Page 86 of The Summer of Us

“Yeah, one of the embers landed on me.” He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “I really want to watch that place implode.”

I let that go. He was entitled.

“Then I had to get out of there. I was upset, disgusted, and furious. With him. With myself. I think-I think I lost it. I came here and decided to destroy the drives and get rid of them forever.” He paused. “I don’t even remember driving here.”

He swallowed. “All I could think of was I lost you. I loved you so much and you were gone again and, this time, I wouldn’t be able to get you back. You would never trust me again.”

He glanced down. “Then you came. Why did you come, Sunny?”

With a sigh, I pulled back and told him. About the bakery. Mrs. Tremont’s unexpected visit. Going to the house. Racing to get here, desperate to find him.

“She removed the notice?”

“Yes. On Michael’s store as well.”

He frowned. “Do you think she still felt threatened?”

“No,” I replied honestly. “I think she realized the past is done and it was time to let go of grudges and move on.” I regarded him. “Can you do that, Linc?”

He studied me, then ran his fingers down my cheek. “The one past I want to cling to is ours, Sunny. And I want the future that goes with it.” He swallowed. “Can you do that? Can we?”

I smiled, feeling the weight of the past few days lift from my shoulders.

“Yes.”

23

Sunny

Linc and I stayed wrapped around each other for over thirty minutes. We didn’t talk, but simply held on, needing the closeness. Finally, he broke the silence.

“Are you scared to leave, Sunny? Afraid of what will happen once we go back to the world outside this little nook?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “I am.”

He tilted up my chin, meeting my eyes. “Nothing bad, Sunny. I promise. We’ll find our way together. I promise. You ready to be brave with me?”

“All right.”

He smirked. “Good. Because my ass is numb and frozen, and it might take a while to get out of here anyway.”

That made my lips twitch.

“My legs don’t have any feeling either,” he admitted, barely holding back his amusement.

I began to chuckle.

“This walk of shame is going to look like a drunken stumble.”

Then we both laughed, the sound freeing and loud. It felt good to let go and enjoy the moment. I pushed off his chest and stood, giggling when I realized how unsteady I was. Linc followed, grimacing as he stood, grasping at the rocks around us. “Holy shit,” he mumbled. “Pins and needles.”

We spent a few moments shaking out our arms and legs. He yanked up his pants, buckling his belt and tucking in his shirt. He was still a mess, covered in grass, dirt, his hair windblown and wild, soot across his face. But his expression was peaceful. Content. It startled me to realize it was the first time I had ever seen him look at ease since he came back into my life. The look of wariness and worry was gone from his expression.

He regarded me, his eyes wide. “Wow—I did a number on you.”

I looked down. My shorts were in shreds on my legs, my shirt barely covering my chest. He held out his jacket. “Put this back on.”

I slid into the jacket, trying not to giggle as he buttoned it up. I looked down at the ground. “What do you want to do with those?” I indicated the pile of mangled metal. They were already destroyed, but I knew he didn’t want to leave them here.