“How did you know that?” I ask.
“Guess I got lucky.”
“Lennon,” I say, serious.
“Zorie,” he says, not serious. “I did not come by the code illegally, nor did I promise to do anything illegal in exchange for it. Now, please, if you would, Miss Everhart . . .” He holds the gate open and gestures.
I squint at him and step through.
Red lights border the low wall around the dark viewing platform. Below us, at the base of the mountain, the city unfurls to the Bay, a grid of white and yellow lights, sparkling like fallen stars on black ground. San Francisco’s skyline glitters in the distance, and we can see both the Golden Gate and Bay bridges stretching over dark water. The wind blows, and I smell eucalyptus trees.
It’s a beautiful view. A breathtaking view.
And it’s our view; we are alone.
When the observatory is operational, a connecting oxidized green dome opens up to allow a large, high-powered professional telescope to scan the skies. That’s closed right now, but the two smaller public telescopes that normally are rolled into a small metal shed every night are still sitting out.
“What is this?” I ask.
“I’m not positive,” he says, scratching his chin, “but I think it’s an observatory.”
I slant a hard look at him.
He flashes me a smile. “Avani helped me arrange it with Dr. Viramontes. We talked a lot after you left the meteor shower. I thought he’d hate me after the big scene with your dad—”
I groan. It’s still humiliating.
“But Dr. Viramontes was surprisingly cool about everything.”
“He’s a cool guy,” I say.
“He likes you an awful lot,” Lennon says. “Which makes two of us. Here. You’ll need this.”
I accept the bag that my mom gave him and look inside. It’s my good camera. “My mom’s in on this?”
“I wanted to make sure she was okay about where we were going. Things were weird between us in the past, and I didn’t want her to hate me like your dad does.”
I shake my head. “She always stood up for you.”
“Are you okay? I mean, about your father moving out. I know it’s not easy—for you or you mom.”
“It’s weird,” I admit. “I’m not sure it’s hit me fully yet.”
“I wish things had been different. As much as I’ve fantasized about horrible things happening to him, I never wanted to see you or Joy hurting.”
“I know,” I tell him, crinkling the paper bag that holds my camera. “At least something good came out of it.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not banned from seeing you,” I say, feeling inexplicably shy.
“Not yet,” Lennon says, eyes merry. “The night is young.”
I set the bag with my camera on a stand next to one of the telescopes. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
“Pfft. I just got a key code,” Lennon says. “Dr. Viramontes said you’d know how to use the camera mount or jig or tripod, or whatever the hell it is you use—it’s supposed to be in the shed. We just have to lock everything up before we leave. And if we break anything, we’re in huge trouble. I’m talking beheadings. Or lawsuits. I’m not sure which would be worse.”
“Probably the lawsuit,” I say, looking around. “I’ve never been up here alone.”
“There’s a lunar eclipse tonight,” he says.
Huh. He’s right. There is. I remember now.
He gives me a soft smile. “I know it’s not as good as a meteor shower and the view isn’t as good as Condor Peak, but I did promise you I’d take you to see the stars. I’m making good on that.”
My breath hitches. I struggle for words, and after glancing around the rooftop dumbly, I blink up at Lennon. “I don’t know what to say. It’s one of the most thoughtful things anyone’s ever done for me.”
“I don’t know . . . I’d argue that rescuing you from an angry bear should get me a few points.”
I chuckle. “That’s true. But I let you win at poker and gave you most of my M&M’s stash. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
I suddenly realize what I’ve said.
He realizes it too.
Still holding my hand, he slings his other arm around my waist and pulls me closer. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Are you?” I whisper.
“Yes, I am. Because I love you too.”
Goose bumps rush over my arms. “You do?”
“I’ve always loved you,” he murmurs. “And I probably always will. You’re my best friend, and you’re my family. The year I waited for you was the worst of my life, but it was worth every second. If I had to do it all over again just to hold you in my arms, I would.”
“Well, I would not,” I say, bleary-eyed. “Because I love you too, and I can’t stand to be apart from you for another minute. So stop jinxing it.”
“You love me,” he says, grinning stupidly. He dips his head lower, until his nose brushes mine.
“Of course I love you. You’re mine, and I can’t go back to being just friends. So if we have to sleep in the woods or fight with our families, then that’s just what we’re going to do. I don’t want to live a life that doesn’t have you in it.”
“Tell me again,” he says as he kisses my neck right below my ear.
Warmth rushes across my skin. “I can’t think straight when you do that.”
“I’ll stop, then.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Tell me again,” he repeats, kissing my jaw.
“You’re mine.”
“The other thing.”
“I love you.”
He pulls back to look at me, pursing his lips as he blows out a hard breath. Then his smile is monumental. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. I’m going to need to hear it a lot. My ego is fragile.”
I laugh, pushing away a tear. “Your ego has never been fragile.”
“It is around you.”
I kiss him under his chin, and he shivers with pleasure. “I can’t think straight when you do that either.”
“Good. Let’s not think. It’s overrated.”
“I know we promised your mom that you’d be home at a decent hour, but that eclipse won’t be happening until midnight—”
“You did say there were no bodies in the back of your hearse.”
“It’s sooo body-free back there,” he assures me. “And it’s no tent in the middle of the forest, but it’s pretty private. There may even be a blanket and a pillow. You know I follow the Boy Scout motto. Be prepared.”
“It’s my favorite thing about you.”
“When we were in the tent, you said it was something else,” he murmurs, grinning as he pulls me closer.
“I was starving and scared and not in my right mind. I probably said a lot of things. You may have to remind me.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m in the mood to solve a mystery. What do you say? Want to do some detectiving with the boy you love?”
I do. I absolutely do.
29
* * *
“I’m telling you, the members of KISS mixed their own blood into the red ink used to print the first KISS comic book,” Sunny says. “Bet you a cupcake I’m right.”