Page 2 of The Year of Us: May

He nodded mutely, still looking a little mortified, but also a little relieved.

“Can you ever go wrong with a burger?” Jonas asked, his tone tentative and careful.

“I don’t think you can.” I motioned down the street. “It’s a few blocks, but it’s worth the walk.”

He nodded and set off, falling into step beside me.

“So, Jonas, tell me about yourself.”

CHAPTER2

Reese

The champagne was free.The food was hot. The service better than I offered in person at work. But none of it was enough to quiet my brain down.

Since he last left LA, Cory and I had talked or texted almost every day, but the remainder of April and the first half of May had crawled along at a snail’s pace. He had talked about wanting me to come to New York the night I took him to Rapture, and he’d brought it up again at almost every opportunity until I finally caved in and said yes. I wouldn’t let him buy me a plane ticket, though…that was a bridge too far.

That was something boyfriends did. Serious partners. People in committed relationships.

And while Cory and I hadn’t had partners other than each other for going on five months—what the fuck—we’d never talked about what that really meant. It was a conversation we’d be forced to have sooner rather than later, and as we began the descent toward JFK, I worried sooner was already upon us.

So I didn’t let him buy the ticket. I’d pulled money out of my savings, let Morgan loan me a hundred dollars, and bought it myself. The first class upgrade was over the top, but after talking to him on the phone at the gate, I knew he wouldn’t take any argument over it. That was one of the things I lo—liked about Cory after all, wasn’t it? Even though his natural need for dominance rubbed me wrong at the start, I’d gotten used to it. He’d become familiar even as I struggled with what that meant for me.

Fuck.

I shouldn’t have come.

But the wheels touched down and I took my phone off airplane mode and texted him anyway to let him know we were taxiing to a gate. Cory met me right at the line on the floor that separated ticketed passengers from everyone else, his eyes flashing like the sky when he saw me.

“Hey,” he said quietly, almost nervous, rubbing his hand against my sternum.

I pushed my suitcase against the wall, took his face into my hands, and kissed him hard enough to erase all the doubt that had built up on the six-hour flight across the country. Cory let out a surprised moan, then grabbed me by the wrists and kissed me back until someone passing by coughed. We both pulled away, a little starstruck and stunned, and I was confused how I’d ever thought I didn’t want a future with him.

“Hi,” I whispered back, unable to stop myself from smiling.

“How was your flight?”

“Very posh.”

He hummed, puckering his lips into a thoughtful line. “Warm towels and everything?”

“And champagne and a slice of cake.”

“Practically spoiled.” He kissed me again. “Could you get used to it?”

I swallowed hard, ignoring him so I didn’t say something either of us wouldn’t be able to come back from.

“I didn’t expect you to meet me here,” I said instead. “I could have caught a cab.”

“I was eager to see you, and I rented a car. The taxis are too much.”

“And a rented car isn’t?”

Cory rolled his eyes and gestured for me to pick up my bag and follow him.

Ever obedient, I did.

“I don’t drive in the city,” Cory explained, waving to a driver in a black suit who pulled open the back door of a massive SUV. The driver took my bag and closed the door behind us after climbing into the back seat. The car was ridiculous. It probably cost more than Morgan and I made in a year put together.