Opposite of Always(74)

I scoot closer until our legs touch, and I take her hand in mine, her fingers still cool from the ice cream, a firefly burning near her nose. “I’d go anywhere for you.”

She leans into me, her lips brushing against my cheek, and I consider a look over my shoulder for any sign of her family, but in the end I just go with it, our lips opening and closing, pressing tighter, then tighter still, like the surest promise.

Kate leans into my (mom’s) car, and we kiss again, apparently so intensely we don’t hear her father sneak up behind us.

“Ahem,” Mr. Edwards says, clearing his throat.

Kate straightens up, and I accidentally tap the gas, revving the engine. Thank God I’m still in park.

“Daddy,” Kate says. “Everything okay?”

“You mind if I have a word with Jack?”

Turns out having a word with Jack means me vacating my car and walking down the dark sidewalk with my girlfriend’s dad.

“Jack, I figured you and I should have a chat about you and my daughter.”

I nod.

Mr. Edwards continues. “Yeah, well, as you probably know, she’s been through a lot.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The long and short is this: my daughter likes you, and you seem like a nice kid. I’d hate for her to have her heart broken on top of everything else. Stress is the last thing she needs. Stress could kill her.”

“I don’t want her to be stressed. Definitely not because of me.”

“Right,” Mr. Edwards says, coming to a stop a block from their house. “Which is why I think you should break up with her now.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not following.”

“Oh, I think you’re following just fine. You’re a smart kid. You can have every good intention in the world, but this thing with you and Kate isn’t going anywhere good. You’re not even out of high school, Jack. Now the best decision you can make, if you really want to see her well, is leave her be.”

“I can’t say that I agree, sir,” I stammer. “I mean, with all due respect, this thing, as you say with Kate and me, I think it’s good, for both of us.”

Mr. Edwards frowns. “You think you know more about my daughter than I do?”

“No, I mean. I just . . .”

“You think you know more about love than me, kid?”

“That’s not what . . .”

“If you love Kate, let her go, Jack. If you want her to live the best life she can, you need to let her go.”

We walk back in silence, and Kate hops off the porch steps, runs into my arms. “Were you nice to Jack, Daddy?” she asks.

Mr. Edwards smiles. “Just a little heart-to-heart between men. Nothing to worry about, baby.” He turns to me, clamps his hand on my shoulder. “Jack, it was nice meeting you.”

I nod because I can’t process another response. Mr. Edwards walks into the house.

“So, tonight went really well,” Kate says, her arms over my shoulders, her eyes wide, joyful.

“Yeah.” I try to smile. “Really well.”

“What’s wrong?” she says, seeing through me.

“Are you sure this is okay, you and me?”

Kate dips her head. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be a bad thing for you. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t feel your best.”

“What did my dad say to you?”

“Nothing,” I lie. “I just . . . I care about you so much and . . .”

“Everyone thinks they know what’s best for me. When did my opinion stop mattering?”

I pull her closer, and I see the curtain move in the front window behind us. We have an audience. “I don’t care what anyone else says. If you want me here, Kate, I’ll never leave.”

She kisses me. “I want,” she says.

I kiss her back. With all that I have, all that I am, I kiss her back.

It’s not quite seven in the morning when I get her text message.

Be outside in ten.

I climb out of bed, skip the socks and shoes. She’s already on the porch. I sit beside her.

“You really screwed things up this time, huh,” Jillian says.

I grit my teeth. “Guilty as charged.”

“What did you think would happen? When Franny found out?”

“Honestly? I hoped he never would.”

“It’s like all you care about is Kate. Kate’s feelings. Protecting Kate. But what about us, Jack? Your friends? The people who’ve been there for you? The people you have history with? What about me?”

“Jillian, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.”

“You got that right. Because you promised me that you’d always be there. And we’re a very long way from always and you’re already breaking your promise.”

“I was trying to help Franny. I still want to help him.”

“You can’t help people the way you think they need help, Jack. Good intentions don’t grant you license to be an idiot.”

First Kate’s dad and now Jillian. This is the second time in twelve hours that someone’s declared good intentions not good enough.

“What can I do? Franny won’t return my calls. My emails. My texts.”