Until We Meet Again(64)

toast to?”

“To tonight,” I say, clinking my bottle to his.

“Here’s to not getting a wink of sleep.”

I raise my eyebrows as we sip our drinks. He totally wants me.

But for the next few hours, things stay completely tame.

After a quick trip back to the house to make Mom think I’m

in bed, I sneak back out, and we eat every single piece of candy

and cookie on the picnic blanket. Then Lawrence tries to teach

me to Charleston, an endeavor that doesn’t end well. We listen

to every one of his records, dancing like fools. Well, I look like

a fool. Lawrence may be from the Twenties, but the boy has

swagger. It’s incredibly sexy.

After the records, we drink more Coke and then walk along

the shore break, laughing and running as the waves splash

against our legs. Lawrence recites poetry. I draw a portrait of

him in the wet sand. We talk endlessly about everything.

It’s perfection.

We finally settle on the blanket. I lay tucked in Lawrence’s

arms, gazing up at the stars. The rhythm of the waves lull us

into a drowsy silence.

“Cassandra,” Lawrence finally says.

“Mmm?”

He turns on his side to look at me. He brushes a lock of

windblown hair from my face. “I don’t know what will happen

in three days…”

“You

shouldn’t—”

He sets his fingers against my lips. “I don’t know what will

happen on Saturday, but I’ve decided it doesn’t matter. No

matter what, I’m lucky to have met you. And if I have to die, if

fate insists on having me, then I’ll leave this life happy. Because

I met you. Because I was able to know you and love you. Even

if just for a few weeks.”

A lump lodges in my throat. But it’s too late. I have no control over my emotions at two in the morning.

“You love me?” I ask, my voice choked.

He nods, stroking the back of his fingers down my cheek. “I

do. I’m in love with you, Cassandra.”

I can barely process his words without crying.

“I’m going to save you,” I whisper.

“But don’t you see? You already have. My soul is full just

knowing you.”

My eyes tingle with the threat of tears. “I’m in love with you

too. I can’t lose you. I need to know that all of this wasn’t for

nothing.”

He sets his hand to my cheek. “You have me tonight. That’s

all we can know for certain.”

I hold his gaze, yearning to feel the calm that he possesses.

And then I understand. Either one of us could die in the next

three days. We could die tomorrow. All we have is right now. A

fire burns through every inch of me. I kiss his hand.

“Then let’s make tonight count,” I whisper.

He kisses me, his lips soft and achingly sweet. Lawrence pulls

me on top of him, and every nerve end tingles with sensation.

I’ll worry about tomorrow later. For this one breathtaking,

beautiful moment, we have forever.





Chapter 25





Cassandra


awn on the beach is surprisingly cold. Lawrence and I

D



are wrapped in each other’s arms and the blanket, but it’s still chilly enough to wake me. In a way, it’s a good thing. I

need to sneak back inside before Mom wakes up. I turn a little,

searching for my phone amid the tangle of blanket.

Lawrence releases a sigh in his sleep, drawing my attention.

He looks so sweet that I impulsively want to kiss his eyelids.

Thinking about last night, a rush of heat crackles over my

cheeks and neck. I’m instantly self-conscious. Does my breath

stink? Do I look like death warmed over?

Not that Lawrence would say anything if I did. I lay back on the blanket and watch him for a minute. This whole situation

still feels like a weird dream. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that a

tiny part of me wonders if he’s a ghost. An even bigger part of

me wonders if there’s really any chance to save him.

I touch Lawrence’s hand lightly, feeling the smoothness of his skin. I’ve been so focused on trying to figure out who’s

going to hurt him that I’ve barely entertained the question

of what comes next. Each moment I’ve spent with Lawrence

has been with the urgency that it could be our last. What will

happen when we can be together without limits? And more

importantly, where will we be together? We can’t stay on the

beach forever. So whose world do we settle in? Mine? His? Can

I really leave my life behind to be with him? Can I ask him to

do the same?

The questions pile on, and I pull my hand from Lawrence’s.

Unease seeps into what should be a perfect morning. I close

my eyes, wanting to unthink these thoughts.

Lawrence shifts beside me. He opens his eyes, blinking slowly. A smile spreads across his face.