She’s leaning against the metal slab of a concession booth, one hip cocked out. Her right hand holds a tube filled with red Slurpee that’s about as tall as she is, her left holding the neon green straw she keeps pulling to her lips. She throws her head back, laughing as my slightly inebriated mother tells her some story about who the hell knows what. It’s a simple fun, yet she’s never looked so gorgeous.

It’s a cold night, but the body heat from the hundreds of others around, and the few shots of Patron we snuck into our drinks, has her skin flushed and alive.

My eyes zone in on her lips again when her mouth closes around the piece of plastic for the dozenth time.

A deep chuckle from my left has my attention snapping in that direction.

My dad’s leaning up against the side of the building where we’re waiting for the girls to come back with drinks, a dickhead smile in place.

“What?” I groan, crossing my own arms and he laughs harder, grabbing at his stomach in the process.

With a shake of his head, he reaches around and scratches at the back of his neck, jerking his head toward our women. “You look ’bout ready to murder that there piece of plastic, son.” He grins even wider. “You jealous of a straw?”

I try to scowl at him, but it doesn’t work and I start laughing with him.

On an inhale, I nod, my eyes on my girl. “Yeah, Pops. I think I am.” I swing my head back toward him and he kicks off the wall, coming to stand next to me.

“You told her yet?” He looks from me to her and my eyes follow his.

The second my gaze lands on her, she looks up, having sensed it, locking her eyes with mine. The smile that takes over her face nearly knocks me on my ass, and I know.

Finishing off my ‘Slurpee’, I hand it to my dad without looking at him. Nothing could make me take my eyes off hers right now. “Come stand with your wife,” I tell him as my feet start moving. “I’m taking my girl for a while.”

The closer I get to her, the taller she stands, and the more her eyes wrinkle in excitement. Not caring who’s around or watching, I cup the back of her neck and smash her lips into mine. It’s not open and heated, but it’s strong and meaningful.

When my lips are simply pressed against hers, and that uncontrollable heat builds deep inside me, spreading across my body, that has to mean something. This girl was made for me. She’s everything.

Perfect.

A raspy giggle leaves her and she pulls back slightly, but she doesn’t take her hands off me. “Guess I’m not the only one whose internal monologue is kinda broken.” She smiles, earning one from me.

I stare at her, slide my hands down her arms until I reach her fingers, then thread mine through hers.

And, as if I planned this exact moment for the perfect time, the band steps back onto the stage, the lead single asking us to give a round of applause to the guest performer, then announces their next song.

With a quick kiss to her lips, I tug on her hands, and together we run into the mob of people, stopping when we’ve reached a nice, crowded, lively spot.

She throws her arms around my neck, kissing my lips, right as the opening cord and soft melody I’ve been waiting for –was hoping to hear- streams through the arena speakers.

Nickelback begins to perform their throwback of the night, “Never Gonna Be Alone.”

I wrap my arms around her and hers come down to wrap underneath, so her palms rest on my shoulder blades, then slide across my back.

I pull her in, my fingers trailing across the exposed skin at her waistline, wanting her to feel the promise of the song.

The year’s coming to an end, with only a few months of school left, and I still don’t know for sure where her mind is. I do know she’s never been the happy Kalani she is now. At least, not in a long time.

This Kalani, while still true and honest, is open and unsure. She’s beauty and pain, light and dark. She’s brave. She knows better than anyone that today might be it, but instead of assuming it will be and cruising through, she’s smiling and laughing and living. And not just on the surface anymore.

At first it was just around me, but I see her opening up with others now, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.

She’s alive. I can feel it in the way she touches me, see it in the way she looks at me, and I need her to know…

“Never gonna be alone…” I sing my promise in time with Chad Kroeger and her body tenses, sending my heart into overdrive, fueled by pure fear. But it’s only for the briefest of moment before she pulls me tighter against her. Secures my place next to her.

I’ll take it.

Kalani passed out on the forty-five-minute ride home and is laying her tiny body across mine. I brush her hair out of her face, preparing to wake her when my mom clears her throat, soft and quiet, careful not to wake my sleeping beauty.

When I look up at her, her eyes appear a little moist as she smiles at me. “Do you have to wake her?” She tilts her head slightly. “She could stay, if you’d like.”

I grin, wishing this was an option, but knowing Kalani wouldn’t go for that. “Thanks, Ma, but I’m gonna take her home.”

Mom smashes her lips together in a smile, nodding at me.

When I lift Kalani and step out of the truck, she stirs slightly and wraps her hands around my neck, her face tucking into my chest.

Each step I take, her lips brush across my collarbone, and my grip on her tightens.

She feels it, the heat coming off my body and her eyelashes flit across my skin, sending an electric shock straight to my groin.

Her tongue peeks out, tasting the salty sweat of my skin, while her fingers skim up the line of my hair.

“Handsome.” Her voice is raspy with sleep and desperate with need.

“I know, baby.” I pull the door open and set her on the seat, but she catches my face before I can move and pulls my lips to hers.

Her kiss is soft, lazy, her silk tongue slipping past my lips. “I want you,” she whispers.

“I know.” I run my palms up her jean-covered thighs.

“I need you.”

My blood flows faster as I slowly pull back to look at her.

Her hand comes up, and she runs her fingertips across my jaw. “Take me home, Handsome.” It’s barely audible, barely a breath that escapes her lips, but it roars through my body like a stadium speaker announcement. Loud, and clear, and booming. Or maybe that’s my heart hitting my ribs.

