One Night Only (Season 1: Deni's Story)

Chapter Forty-One

"That's very true," I agree. "There's a good chance I'll have shows throughout the next year to make up for the tour I canceled on."

"Then we'll figure out when I can visit you in L.A. or in another city if you're close by for a show, and if there are days you can visit me here."

I take a drink from my glass while reflecting on his words. It's the perfect opening for something I want to ask him, although I can't predict what his reaction will be when he finds out why.

"Speaking of times to visit L.A., what are you doing in late November?"

Hunter pulls a food container out of the cooler while he answers. "If it's anything like last November, I'll start the month complaining about it raining for the zillionth day in a row and end it on a ski hill. Otherwise, not much. How about you?"

He opens the container and offers it to me, revealing a spread of crackers, cheese, apple slices, and grapes inside. I take it from him and busy myself with putting crackers and cheese on a paper plate while I silently will him to say yes to what I'm about to propose.

"I was asked to perform and present at the American Music Awards. I know you said once that red carpets aren't really your thing, but is there any chance you'd like to be my date?"

Hunter buries his face in his hands, which is not the response I was hoping for. "Can you do me a favor?" he asks. "If possible, can you please forget every asinine thing I've said about celebrities, award shows, and red carpets? I've learned my lesson about stereotyping and making assumptions."

"Does that mean you're okay with being my arm candy?" I suppress a giggle when his face and neck turn red. "I know you said something about that sounding lame, so..."

"Cali," he groans. When he lowers his hands from his face, he looks mortified. "You have every right to never let me live that down, and I swear it will haunt me forever. Yes, I would love to be your arm candy. Absolutely nothing is lame if it means I'm with you."

"You're going to regret saying that," I tell him in a sing-song voice. "I'm already planning the cheesiest things for us to do when you're in L.A."

"I'll enjoy every second of whatever we do together. Bring on the cheese."

My breath catches at the conviction in his words and the happiness in his eyes. He reaches for my hand and lifts it up so he can press his lips against my knuckles. I'm not sure if it's him who pulls me in closer or if I end up there on my own, but the next thing I know, he's cradling both sides of my face and lowering his head over mine.

Our kiss is gentle and sweet, but when Hunter leaves a trail of butterfly kisses along my jawline and the side of my neck, the endorphins that rush through me make it tempting to pin him to the ground and make out from now until sundown. I slip my hands under the hem of his shirt and let them roam over his stomach and chest, an action that elicits a soft laugh from him. He presses his mouth against my collarbone and then looks up at me. I stroke his hair and nudge his head upward, so I can capture his mouth with mine again.

"I'm going to have to find a way to see you again before November," I say after we break apart and I'm able to catch my breath. Kissing him is ridiculously addictive.

"So, about that." He winds a strand of my hair around his finger. His face is jubilant. "I was going to write a letter for you to read on the plane and surprise you with this, but I don't think I can wait that long."

"Wait that long for what?"

"To tell you I'll see you before November. I already have a flight booked to L.A. in early October so I can check out some colleges there when I'm off school for Thanksgiving here. UCLA and USC both have marine biology programs I want to apply to."

It takes a few seconds for this to sink in. "You want to move to L.A. for college?" I hope with every fiber of my being that I heard him correctly.

"If I get accepted and it all works out, then I'll be living there at this time next year and can be your arm candy any time you'd like, until you get sick of me."

"I'll never be sick of you," I say, even though I know he's joking. "I'm already counting the seconds until you're there in October and I can show you around your future home."

"There are something like three million, one hundred and fifty-six thousand seconds between the time your flight leaves this week and when my flight there is scheduled to land. Not that I'm also counting."

"Of course you aren't." I ruffle his hair. "How many seconds do we have left together before I go?"

"I'm not counting those. I just want to spend them all with you."

He puts his arm around my shoulder and I lean into him, closing my eyes when he drops a kiss on the top of my head. The last thing I expected today was to find out that we might be only a year away from living in the same city. And the last thing I expected this summer was to meet Hunter and feel the way I do now.

I've traveled from some of my darkest days to the brightest ones imaginable. I don't know if someone can ever fully recover from trauma, but it's something I'm finding ways to move forward from with the love and support of my mom, my friends, my band, and of course, Hunter. Nightmares about The Domino happen less often now, even if they aren't entirely a thing of the past. I don't know if time will erase the images of that night from my memory, but I do know where I am now is a long way from where I was when I first found myself at the shore of this lake.

I have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to. And as I rest my head against Hunter's shoulder and look out at the water, noticing how the sunshine makes it glimmer and shine, all I think about is how I can't wait to find out what's next.

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Keep reading for the epilogue bonus chapters!