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“Yeah, really.”

We stared at each other through the shadowy night, my eyes wide and stricken and his glimmering with telltale amusement.

A burst of laughter fell out of me.

I cupped a leash-roped hand over my mouth, giggling into my palm as the golden retriever plopped down on the toes of my sneakers. “Yikes. I guess I’m the romantic.”

The laughter fizzled out, and Reed blinked at me before ducking his head. “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“Feels like it is sometimes. It makes a person soft and hopeful in a world that’s hard and painful.”

“Maybe the world needs more people like you.”

I wanted to smile at the sentiment, but I wasn’t sure I believed it, so I just shrugged and stared at my fingernails again. “Do you have a favorite flower?”

His brows slanted when I looked back up. “Not really my forte. But I do have a favorite video game.”

“What is it?”

“Mortal Kombat.”

My nose crinkled. “Typical guy.”

“However, it might be defeated when Resident Evil comes out.”

“You sound excited about it.”

“I am. We’ll have to play together,” he said. “I saw you kicking ass at Donkey Kong earlier. I’m sort of intimidated.”

A feeling sailed through me, a dusty trail of light and shimmer crashlanding in the pit of my stomach. “Okay, sure. Sounds fun.”

He nodded slowly, then popped a thumb over his shoulder. “I should go.”

“Right. Sorry to keep you.” I stretched a smile, wishing for time to slow down so I could have more minutes with him. More moments. And also wishing for time to whoosh by like a shooting star so he didn’t see me as a child anymore. “Goodnight, Reed.”

“Yeah,” he answered softly. “’Night.”

When I turned away, giving the leash a light tug, Reed called out to me one more time.

“Photography.”

I stalled my feet, my back to him. My breath fell out like a feathering of white against the cool air. I swiveled around, staring at him from a few feet away as he straightened from the side of the truck.

“You should do photography.” His eyes were soft as they held with mine. “For your blips.”

For my blips.

My moments.

A silly wall of tears blanketed my gaze as I watched him break our stare and turn away, moving around the front of the truck to the driver’s side. A lump stuck in the back of my throat. My vision blurred as two headlights rolled out of the driveway seconds later and Reed sent me a final poignant look through the windshield before reversing all the way out and pulling onto the quiet street.

I memorized that look.

I pressed an imaginary button inside my mind, capturing it in vivid color and imprinting it on my heart.

Click.

CHAPTER 8

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