She needs me.

I need her.

I’ve never driven so fast...

We’ve been lying in her bed for a few minutes, her wrapped in my arms, me wishing she’d allow herself to stay there. But as much as I hate this part, hate leaving her, the last thing I want to do is push when I know tonight was heavy. So, I kiss her forehead and shift out from under her, making my way into the bathroom to toss the condom.

I pull my boxers on and am reaching for my jeans when her hesitant hand catches mine.

When my pinched gaze finds hers, she averts her eyes to the floor.

“Kalani...” I whisper and she drops my hand.

With a shake of her head, she lets out a small laugh and walks past me to throw on a shirt.

At her door, I tell her good night, placing a soft kiss to her lips, her cheek, her forehead, then step out into the cold night air, making my way to my truck.

“Nate!” Her voice is urgent and heavy.

With my brows pulled in, I turn to her.

Something in her eyes tells me not to move, so I keep my feet planted the few steps they’ve carried me from her door.

Her gaze is, again, on the floor, and her right foot is bouncing against the cold tile floor.

Finally, she laughs and looks up.

She takes a single step, extending her arm out for me, and my chest tightens.

Afraid to miss read this, I place my palm in hers blindly.

Her eyes flit back and forth between mine, and that’s when I hear the words flowing through the speakers in the house.

Could be the song, could be something else, but whatever it is, I stop breathing when she whispers, “Stay.”

Needing to know if I heard her right, or if my desire to do so fucked with my head, I dip down so we’re eye level, gripping her flushed cheeks tight in my palms. “What’d you say, baby?”

Her hands fly to mine and she pulls, trying to remove them. An attempt to duck and run, I’m sure.

I won’t allow that.

“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head, scraping her bottom lip with my teeth. “Say it again.” My voice is rough and demanding, but that’s what she needs right now.

Proving me right, her chest pushes out and fire sparks behind her blue eyes, while her hands drop to my chest. “Fine. I said stay, Handsome,” she snaps, her brows pulling in, daring me to deny her.

I could never.

A grin splits across my lips and hers follows. She rolls her eyes and tucks herself into my embrace to try and make light of the mood, but there’s nothing light about it. This is big. Especially for her. While I’ve been wanting to stay since I dragged her out of her date with Jarrod, Kalani has been doing her best to keep things simple.

So, yeah, this is big.

I’m gonna make it better.

With a ridiculous smile on my face, I pull back, grasping her shoulders. “Get some sweats on, and some shoes. I have an idea.”

With a light laugh, she agrees and runs back into the house, emerging not a minute later, ready for me to lead her wherever I wish.

I kill the lights and turn down the dirt road.

“Uh... Handsome?”

I grin, ignoring her as I pull my truck next to my dad’s. Turning off the engine, I shift toward her in my seat, my forearms resting on the steering wheel and back of the seat. “Watch for a light, then get out. ’Kay?”

Her brows lower, but she’s grinning.

I take that as a yes and dash toward my house, sneaking inside as quietly as a six-foot-two, one hundred and eighty-pound guy is capable of, and head into my room, locking the door behind me.

Grabbing the flashlight from the top of my dresser, I head to my window and throw it open, shining the light onto the hood of my Hummer.

Slowly, she emerges, shutting the door gently behind her, her eyes squinting at me. It’s not pitch black out, and the stars are shining brightly, so she can see me fairly good.

Her eyes take in everything around and return to me.

I grin and lean against my window sill. Cupping my mouth with my hands, I shout in a whisper, “Come to me, Jenny.”

Her face pinches slightly, then her fingers lift to her mouth. Finally, she squeals and stomps her feet before running to the side of the house on the tips of her toes.

I watch, my eyes glued on her, as she makes her way up and over the balcony… makes her way to me.

Her breath is a bit heavy from the climb, mixed with excitement, but her smile is wide and real, and her eyes... Her eyes are bright and loving.

“Hi, Forrest.”

I smile. “Hi, Jenny.”

When I reach for her, she blushes, slips her hand in mine and steps through the window. The moment her feet meet my floor, she wraps herself around me, pressing her cheek into my chest, and my arms envelope her.

“Tonight was perfect,” she mumbles into my shirt.

“Almost,” I whisper into her hair, and pull back to toss my shirt to the floor, kicking my shoes off in the process.

Her arms lift, allowing me to slide off her sweater, then her feet for me to pull off her shoes, leaving her in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling when she takes the initiative to pull the covers back and slides in first. She faces the wall so I tuck in behind her, pulling her as close as our bodies will allow. She lifts her head, allowing my arm to slide under the pillow, then drops back down.

Small sighs keep leaving her and my chest tightens, along with my arm that’s wrapped around her. Every time her chest inflates, mine pinches.

“Now it’s perfect.” Kissing the back of her head, I dig my face into her hair to breathe her in.

My grip loosens when she props onto her elbow, shifting to look at me over her shoulder. Her eyes roam my face for a few moments, like she’s trying to memorize everything about me, and this glossy look I’ve never seen, but instantly love, takes over.

With a small tug, I pull the hairband from her hair, watching as it falls over her shoulders. When my hand comes up to tuck her thick locks behind her ear, she leans into my palm, closing her eyes. She turns until her lips graze across my skin, then brings her pretty blues back to me.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Nathaniel,” she whispers, unblinking.

Gently guiding her mouth to mine, I kiss her lips soft and slow.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kalani.”

She tucks her body back into me, and we fall asleep, together.