Page 153 of The Other Side

“You kept it.”

His fingers softly fiddle with the jewelry. He tucks his lips, surely reserving his emotions before my attention tips up to him. “You shouldn’t insult me so much.”

My gaze scans his twinkling stare, and my hand covers his fingers at my collar bone. I rest them flat over the necklace, our throats rolling as our souls merge back together.

“Congratulations,” I whisper. I lift his rough knuckles to my mouth, planting a gentle kiss before releasing him.

“How long have you been here?” he asks.

“I saw you,” I reassure him before wagging my head. “I wouldn’t have missed this, Dove. Not a chance.”

Brant shakes a smile out as he sighs a breath. His hand absently swipes down his chest, relief sewn through every contour of his face. “Really?”

I smile, cradling his stubbled cheek in my palm. When I bring his forehead to mine, I peer up at him through a wide grin. “Really,” I whisper.

His chest bounces just as mine does, and we pull away. “There’s a garden out back,” he sighs, turning to gesture to the rear of the ballroom. “You wan⁠—”

“Yes.”

Brant’s head whips to me, a crooked smirk painted across his face. His palm clasps mine, our fingers lacing in a tender hold.

We navigate to our destination, weaving through the necessary bodies. Our shoes tap along the cobblestone tile of the vacant cocktail room, the music and chatter dulling.

A sudden quiet swallows us when we walk past the open rear doors. We inch along the brick pavers, and Brant looks over to me. “You ever been here before?”

I shake my head, my eyes trained on the low-sitting reflecting pool that illuminates under the sunset. “No. First time.”

We gradually stroll, the warm air and earthy aroma cuddling my skin. My eyes drag across the trimmed hedges that frame the walkway. Finally landing on the pink and yellow shrubs that decorate the border of the low-sitting pool.

“I think the stars shine brighter over there,” I blurt before we idle. “Just somethin’ I was thinking about the other day.”

I turn my body into him as my chin tilts up. His free palm lands on my upper arm as our chests ghost each other. “Why’s that?” he asks, a tiny grin carving from his lips.

“Maybe brighter stars grant bigger wishes.” I speak softly, kneading his hand while my gaze bounces over his handsome face. “Because my biggest one was graced with an answer.” My eyes inflate with tears, and my fingers lift the gold sunflower pendant. “I never forgot,” I whisper. “I remember.”

His hand strips from my upper arm to nestle my cheek, the touch thawing a lingering icy remnant.

“I remember you and me. Us,” I declare. “I could never forget the boy who saved my life. In every possible way.”

His thumb strokes my jawline, his gaze scooting from my eyes to my mouth.

“I spent my entire childhood leaning on my love for you. It was the only source of air I was given to breathe,” I exhaust. His irises glint with an intensity before I shake my head. “I don’t want to just lean on it anymore, Brant. I want to live for our love, don’t you? I mean, don’t you think it’s about time we got someth⁠—”

He nods when I grow frantic, his hands framing both sides of my face now. “Yes,” he rasps.

His thumbs stroke my cheekbones as a couple tears slip onto them. My chest pounces through a large grin, and my palms wrap around his wrists. “I’m sorry, I’m just really angry,” I laugh out. “Angry. Sad. Happy. Bitter. Oh, I can’t make up my damn mind.”

“As angry as you were when I was talking to Carly at that party?”

I jerk myself from his embrace, stabbing a finger up at him. “Oh!” I grunt through a snarl. “To think I made it this whole time without thinkin’ of that pretty little piece of work! Until you just brought it up. Ugh!”

I spin my back to him, shaking my arms at my sides. Like I’m rolling off the disgust, but he snatches my hip to twirl me back around.

I yelp through a smile when he locks me to his chest. I have absolutely nowhere to go. Nowhere to budge an inch, and it’s the most remarkable feeling.

Tears pool in the bottom lids of my eyes as I squeeze him tightly. All I want to do is absorb into his embrace—an embrace that always provided me light in my darkest days.

Our smiles reflect each other before he glues his eyes to my wet ones. His grin mildly fades as he lifts a thumb to wipe under my eyes. The rough pad collects my tears just like it did that very last day in Willowhart.