Her jaw drops, her heart lifts. He sees her expression shift and he grabs her face before she can put up her walls again, pulling her into his, kissing her deeply, passionately, showing her, once and for all, he was a man. They pull apart, staring into one another. “Trust me,” he whispers.
Her eyes close, her hands slowly wrap around his and squeeze. She stares wildly into the abyss, struggling to stop looking for sharp objects, dangerous cliffs, struggling to let go. “Trust me, Alice.”
She squeezes her face and exhales, feeling her body lift and free-fall into him. They move through space, navigating the landmines hand in hand, at last. Alice opens her eyes, locking on his electric blues, staring imploringly into hers. She smiles slowly, and he at her. “How totally cheesy of us.”
He kisses her, relieved, terrified and completely in love. She pulls away, staring earnestly into his eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. “…Can I have my car back?”
He kisses her again, holding her a long while, rocking her in his great arms, breathing in her hair. “I sold your car.”
“What!?Why would you do such a thing? I love that car…it was the main reason I stuck around so long,” she says, muffled against his chest.
“I couldn’t stand even sitting in it, it smelled like you. You, and moldy French fries. They found a bag of old fast food tucked under your seat.”
She laughs and squeezes him tighter. “You’re lying!”
“I swear. They were like little petrified pieces of turd. The dealer charged me a cleaner’s fee trying to get the smell out. CeCewas pissed.”
He wraps an arm around her, and she around him, and they start walking. She looks up at him and then down the long street, twisting into trees, disappearing into the hillside of houses. “So what now?”
“No clue. It’s gonnabe fun, though.”
“ ‘Happily ever after’ fun?”
“Oh, no. We all know how that ends. Too predictable,” he smiles, kissing the top of her head.
“Agreed.”
“How‘bout we just go get a burger for now,‘kay?”
“Sounds like paradise to me.”
Gazelle Page 23