When the Heart Falls

“Am I your good luck charm?”


I grin, giddy from excitement and nerves. “Well, I get lucky with you, don't I?” I click the upload button and hold my breath, letting it out in a dramatic exhale. “I did it. I’m a published author.”

Cade swings me around and kisses me. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. And now I can say 'I knew you when.'”

I dig my fingers into his hair and pull him closer. “You’d better say you still know me. And by know me I mean in the biblical sense.”

He lifts me up and drops me on to his bed. “I think that can be arranged.”





CADE SAVAGE





CHAPTER 42





EVERYTHING IS FALLING into place for Winter, and for our relationship. This is the last hurdle, as she says, and my palms are sweating as Monsieur Bellugue places our tests face down on our desks.

"You worked harder than anyone," he says as he hands me mine. "Remember that."

Winter flips her test over, but her 100% doesn’t surprise anyone. She looks at me, and I take a breath and turn my paper over.

Dag nab it.

61%.

Winter bites her lip, her eyes sad. I’ve lost my scholarship.

"Will you move back to Texas?" she asks, her voice trembling with the question.

I reach for her hand, squeezing. "No. I'll get a job. I'll keep entering contests. I'll make it work. I’m not giving up on my dreams, and I’m not giving up on us."

"O. M. G!" Jenifer shrieks behind us, a smile plastered on her face. "I got 70%. That's like a C minus, right? Right? I got a C minus, bitches."

I smile at her antics. This is the outcome I dreaded, the results I thought would ruin my future forever, but I realize now that there’s more than one path to our destinies, and I just need to find a new path, one that includes Winter by my side no matter what. "We should celebrate.”

"Totally," Jenifer says. "We should go to the club."

Winter crosses her arms. "I don't know about that."

"It'll be fun." I lean over and kiss her earlobe. "We'll be together."



Winter is ready for our night out, dressed in a stunning red tank top dress that clings to her figure and flutters around her calves at the bottom. I’m still looking for clean jeans while she watches me.

I find a pair in the back of my closet and pull them on, then button up the blue dress shirt I’m wearing.

Winter sighs in disappointment once my clothes are on, and I laugh and swat her bottom. “Plenty of time for the clothing optional portion of our evening later.”

We walk out together, and I turn away from her to lock up. She reaches for my hand, her fingers skimming over the scars forming on my knuckles from the night of my fight.

"I haven't seen Rodney in a while,” she says.

I freeze, not turning around to face her. "Maybe he's skipping. Exams are over."

She wraps her arms around my waist and presses against me. "You don't have to tell me what happened. I saw the cuts on your hand. Just tell me you're not in trouble."

"I'm not in trouble."

She stands on her tiptoes and whispers in my ear. "Thank you. I can never lose you."

Relief floods me. "I couldn't let him hurt you again, but I’m sorry I didn’t tell you." I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want to scare you. "There's been too much pain caused by too many secrets. No more. I need someone to know me. I need you."

A tear slides down my cheek as a flood of emotions hit me. Standing in the hall I tell her about my family, about Pete and his letter and how I let my dad destroy him piece by piece for being gay. I tell her about my grandfather and how he ran his family with an iron fist. Everything spills out of me and the weight of it, the burden of it, lifts from my shoulders.

She listens, eyes wise and kind, arms holding me, holding my pain until it dissipates. She kisses away my tears, just as I had done for her, and I know beyond doubt that she’s the woman I’ll spend my life with. That every memory is made sweeter when she is here to share it. That this is why we all crave love and relationships, connection, because alone we are floating in emptiness, but with another we have someone to carry those memories with us. It makes life more real. It makes us more real.





WINTER DEVEAUX

CHAPTER 43





THE SKY OPENS up and pours down on us as we rush into the club. I’m not sure why I’m here. If I’ve learned nothing else this summer it’s that the club and party life is so not my scene. It’s not really Cade’s either, but I know he’s disappointed about his grade, even if it was expected. If going out and dancing makes him feel better, then I’m willing to put aside my unease to join him. As long as we’re together, it really doesn’t matter where we are.

A slow pop song blasts from various speakers as we approach the bar to order drinks.

The bartender recognizes us, and he raises an eyebrow when Jenifer orders an orange juice. "Not your usual?"