Until We Meet Again(44)

the one taking me up to the make-out point?

“Nice night.” Brandon’s voice interrupts my sad thoughts.

He comes up beside me, leaning against the wall.

“Yep.”

He taps his finger on the rough stone. “Are you pissed at me,

Cass?”

It’s a flicker of the insecure, nervous Brandon from the Travis

reality. I soften. “No,” I say. “I’m not. I’ve just had a crappy

couple of days.”

“Is everything all right? You look…really sad.”

He doesn’t know the half of it. I shrug. “I’ll be okay.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is it about your stepdad and your mom? It was really hard

for me when my parents got divorced. I know how it goes.”

I nod. He might as well think that’s my problem, since I can’t

very well say I’m mourning the loss of a boy I met from the

1920s who’s destined to die in a week.

Brandon puts his arm around my shoulders. “I’m here for

you if you need anything.”

“Thanks.”

He doesn’t move his arm. I give him a sidelong look. It seems

rude to tell him to keep his paws off me when he’s being really

nice. Besides, as lonely and down as I’ve been feeling the last

few days, it’s kind of nice to be hugged.

Noticing my lack of resistance, Brandon goes in for a bit

more. He brings his other arm around me and pulls me to him.

The strong, sharp smell of his cologne reminds me of Lawrence,

and a tendril of guilt tugs at me. I shouldn’t even be here with

Brandon, let alone allow him to hold me.

But what difference does it make? I’m never going to see

Lawrence again. No one will in a week. Am I never supposed

to have another boyfriend out of loyalty to some guy I knew for

a month in the summer?

Brandon’s hand slides up my back, cupping my neck. His lips

brush against my forehead. My heart aches. Lawrence isn’t just

some guy I knew. He’s special. I can’t betray that. What I could

have with Brandon would be easy, but it would never be real.

What I have with Lawrence is real.

Jade’s words ring in my ears. The Cass I know wouldn’t let

anything stop her if she’d found real love.

The realization settles upon me all at once. What Lawrence

and I have… It’s real. It’s love. And Jade is right. That’s worth

fighting for.

This doesn’t have to be the end. I don’t know why I didn’t see

it this way all along. Just because the newspaper said he was

murdered doesn’t mean I have to accept that. Lawrence is here

now. He’s clearly not dead yet. We can fight this. We can make

sure he lives.

With a start, I pull away from Brandon.

“Is everything okay?”

“I need to go home, Brandon.”

“Um…”

He looks hurt. I have to think fast. “I feel really queasy.

Like…I think I’m going to puke.”

That backs him up quickly enough. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay. I started to feel it in the restaurant, but I didn’t

want to ruin things. It was really nice of you to take me out.” I

head for the car. “You’d better get me home though.”

It’s possible that Brandon doesn’t buy my story completely,

but either way, he gets into his car. I lie back in the seat and

close my eyes to sell the sick routine.

We spend the drive back to my house in relative silence. As I

play sick, my head spins with thoughts. Can Lawrence really fight

this? Can I help? Can the two of us actually change the past? I’m

itching to get to the beach and discuss the idea with him.

In the driveway, Brandon jams his car into park. I’m already

out of my seat belt and opening the door. It takes everything in

me not to run straight for the beach. I bend down to the open

car window.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say to Brandon.

He gives a strained smile, as if he’s pissed that the night got

cut short, but he knows he can’t actually be mad at me for

being sick. “Talk to you later?”

“Sure,” I say, already turning toward my house. “Bye!”

As I head in, I feel a twinge of guilt for lying and possibly hurting his feelings. But the fact is there are bigger things at stake.

Mom’s sitting with Frank on the couch. They’re both reading.

When I come in, Mom looks up with a big smile.

“Hey, there! Did you have a good time?”

“Um, awesome,” I say with a forced smile. “Really great.”

Frank pats a place on the couch beside them. “Well, come on

in and tell us about it, Cassie Pie.”

“Actually, I was thinking I’d go out for a little run.”

Mom cocks her head. “At this hour?”