Page 72 of All Your Tomorrows

I couldn’t tell if he was lying or telling the truth, but it didn’t matter. When I was around him, I was swept up in his good energy.

“Anyway,” he continued, “it turned out to be fascinating stuff.”

“Show me more.”

He pointed to another section of the sky and traced another constellation. “Ursa Minor is the Little Dipper. It’s distinguishable by the North Star at the end of the handle.”

“Oh, I see it,” I said, noting the brightest star at the end.

He moved his finger and pointed far off to the left. “That big one way over there is Orion. Follow my finger.” He traced the constellation. “It’s also called the Great Hunter because see right down at the bottom there? See the shape of the bow and arrow?”

I couldn’t quite make out what he was explaining, but I loved his enthusiasm as he explained it.

“Am I boring you?” he asked.

“What? No. This is one of the best dates I’ve ever been on,” I said.

“Oneof the best?” he asked.

“I recall a Christmas light adventure that ranks pretty high.”

He rolled onto his side, resting his cheek in his palm. “Oh yeah?”

“You fishing for a compliment?”

His lips twitched. “Maybe.”

I rolled onto my side to face him and smiled. “Best dates ever.”

“Liar.”

“Spirit.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him on top of me, my lips moving desperately over his. He groaned deep in his throat and I thought he might want to take things further—since there was not another soul on the beach, but he eventually pulled back leaving me gasping for air and turned on beyond reason. He stood up and held his hand down to me.

I stared at it, confused by the change in direction.

“Come on.”

I grasped it and he pulled me to my feet.

“Take out your phone and put on your favorite slow song,” he explained.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through a playlist. “Setting the mood?”

“Just giving you the full Kyler Fletcher high school experience.”

Laughter tumbled out of me as I chose “Here With Me” by d4vd. Once it began to play, I tucked my phone into my coat pocket.

Kyler slipped his arms around to my back and pulled me against his chest. I draped my arms over his shoulders, and he swayed us in time to the music.

“Dancing under the stars,” I said. “You’re pulling out all the stops tonight.”

“Only the best for you,” he assured me.

“How many girls have you brought to the beach?” I asked.

“Only one.”

---