Page 45

I was stupid. Ridiculous.

Nothing had ever felt so right than here in his embrace.

A snap and crackle later, light floods the room as the hum of the generator joins the sounds of our heavy breathing. I wince, adjusting to the sudden brightness as we take in each other clearly for the first time.

I feel shy under his intense perusal. His eyes hungrily rove over my face and he lifts a lock of my hair to his nose and inhales.

“Now I know how your hair smells like. Lavender, just like our journal.” He smiles. “I remember you from before… You were breaking the rules that day withThe Notebook, weren’t you?”

I duck my head, my face flaming. But my heart flutters with joy.

He remembers me too.

He tsks under his breath and tilts my chin up so our eyes meet again. “Desperate to meet me, weren’t you?” He winks, and my breath stumbles all over itself again.

I find my voice a second later and arch my brow. “You know, that’s not the first time we met.”

His eyes flare before recognition flickers in them. “Outside the library. You were the girl with the finance textbook. The one I couldn’t take my eyes off.”

Unable to help myself, I rise to my tiptoes and peck him on his cheek to reward him for his excellent memory.

“Bingo,” I whisper.

“I guess it’s always been fated—us meeting.” Delaney twines his fingers with mine, the gentle touch reawakening my nerves and my skin heats.

Shifting, he pulls out a small box from his pocket and hands it to me.

“I took a risk—I don’t know if you even wear earrings, but I saw these the other day and—”

I gasp as I dangle a pair of delicate hummingbird earrings in the air. The artist’s light strokes for the wings, the brilliant red chest—they’re obviously handcrafted, no brand name to be seen.

They’re perfect.

“I love them.” I put them on, and my eyes mist with tears. “They’re absolutely perfect, Delaney.”

“I’m so glad.” He presses a kiss on my forehead. Then, I feel a tension stiffening his muscles.

“I want to tell you something,” he begins, and a flicker of uncertainty flashes in his eyes. “Delaney is my middle name. My first name is actually—”

His phone rings, the ring tone shrill on the quiet floor.

“Sorry.” Quickly, he pulls out his phone, glances at the screen and frowns. His eyes flicker up to mine. “I think it’s an emergency. Do you mind?”

I shake my head, my brows furrowing. I hope everything is okay.

Then my phone buzzes. I guess I got cell reception back too.

Delaney steps to the end of the aisle, his low voice in what appears to be an important conversation.

I glance at my phone, finding a dozen unread messages littering the screen.

Liam

Firefly, I tried calling you. Why haven’t you turned on your phone?

Liam

Are you stuck in the storm? Damn it. I see your location. I’ll comeget you.