time he turned fifteen, Zach and I had known our way around each other’s bodies and when we went all the way that night, we’d both liked it.
Afterward, I’d lain next to him and said, “So you’ve been asking me to do that for a year. I heard TJ say it’s not a big deal, and you should stick to everything else I’m willing to do for as long as you could.”
“You heard that? I told him to shut his damn mouth,” he said, frowning. His brother TJ had said plenty of crude stuff that night, drunk on cheap beer and revved up over a fight with the girl he’d eventually marry. “I thought you were asleep in the back of the truck. I don’t want you hearing that kind of filthy talk.”
I’d rolled my eyes. “He was just sore over the fight he had with that girl he’s in love with.”
“Who says he’s in love with her?”
“Nobody has to say it. I’ve got eyes. Whenever she won’t go out with him, he gets drunk and pretends he doesn’t care about women. Whenever she will go out with him, he spends twenty minutes brushing his teeth and half an hour digging through T-shirts to find the one that best shows off his muscles.”
Zach laughed. “He does do that. Asshole,” he said affectionately. “So what were you going to ask me?”
“I was asking if it was worth it? That didn’t have to be your birthday present. There’s still time for me to buy you that leather jacket you like.”
“To hell with leather jackets. This is what I want every year on my birthday.” He turned his head to meet my eyes and grinned. “And all the days in between, if it were up to me.”
I laughed and kissed him. “It’s your birthday. Should we use the L word again?” I asked. After everyone at school had started broadcasting that they loved each other after dating for a week, Zach and I had gotten fed up and decided we’d only say it to each other on special occasions. That night, I’d whispered it to him toward the end, and he’d held me tighter.
He nodded. “Hearing you say you love me while we’re together that way . . .”
“What?” I asked, leaning close to him.
He shrugged. “Anyone can give me a leather jacket. You’re the only one who can give me this.”
I kissed him and ran my hands over his body until we were both urgent for each other again. We’d made the most of that night and plenty of others. And over the years when we’d had terrible fights, eventually one of us would slip a note to the other saying, When you’re done being mad, send me a note to meet you under the bridge . Even after we had a house of our own, sometimes we’d meet under the bridge to make up before we came back to it.
I put the card back and returned to the kitchen, lost in thought.
When I was with Bryn, I was happy. But Zach could make me happy, too. If he hadn’t lost faith in me when he’d thought I was either making Edie up or losing my mind, our marriage might not have fallen apart. Now he knew I’d told the truth about Edie. He’d seen her. He’d accepted that magic existed and had even gone to train with people who’d tangled with the supernatural. So I wondered whether Zach and I could salvage things, if we could recapture the early days before he’d started treating me like I couldn’t be trusted to run my own life. I frowned. I could never go back to him being condescending to me. But I’d missed him when he was gone, like a piece of my heart had been stolen.
I had dinner almost ready when a face popped up in the kitchen window. I dropped the skillet on the stovetop. Little splatters of butter stung my skin and I cursed.
I opened the window. “Vangie, what in the world are you doing here?”
“Providing moral support.”
“Come again?” I asked.
“It’s all over town that you came over here for a secret rendezvous with your ex.”
“All over town,” I sputtered. “Who blabbed?” I peered out the windows at the neighboring houses.
“Well, I heard it at that sports bar, Jammers.
Afterward, I’d lain next to him and said, “So you’ve been asking me to do that for a year. I heard TJ say it’s not a big deal, and you should stick to everything else I’m willing to do for as long as you could.”
“You heard that? I told him to shut his damn mouth,” he said, frowning. His brother TJ had said plenty of crude stuff that night, drunk on cheap beer and revved up over a fight with the girl he’d eventually marry. “I thought you were asleep in the back of the truck. I don’t want you hearing that kind of filthy talk.”
I’d rolled my eyes. “He was just sore over the fight he had with that girl he’s in love with.”
“Who says he’s in love with her?”
“Nobody has to say it. I’ve got eyes. Whenever she won’t go out with him, he gets drunk and pretends he doesn’t care about women. Whenever she will go out with him, he spends twenty minutes brushing his teeth and half an hour digging through T-shirts to find the one that best shows off his muscles.”
Zach laughed. “He does do that. Asshole,” he said affectionately. “So what were you going to ask me?”
“I was asking if it was worth it? That didn’t have to be your birthday present. There’s still time for me to buy you that leather jacket you like.”
“To hell with leather jackets. This is what I want every year on my birthday.” He turned his head to meet my eyes and grinned. “And all the days in between, if it were up to me.”
I laughed and kissed him. “It’s your birthday. Should we use the L word again?” I asked. After everyone at school had started broadcasting that they loved each other after dating for a week, Zach and I had gotten fed up and decided we’d only say it to each other on special occasions. That night, I’d whispered it to him toward the end, and he’d held me tighter.
He nodded. “Hearing you say you love me while we’re together that way . . .”
“What?” I asked, leaning close to him.
He shrugged. “Anyone can give me a leather jacket. You’re the only one who can give me this.”
I kissed him and ran my hands over his body until we were both urgent for each other again. We’d made the most of that night and plenty of others. And over the years when we’d had terrible fights, eventually one of us would slip a note to the other saying, When you’re done being mad, send me a note to meet you under the bridge . Even after we had a house of our own, sometimes we’d meet under the bridge to make up before we came back to it.
I put the card back and returned to the kitchen, lost in thought.
When I was with Bryn, I was happy. But Zach could make me happy, too. If he hadn’t lost faith in me when he’d thought I was either making Edie up or losing my mind, our marriage might not have fallen apart. Now he knew I’d told the truth about Edie. He’d seen her. He’d accepted that magic existed and had even gone to train with people who’d tangled with the supernatural. So I wondered whether Zach and I could salvage things, if we could recapture the early days before he’d started treating me like I couldn’t be trusted to run my own life. I frowned. I could never go back to him being condescending to me. But I’d missed him when he was gone, like a piece of my heart had been stolen.
I had dinner almost ready when a face popped up in the kitchen window. I dropped the skillet on the stovetop. Little splatters of butter stung my skin and I cursed.
I opened the window. “Vangie, what in the world are you doing here?”
“Providing moral support.”
“Come again?” I asked.
“It’s all over town that you came over here for a secret rendezvous with your ex.”
“All over town,” I sputtered. “Who blabbed?” I peered out the windows at the neighboring houses.
“Well, I heard it at that sports bar, Jammers.
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