, sparks dancing around it like fireflies.

Caleb sat on the grass and rested his back against the wooden bench. He had tugged m

e down so I sat between his legs, my back against him and my head resting on his shoulder.

---