Page 85 of Angels Fall

He pulls it up just before it smashes into the concrete barrier in the empty parking lot.

“I thought you said you know how to fly this thing!”

He says nothing. Like he’s concentrating really hard on flying. It goes high—very high. “There we go,” he says. “Let’s start the cameras—”

But then Tyler’s whole body weaves right, like he’s the drone, which also dipped right, because it barely missed one of those huge towers electrical plants tend to have scattered all over the place.

“OK, I think we have enough,” I say, biting my nails. “Let’s bring it home.”

He sucks at drone flying. Which kinda makes me feel, you know. Proud.

Tyler’s chewing on his lip. Which is goddamned adorable. Most of the time. Just not now, because it means he’s trying really hard not to crash.

I ease my hands over his, my thumbs finding the controls on the touchscreen. “Here,” I say. “I got this.”

I expect a fight, but he just lets me have it.

“You’re really good at drone flying,” I say.

“Fuck you.” He laughs.

“Seriously. That dogfight you were having out there with the wind was impressive.” I wink at him as I steady the drone and bring it in for a landing in the middle of the parking lot then drive it over to us and make it stop a few feet away.

“Showoff,” he says. “But it’s sexy as fuck, Mads. Makes me hard when you do cool, kick-ass shit.”

I swell a little with that compliment. “It’s nice to know that I can do something better than you.”

“Hell,” he says, pulling me in to his chest. He’s been like that ever since we came up from the tunnels. All touchy-feely. I love it. Makes me think we’re like… a couple. “I’d put my money on you versus me every day of the fuckin’ year.”

He kisses me on the head, then breaks away to walk over to the drone.

Yeah, I think I love him.

Wait. Did I just—

Yup. Fuck it. “Tyler Hudson Morgan…” I say. “I think you might be that one special guy a girl meets and wants to keep forever.”

He’s bending down to pick up the drone when that comes out. He stands up, his back to me. Pauses. Takes a deep breath.

For a second I feel like that person who wrecks a new relationship by saying the L-word too soon.

He lets that breath out and turns to face me, looks at his feet and shakes his head.

My heart beats fast. Like it knows I really just fucked this all up.

“Madison Clayton… I… it… we…” He walks over to me, puts each of his hands on my cheeks, holds my gaze for what seems like forever, and says, “There’s no one else it could’ve been.”

Chapter Nineteen - Tyler

“Shit,” says Maddie, looking through her purse.

“What’s up?”

“Can’t find my house keys. Diane and Caroline are gonna be about done with me, I think. We already had to change the locks once after all my shit got taken with my car.” She looks at me pointedly.

“I—What? It’s not my fault!”

“You picked me up and left my car there.”