Page 102 of Eastern Lights

We stood back to back, side to side, and then, without prompting, he scooped me into his arms and swung me around, making me crack up laughing.

“Oh, my goodness, stop, Connor!” I screeched, but he kept going, spinning me round and round, faster and faster until he brought me back to solid ground. I felt dizzy and lightheaded. As I began to stumble a bit, he caught me, holding me in his arms.

He rested his forehead against mine, freezing my movements, and it felt as if he’d frozen time. “Sorry, too fast?” he whispered.

“Too fast,” I replied.

“I’ll take it slower next time.”

I laughed. “There won’t be a next time.”

“I think we’ll have a lot of next times, Red,” he said, his breaths falling against my lips.

His lips were close to mine. Were his lips always that close? Were they normal roommate distance apart, or was he going to…?

Oh, boy.

This boy.

For a moment, I forgot we were in the middle of Central Park. For a moment, I forgot a photo shoot was taking place. At that moment, all I felt was his heat and mine, and all I wanted to do was fall into him and taste his lips, allow him to taste mine, and then take him back home for more of the same.

“Okay, I think we got it,” Jean said, breaking me away from the fairy-tale story I was making up in my mind.

I took a step away from Connor and looked up at the crew, who were all staring at us as if they’d just walked in on us having sex.

The embarrassment hit me fast, but I tried my best to shake it off.

I clapped my hands together and cleared my throat. “Okay, everyone, that’s a wrap.”

* * *

We headedhome after the photo shoot, and I decided that afternoon, I was going to allow myself a cheat meal for the first time in months. My meal of choice: Chinese food.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come down to Kentucky with me,” Connor asked as he unloaded enough food for an army. When I told him I was going to have a meal off my regular plan, he decided to order almost everything on the menu to celebrate the occasion.

“Kentucky? Home base?”

“Yeah. I was thinking of going down there for a weekend to visit. I thought if you came, it might be good for the article, to see me in my true Southern element. To see the past of where I began. My roots.”

I smiled. “I think that would be a great idea. Maiv is all about us writing articles with the complete heart of our subjects, and from what you’ve shared with me, your mom is a big part of your life.”

“The biggest,” he agreed.

“How long has she been cancer-free?”

“This will be year ten, which…” His smile spread wide. “It’s just really good to hit the ten-year mark.”

“I’m so happy for her.”

“Yeah. She’s been through a lot of hard battles. I still deal with a lot of worry and fear that it will come back some day, but so far, so good.”

“Stay positive. Ten years is a long time.”

“I know. Sometimes my thoughts just spiral, but I’m really happy she’s okay. I know the invite is a bit last minute, but I’m planning to go down two weekends from now.”

I smiled. “Lucky for you, I have no life. I cannot wait to see what the small-town life is all about. I’ve never been to a small town.”

He laughed. “It’s a bit different than the New York life, that’s for sure. The people are everything you’d imagine them to be—gossipy, caring, closedminded, but fun. Everyone’s involved in everyone’s affairs, pretty much.”

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