I step back so he can open the door, but he grabs me and gives me one more kiss, this one full of all the ones we’ve missed while we were apart and the promise of more to come.
The knock sounds again, and we pull back and look at each other, knowing this is just goodbye for now. The rhythm cuts off halfway through. It couldn’t be… could it?
Cosmos’ expression mirrors the excited uncertainty I’m feeling. He swings open the door.
“You two kids—” Viraj doesn’t finish the sentence before Cosmos grabs me by the shoulders and stares right into my eyes. Viraj goes silent. Everything and everyone is silent.
Time stands still.
Cosmos’ eyes sparkle with mischief. “I think we forgot something in the storage closet.”
“What’d we forget?” I play along, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
Cosmos kisses my nose, then looks away.
“Stall,” he says to Viraj before pulling me back into the closet. He slams the door shut and turns his eyes on me. “We need to cross something else off our romance novel bucket list.”
“Whatever do you mean?” I say in my best imitation of a Regency heroine. The fire in his gaze smolders, heating every part of me. I want to make this feeling last forever—the feeling of being desired so completely.
“Don’t act coy with me, Miss Berton.” Cosmos lifts my chin, so we’re eye-to-eye. His thumb grazes over my bottom lip, and my knees go weak.
“I have it on good authority, that you know exactly how to please a man.” His hands slide down my back, skimming down my outer thighs until they reach the hem of my dress, fingertips finally touching skin. I’ve never been more thankful I wore a dress.
He grabs my waist and lifts me in one smooth motion. My legs wrap around him, back pressing against the wall. Our eyes tell each other stories more clearly than any words on a page, communicating all we’ve missed, longed for, and hoped.
“Hmmm. But do you know how to please a woman?” I tease, riling him up.
“You had no complaints before.” He breaks eye contact to stamp kisses down the slope of my neck, making me arch into him. Breathless with longing.
“That was a very, very long time ago.”
“An eternity ago.” His hands rub up my side, and his thumbs brush the underside of my breasts. I moan, wanting more. He bites my shoulder. “I’ll have to prove it to you again.”
“If you must, you—” I don’t finish the sentence, because Cosmos is making it difficult to think straight. He’s looking at me again, and the dark center of his eyes swallows the dark brown outer ring. I swear I can see his soul staring right into my heart.
His every touch speaks of love. Every impassioned whisper shouts love. And when I come, I scream hisname. Loud enough for the entire world to hear if it wasn’t silently paused.
We hold hands as we step out of the storage closet only four minutes later, though for us it was hours. This time, Cosmos doesn’t let go when we round the corner and run into Samantha. I don’t push him away when Dr. Newberry joins the conversation and tells me again how sorry he is about my mom. I let the tears come and lean into Cosmos. He wraps his arm around me, and Dr. Newberry tells him he can sign out early, sending us on our way with his regards.
By the time we get to the elevator, Aunt Joan and Kiara have blown up my phone with texts. I show Cosmos the messages from his cheering squad and tell him about the book club. He’s already read this month’s book—because, of course, he has—so I invite him to join us for tomorrow’s discussion.
When I first walked into this hospital with Mom, I was terrified. Now, walking out the sliding glass doors, hand-in-hand with Cosmos, I’m still afraid. I’m not sure I’ll ever truly stop being scared, just like I’ll never stop missing Mom. But I know I’m not alone.
I have Aunt Joan and Kiara and Cosmos—maybe even Jeremy.
Cosmos looks at me out of the corner of his eye and squeezes my hand. I squeeze his back. I don’t know how we’ll spend the rest of our day or what will become of the rest of our lives. But that’s okay. Because, even in her death, Mom gave me one last gift.
Hope.
Epilogue
six months later
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cosmos parks in front of The Book Bar and turns to face me. “You know this is just part of the process, but it’s okay if it stings.”
He misunderstands my quiet for disappointment about the rejection I got from my favorite agent this morning… and I let him. If I open my mouth, I’m afraid I’ll give away the surprise. It’s a miracle he hasn’t figured it out already.
I nod. He takes my hand. “Do you want to go home? Or go somewhere else? You were already here all morning.”
