A deep growl erupts from his throat and he breaks our kiss to plant little nibbles down the side of my neck. Instinctively, I arch back and offer more of myself. Raising his right hand, he pulls back my cardigan and continues to plant soft kisses along my exposed collarbone. A deep desire sweeps over me and I’m nearly caught off guard by the intensity of it.
I can’t help but wish I could freeze time right here and now—to take in the whole moment forever. The way he feels, the way he moves, the way he smells—everything.
Before I know it, tears stream down my face.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Wade says, pulling back, his face clouded with worry.
I wipe frantically at my cheeks, feeling utterly stupid. This was a beautiful moment, and who knows where it could have gone had I not let my fears get in the way.
“Nothing. It’s…it’s nothing,” I stutter.
For a moment, he doesn’t move a muscle. Instead, he watches my every movement as if it might give him some magical insight into my mixed-up mind. He slides off to the side of me, propping himself again on his left elbow. Then he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear as he rests his right hand just over my heart.
“This isn’t the end, you know,” he finally says, his gruff voice barely a whisper.
Another traitorous tear threatens to fall from my right eye and I bite my lip to keep it from quivering.
“Then why does it feel like it? I mean, logically I know it’s not, but I wish you… What if you find someone else while we’re apart?”
Wade’s eyebrows tip upward in the middle and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close.
“I’ve been trying to be strong, but it feels like we’ll be in two locations forever,” I whisper, trying unsuccessfully to keep my cool without going full on crybaby. “What if—”
“Hey, hey—come on. We’ll see each other again this weekend. Your head will spin by how fast it will be,” he murmurs in my ear. “Like you said, you won’t even have time to feel like we’re apart. I promise.”
“Maybe I should wait. I mean, I could talk to them and start next fall when you—”
“You cannot put your life on hold for me. No,” he says, shaking his head. “No way. You need to figure out what you are—what they see in you. I may not have a ton of powers, but at least I know what I am. Sorta. Trust me, we’ll be fine. Get things set up so I can be impressed when I come visit you next weekend.”
“Orientation isn’t for another week. Maybe I should just wait until—”
“Woman, you chose this weekend for a reason. Remember? You wanted time to get settled before diving into all the craziness about to come at you. Don’t start second-guessing yourself now.”
“But—”
Without letting me finish, Wade kisses me again, effectively cutting off the rest of my excuses. I breathe into his longing and can’t help but relax into his energy. In the short period of time we’ve known each other, I cannot even imagine a time when he wasn’t in my life. I’m edging precariously close to never wanting to be without him.
My heart takes a leap into my throat at the thought and I break from our kiss to pull Wade in closer. I bury my face in the crook of his neck and breathe in his scent. He doesn’t move a muscle. Instead, he holds as still as I do. I close my eyes and try to memorize the sound of his heartbeat.
“Come on, Autumn,” Wade whispers in my ear. “We got this. It’s a week and I’ll be there. I’ll have all of orientation with you, too, which will be amazing. Then, we can text every day and I’ll FaceTime you every night before bed. Hell, we can shut off the lights and pretend we’re in the cemetery together.”
Despite myself, I smile.
“I’d…” I begin, wiping at my face again. “I’d love that.”
“Then it shall be done,” he says softly, winking in the crazy-sexy way only he knows how to pull off. Releasing his hand from my chest, he slides off the bed. With a quick motion, he extends his right hand out, flipping the ends of his fingertips as he suggests I take his hand.
I grab it and scoot off the bed after him. My eyes widen and I shake my head. “I really don’t need to go just yet.”
His fingertip clamps down on my lips. “Yes, you do. And it’s okay. Now, later—it’s not going to get any easier. In fact, I guarantee the longer we’re here together, it will only get harder.”
I shake my head, smiling. “How can you be so calm about all of this?”
Taking a moment to think about the question, Wade’s eyebrows knit together. He finally says, “I guess, when you’re around someone whose life is ending, it’s easier to put things into perspective. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want you to go. Far from it. But as much as I want to spend every waking moment with you, and believe me, I do… I also know that we’re better together when we are still ourselves. I have my grandfather to think about right now and you have Windhaven Academy. Our time together will come, and I am more than happy in the knowledge that it’s on its way.”
“Wow, that was really…profound, actually. I feel like a silly schoolgirl or something,” I say, biting down on the inside of my cheek.
“Not in the remotest. You have an incredible heart and a healer’s energy. You just want people to feel supported. You don’t want to say good-bye. It’s who you are. And I love that about you.”
Tears brim in my eyes again as he seems to strip me down to my bare essence without even trying. Swallowing hard, I blink them
