“Thumper is his name, not this, and it’s okay.” Abby gives me one of her rare genuine smiles. The type that lights up a room. The type that steals my breath. “Age doesn’t bother me. Old fellows deserve a good home as much as a baby.”

“Hungry?” I ask.

Abby nods as she places Thumper back in his cage. “But I don’t want to eat. Not right now.”

She then leans in and kisses me. “Thank you for my bunny, Logan.”

“You’re welcome.”

Abby stands, offers me her hand, and I let her guide me to her bed. “Did you mean it? Will you take care of Thumper for me? Until I can take care of him myself?”

“Yes.” I ease onto the bed beside Abby and let her hair fall from my fingers. “Does that mean I’ll hear from you again?”

“You bought me a bunny. How can I not call you after that? Kiss me, Logan.”

I hear what she’s saying and I draw an arm around her tugging her closer to me. She needs me to kiss her in a way that we’ll both remember. In a way that will help when the day’s too long and the night’s too dark.

With her body pressed into mine, I can feel her heart beating through her skin. I move until our foreheads touch and she places her hand over my chest as if she also desires to feel how my heart is pounding.

Abby touches me. A brush of her fingers along my arm and my mind enters a haze. One where I’m wrapped up in Abby’s sweet honeysuckle scent. One where every sweep of her fingers creates a slow burn in my blood. One where I’m compelled to hold her tighter and taste her lips.

Together we shed clothes and explore. Never asking for more than the other is willing to give. Only offering the complete emotion in our souls and Abby whispers that she’s only willing to go so far. I understand. Abby’s been further than me, but the physical combined with the emotional is new to her and while we explore our emotions, she wants the chance to take it slow.

Our kisses grow hungrier, our touches consuming.

Awe overtakes me at how perfect she fits underneath me, at how perfect the two of us are together. I kiss and Abby kisses and I become lost.

Our hearts beat harder, our breaths come out faster, and it’s a rush that’s like no other rush I’ve experienced before.

She’s holding me, I’m holding her, and when she opens her eyes and I see the love pouring from her, I know that this can’t be the last time I ever lie beside her. People like Abby and I, we’re once in a lifetime and I’m not going to let this go...not without a fight.

Abby

Dressed and feeling so full that I might explode, I finish the queso as Logan tests. Thumper sniffs my hand as I cuddle him on my lap and I almost consider telling Logan what’s going to happen tonight, but then stick to the original plan. Logan’s a risk taker, but I’d bet he’s the type that prefers to be the one in danger. He won’t like my plans, he’ll try to change my mind, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t let him change it.

He’s built this world in his head where somehow my father and his past and how I’m connected will somehow blow over like a quick storm. Maybe it can, but first I have to change the way I’m looked upon by certain puppet masters.

“You think dancing is a wise choice?” Logan asks as he pricks his finger.

“Dancing is always a wise choice.”

“Not what I mean. Going out in public. Is that wise?”

“We’re heading to a sports bar that’s near the frat I sell to. That’s why Rachel can go. They sell more fried cheese sticks than they do beer. It’s small enough that nobody I know will be around. Eric and Ricky might think they have eyes and ears everywhere, but they don’t. I want to have fun before I have to leave. Let me have fun.”

Logan puts his testing stuff back in his bag. “I don’t feel like you’re asking.”

“Since when do I ask for anything? Demanding is the only way to go. If you say it with a smile at least then people will feel good as they perform. Just saying, there’s a reason why Harvard loves me.”

Logan opens the top of the cage. “There’s a lot of people who love you and they’re waiting on us. If you’re bent on doing this, put Thumper away and let’s roll.”

* * *

Rachel and I twirl each other to the rhythm of the music and we both laugh. Heads back, eyes glittering, stomach aching from giggling too much. This is joy. Spending time with my best friend. Our laughter is never mean. Never at anyone else’s expense. It’s because we’re together, because we’re friends, because we’re alive.

