Page 105 of After You

“Kade!”

“You need to get over this idea that you can’t need anyone for anything here,” Kade told her, unfazed. “I don’t get that. I’ve been here for two weeks and everyone in this town gets to need other people for stuff. Except you. Why isthat?”

“That’s not true,” she told him. “I’m not the onlyone.”

“Well, you and Kyle, right?”

She sighed. “Yeah.”

“And what would you do if he needed you for something?”

“I’d do whatever I could to helphim.”

“Then you can’t leave.” Kade lifted a hand to the side of her face. “He needs you, kiddo.”

God, she really didn’t want to leave.

“And one more thing,” Kade said. “I really think that your grandmother, mom, dad, best friend,” he said, pointing at himself, “and probably nearly a hundred other people here would be offended to think that you can’t needus.”

She couldn’t help it. There was hope bubbling up in her chest. Dammit. She took a deep breath. “You really think he lovesme?”

“I think he loves you more now than ever,” Kade said. “You know each other now. You’re older and wiser and all of that shit. So yeah, I think he loves you and, if he can come to terms with the idea that not everything goes according to plan, then I think this is the real thing.”

She felt tears pricking her eyelids. The real thing. God, that sounded good. And Kade was right. This was different than what they’d had before. This was…more. They’d both grown up in a nearly perfect town with everything always falling into place for them. Now they’d both had some things go wrong—okay, that was an understatement—and they’d gotten through it. They’d had to talk things out. Confess their flaws. Face that they’d both been wrong about some things. They knew each other better now. And they knew themselves better.

The only thing left to find out was if Kyle could, in fact, deal with the idea that things would not always go according to his plan—and if he could be okay withthat.

“Okay,” she finally said. “I won’t leave. Yet. But if you’re wrong, you have to swear to me that you’re not going to use the name Aquamarine Ridge.”

“Oh, sure, no worries,” Kade said. “I’ve already changedit.”

“Youhave?”

“Aquamarine Cove is much better.”

She blinked at him. “Cove? In Nebraska?”

“Yeah, kind of like a town named something falls…where there is no waterfall atall.”

Okay, he might have a point.

She let herself think about Kyle—and staying and needing him—for the first time since he’d left Kade’s room earlier. She’d put it out of her head, convinced it could never happen. But now… She looked at the clock. It was after nine. He’d been gone all day. No doubt something had come up after he’d checked on David at the diner. And at some point, he’d been back to see Alice, but he hadn’t been there when Hannah had. She’d been relieved and disappointed at the sametime.

She knew that he’d been working all day. Helping people. Making them feel better, in a variety ofways.

But when he was done, finally at the end of the day, done with everything, then what? Who was there for him? Who did he talk to, who rubbed hisneck?

She pulled her phone out and dialed Derek’s number. She could call Kyle, but she needed to see him in person, and she thought maybe it would be best if she showed up without announcingit.

“Hey, Hannah.”

“Hi. Do you know where Kyleis?”

“Um…”

“What?” She frowned.

“He’s not with youyet?”

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