Page 61 of Zeke

“Well… you can keep going on like this,” I tell her. “You can be angry. You can continue to blame people who may or may not be at fault for things that hurt you, and let that hatred and rage turn you into a bitter, hateful person no one will be able to get through.

“And the other choice?” she asks.

“You let it go,” I say.

She opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up a finger and she remains silent. “You grieve and mourn. You deal with those feelings how you need to, but you don’t take it out on other people, especially ones who didn’t do anything to deserve it. You learn that sometimes shit happens—bad shit. I’m not saying it’s nothing—but you can’t hold on to it or the people you blame won’t be the only ones suffering because you’ll never actually feel better.”

She remains silent for a while, contemplating what I said. Eventually, she nods. “Okay,” she says. “Okay. I can try.”

“That’s the best any of us can do,” I say with a smile, which she returns with a sniff. I stand, and she does the same, getting to her feet in front of me with her arms wrapped around herself.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “For the way I acted toward you. You made tonight really special, and I treated you like you were responsible for something you had no part in.”

“I forgive you.” I pull her into a hug, and she tightens her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest. It occurs to me how very right she feels in my arms. She lets out a little sigh of contentment, and I decide I’m done waiting.

I end the hug but don’t pull away. Instead, I reach down to put my hand under her chin, tilting it up to look at me. Her eyes meet mine, and they sparkle in the moonlight.My God, she’s beautiful,is the only thing I can think of as I bend to her, moving my hand to the side of her neck so my fingers tangle in her hair, and press my lips to hers.

She melts against me. I deepen the kiss, moving my lips against hers but never crossing a line into too much for this moment. This is the time for a kiss that shows how I feel about her without making her feel like an object. She’s had enough of that in her life.

“You ready to go home?” I suggest when we finally break apart, though our faces are still only an inch apart.

Julia nods, and hand in hand, we return to our bikes.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

Kira

Iimpatiently pace in Zeke’s room as I wait for him to return. After Julia took off, Zeke stayed in the kitchen to cool off while I came back up here. I wish I could say I haven’t been crying, but unfortunately, my eyes haven’t been dry for an hour.

I can’t imagine the pain Julia must feel right now. She lost one brother, and now her other sibling is at risk of dying. I don’t blame her for taking off, either. She’s used to being able to go whenever she needs to, and it’s not like she’s ever had a friend in a single place before. She’s always relied on herself and no one else.

Except for her brothers.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting. When I tried to comfort her, the way she brushed me off hurt. I understand why she did it, but it still bothers me.

I’d turned to Zeke after she’d left, but he was so angry that I couldn’t reach him. He’d seen my tears and told me to go wait in his room, saying he’d be up soon, but it has been much longer than I expected and he isn’t back.

After a while, I tire of waiting and get up to leave. Before I reach the door, it opens. Zeke standing there, surprised to see me on the other side.

“Oh,” he says, and there’s happiness in his eyes, even if the rest of him is too tired to show it.

I love the look he gets every time he sees me. Like he’s won a prize just because I’m in front of him. Making me feel like the most important person in the world. It was a huge part of the reason I picked him, and right now, I know I’ve made the right choice. I’ve known for a while, but the confirmation sends butterflies through me.

“Hey.” I reach for him and he pulls me into his arms. He’s warm and strong. He smells of sweat and motorcycle exhaust, but I love that scent on him. It suits him in a way cologne or aftershave never could.

“You okay?” he asks, his lips on the top of my head.

“Been better. You?”

He sighs deeply and lets me go so he can sit on the bed. “Been better,” he says with a dry laugh.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, but I know the answer before I’m finished speaking.

“Not really. I just want to get some rest.”

This is the moment. This is when I can show him how much I appreciate him, and I can prove to him once and for all that he’s my choice. For real.

As Zeke puts his head in his hands, I step forward and place my fingers on his shoulders, gently pushing until he sits back up and looks at me.

---