She almost died a few months ago in a car accident and, recently, I was shot. We’ve both been given a second chance at life. Both been given this gift of friendship. We’re no longer capable of taking something like this for granted.

Near us, West is dancing with his girlfriend, Haley. The boy definitely has moves as he dances close to his girl. West is all over her and she doesn’t seem to mind. It’s obvious they missed each other after their week apart. It’s even more obvious they are in love.

At the other end of the sports bar, Logan and Isaiah are playing pool. Scratch that, they’re pretending to play pool as they watch the two of us. I blow a kiss in Logan’s direction and his lips tilt up. It’s impossible how much I love him. Impossible to almost believe I might make my dreams with him come true someday.

Rachel grabs my hand. “I’m thirsty.”

We head to the bar and she orders a bottled water, telling the bartender to put it on West’s tab. He declared he was buying tonight and I don’t argue with free cheese sticks.

“I’m still mad at you,” Rachel says as she wipes the sweat from dancing off her forehead. “I’m still mad at them, too. None of you should have frozen me out.”

“I was trying to freeze you all out,” I say as an explanation.

“Still not okay. Promise me you won’t do that again.”

Considering I don’t plan on getting shot again, I concede. “Promise.” I tug at a lock of her long blond hair. “Up for dancing some more?”

“I’m always up for dancing.”

I link my fingers with Rachel’s and we discover the middle of the dance floor again.

Logan

Abby’s on fire tonight. A living breathing fireworks show. She’s danced with Rachel, with West, has even dragged me out a couple times, but I can’t admit to doing much more than touching Abby’s hips as she moves to the music.

A song ends, another begins, but Abby leaves Rachel with Isaiah on the dance floor and she joins me at the pool table West, Haley, and I have been playing on.

Abby’s covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and in her typical fashion, she swipes my bottle of water and drinks it down. “What time is it?”

I check my cell. “Eleven thirty. Rachel has about ten minutes left before she has to leave to make curfew.”

Abby’s very protective of her best girlfriend, Rachel, and it’s been good to see the two of them reunited if only for a short period of time.

She sets the bottle of water down and laces her fingers with mine. “I’m about to be arrested.”

A surge of panic runs through me and I automatically scan the room searching for the cops. Abby reaches up, places her hand on my cheek and forces my gaze back to hers.

“It’s okay.”

I tighten my hold on her hand. “We can get you out of here.” And then my mind catches up like slamming brakes at a hundred miles per hour. “Why would you be arrested?”

Abby’s so damn cool that it’s causing my skin to want to peel off the bone.

“In my back pocket is a baggie of pot. Enough to cause me problems, but not enough to cause me big problems. Over there at the bar, there’s an undercover officer waiting for me. The big dude that people are scared of. I mean really? That’s the undercover person they go with? The one people are naturally terrified of? Maybe that’s what I should do with my life. Become a consultant on how to actually catch the bad guys. Anyhow, I digress.”

I glance over and Abby’s right. There’s a man there at the bar and nobody sits or stands within two feet of him. He’s big and he’s bald and he’s watching me and Abby.

“I will go over to buy another bottle of water. He’ll ask me if I’m drinking anything tonight. I’ll tell him no because I have something to smoke later. He asks if he can partake. I’ll say no. He’ll then ask if he can buy it from me and then I’ll say yes. He’ll put handcuffs on me, he’ll read me my rights, and then he’ll escort me to his lovely police car. After that, I will be arraigned and I will be put into juvenile detention. I will stay there. I will have my day in court and I will be sentenced to that juvenile detention center for a period of time.”

“Am I hearing this right?” West joins us and I’m guessing I’m looking just as pissed as he appears. “Place is loud, but I think I just heard you describe getting arrested.”

“You did,” Abby says with a brief shrug. “We will now go over a list of what you will not do. You will not stop me. You will not go anywhere near me once I head over to the bar.”

“Isaiah!” West yells out. “Get over here. Abby’s gone fucking nuts.”