I scoot closer to Chris, holding his face in my hands. “He doesn’t,” I assure him. “He’s locked up miles away, and you’re free, Chris. You and your mom are free from him.”
He exhales heavily, closing his eyes briefly. “Yeah,” he murmurs, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “I’m free.” I nod reassuringly, brushing his hair back. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “My mom’s free.”
“Have you… gone to see her yet?”
He shakes his head, eyes locking on mine. “Will you… Will you come with me?” he pleads, begs. God, he’s so nervous, and I can’t even imagine what he’s feeling.
“Of course I will,” I assure him without hesitation. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”
His eyes light up at my response. “You will?”
I nod, leaning in to press my lips against his. “You know, our star signs are compatible,” I say with a smile.
He lets out a laugh. “They are?”
I nod again. “I looked it up,” I admit.
He chuckles, lifting my hand to his lips and plants a light kiss on my knuckles. “You needed proof to know we’re meant to be?” he teases. “Because I knew way before yesterday.”
“It wasn’t recently,” I explain. “I looked them up a long time ago.”
His brows furrow slightly, an amused expression crossing his face. “When?”
I swallow nervously before answering, “Senior year.”
His face drops. “As in high school?”
I nod. “I started falling for you back then,” I admit. “Or maybe even before that, I’m not sure. But I knew I loved you by then.”
He shakes his head, a mixture of frustration and regret evident on his face. “Fuck,” he curses under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “We wasted so much damn time, Gabi. If only I had told you or—”
I cut him off with a kiss. There’s no point in wondering what might have been when we have each other now. “It’s okay,” I reassure him. “We have plenty of time to make up for it,” I say with a smile. “The stars say we’re meant to be.”
Chris returns my smile, his touch gentle as he brushes my cheek with the soft pad of his thumb. “Hell yeah, we are. But even if we weren’t, I’d fight the stars to be with you.” His words make my heart thump against my chest as his eyes lock onto mine. “You’re my best friend, Gabi,” he continues. “But you’re also the love of my life.”
Tears well up in my eyes, and I shake my head, trying to compose myself. “Don’t make me cry. I worked hard on my makeup.”
He chuckles. “And you look beautiful,” he says. “You always do.”
Our lips brush together, and we get lost in each other, showing the other how much we love each other.
“Ride’s over,” the guy interrupts, making us break apart to see him chewing some gum as he waits for us to get off.
Chris takes my hand in his as we step off the ride, and I glance behind him. “Look, the photo booth is open.”
He smiles as we make our way toward it, climbing inside and closing the curtain.
“Remember the last time we were here?” he asks, inserting coins into the machine, but then he chuckles. “Probably not. You were already wasted by then.”
“I remember,” I reply, meeting his warm, chocolate eyes. “I remember wanting to kiss you.”
Chris holds my gaze for a second and then blows out a breath. “I was so close to kissing you,” he admits.
My stomach flutters. “I wish you had.”
A smirk spreads across his face as he cups my cheeks, pulling me closer until his lips meet mine in a soft kiss. The camera flashes but we’re lost in the moment, burning this moment into my memory, comparing it to when we sat here five years ago, and how everything has changed since then.
Pulling back slightly, I run my fingers through his hair. “You may not have been my first kiss or my first time, but you’ll be my last,” I tell him with conviction. His smile widens, and I continue. “I love you, Chris. And I’ve never said those words to anyone but you.”
