Page 118 of Late Fees

“So, was it the coolest place on earth?”

“It was fun. When his parents weren’t fighting, that is. At Epcot Center, we walked through all the countries. It made me want to travel the world.”

“I’d go around the world with you,” Wyatt said, running his fingers through my curly hair.

“Where would you want to go?”

“Hmm,” he said, rolling to his back and staring up at the glowing stars above our heads. My sunny yellow lava lamp was glowing from the corner as we lay in the darkness. “Everywhere…Japan would be cool, maybe Brazil. Definitely Australia.”

“Oh, man, I’m dying to go there. Although I’ve heard the bugs and little creatures are ginormous.” I stuck my finger into my mouth, pretending to gag. “I’d love to see your house in Norway.”

“Really?” he asked. “It wasn’t anything fancy. I sent pictures, remember?”

Panic flooded my body, and adrenaline rushed through my belly.

Should I tell him I never opened the letters?

Something in the pit of my stomach told me to avoid that thought and think fast. “I mean, in person. I’d love to see it in person. And your town.”

“It was really nice,” Wyatt said unsuspectingly, and my pulse slowed to a normal rate.

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes,” he said, tilting his head to one side. “Things are a little slower over there. More time to stop and smell the flowers. Europeans are just…different. I think if we had gone there when I was younger, I wouldn’t have left.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, but um…I had other priorities. And so, my parents agreed to come back after the two years were up. They offered my dad a package to stay, but I told them I was coming back with or without them.”

“You would have left your entire family?” I asked, my heart elated yet pained in equal measure.

Why didn’t I read those damn letters?

“In a heartbeat, Till.”

“Wow. I—I’m speechless.”

“It’s the truth.”

“See what I mean, though? You’re smooth without knowing it.”

“Nah, I’m just honest. I wear my heart on my sleeve, which isn’t exactly…celebrated when you’re a dude.”

“I need to ask you something. And you have to be honest.”

He placed his hand on my arm, rubbing it gently. “Go for it.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay, here goes. Did you really come back…for me?”

Wyatt licked his bottom lip and stared into my eyes. His expression was pensive and hesitant. “Would I seem like a lunatic if I said you were a huge part of my decision?”

“No, you wouldn’t,” I whispered. “Not at all. But…never mind.”

“No, go ahead.”

“What if I had never come to this school? What if we’d never seen each other again?”

He shrugged. “That was never an option.”

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