Page 45 of Falling Faster
The sound of the gallery's doors opening behind us brings in the patter of rain and swish of cars traveling on wet roads along with two low voices. I turn. Craig comes in, followed by Patrick. Brushing at the raindrops in his hair, he stops short and a smile bursts onto his face when his gaze meets mine. "Hey."
"You're here." Happiness surges through me like an electric charge. I put my glass on the nearest table then leap forward, wrapping my arms around Craig's firm torso, and tuck my head into the cradle of warm skin at his neck and shoulder. The familiar hint of cinnamon fills my senses and flashes me back to the first time I'd held him in an embrace.
Craig's arms band around me, locking us together. Soft lips graze my temple. "Feels good to hold you again."
That deep, husky voice and the breath feathering against my skin makes me shiver. I tighten my embrace and absorb the fiercely spoken words. "You too. I missed you."
"I got here as fast as I could. Congratulations on your book release. I'm so proud of you." One hand briefly leaves my back and Craig's head leans away for a moment. "Hello, Slater and Noah. Congratulations on the book, Slater."
"Hey, Craig." Noah's greeting is quickly followed by Slater's, "Thanks. Good to see you, man."
Beside us, Slater, Noah, and Patrick exchange hellos and introductions.
I know I should step back, but I can't let go of Craig, and his arms are still wrapped tight around me. The threat of tears burns behind my eyes. I bite my lip until the sensation passes. It's been such a stressful few weeks. I needed this so much. Needed him. Under control again, I raise my head and force myself to shift to his side, but we keep our arms around each other. "How was your flight?"
"Slow. And traffic was a mess. But I'm here, finally."
"Thank you for coming."
His soft smile is as gentle as the stroke of his finger along my cheek, and then the press of his lips against mine. "I wouldn't miss this."
My heart stumbles at the care in the gestures and the certainty in his words. They give me hope that he mightwant the same thing as me regarding the future of our relationship.
I catch Patrick's gaze. "Thanks for coming."
He leans in for a quick hug. "Congratulations on the release." His gaze scans the room, taking in the happy atmosphere. "Tonight, we can eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow, we get down to business. We've blocked out the next two weeks for writing the rest of the songs for the album, but we might not need all that time."
"Words are flowing for me." Craig slips his hand beneath my jacket and draws circles over my back. "We also have a good amount of material we've wanted to use for a while that's working well with the sound we're going for on this record."
I lean into his touch, studying the faint shadows beneath his eyes. "That's great. Maybe you'll have some downtime and can relax."
"I hope so. I want to spend time with you." His gaze drops to my chest and he smiles. "My jacket looks good on you."
"I like that it's yours." In his black button-down with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, and his legs encased in dark jeans, he is my tall, dark, and handsome superhero. I catch hold of his hand. "Can I get you a drink?"
"I wouldn't say no to that. But first, can you give me a closer look at the artwork on the walls?"
We walk to the posters. Craig stops by one of the villain and hero, locked in battle. "I'm really proud of you, Ty. You created this entire world, drew it out, formed the characters, gave them personalities, conflicts, and feelings. You're incredible."
It’s not the first time Craig has admired my work. And just as it did when I saw my sketch of him hanging on hisrefrigerator, the flutter in my chest makes me lightheaded in the best possible way. "Slater and I worked hard. I never imagined his initial idea would springboard us into ideas for multiple stories, but it did. Sharing this with him is special."
"That's how I feel when I collaborate on a song with someone." He tucks me closer to his side as we pass a small crowd of people Slater and I know from the comic book store. We move on to another poster, showing the hero surrounded by his hockey team. "Did Slater put his teammates in the story?"
Laughing, I glance at the gaggle of Bedlam players. "Not intentionally. Though they all want to be included. You wouldn't believe the number of times they've asked. We're trying to figure out how to do it. I thought we might draw something special for the holidays and it can be our gift to the team."
He glances at the table loaded with the paperbacks. "I want to buy copies of the books to give to the older kids at the hospital. If you have extras left over after tonight, I'll take them. Otherwise, I can order some."
"You don't have to buy those. We'll donate them…" An idea hits me and my hands itch for my sketchbook, which is at home. I grab my phone and open my notes app. "Maybe we can make a special issue, one with the hospital kids as the superheroes. We can set up a fundraiser and give the issues to anyone who makes a donation. I'll talk to Slater."
His fingers wrap around my wrist, halting my typing. "I love the idea, but don't want to create more work for you."
"It's work I enjoy." I give him a quick kiss on the cheek because he’s here, next to me, and I can, and I’ve been wanting to kiss him for weeks. After saving the note, I tuck my phone away. I do like the idea, and my excitement begins to build. Then an unwanted thought pops into my head. Itisalot of work. I’m not doing it to keep myself in Craig’s orbit should he begin to slip away, am I?
I don’t want to think about that possibility.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to fly in yesterday. I hate breaking plans with you." Craig brings my free hand to his lips and brushes them over my knuckles, leaving a trail of tingles in their wake. "I wish I'd been here to start off your book's publication day with a celebration this morning. Starting with waking up with you."
"It's okay. You were busy. Plus, you sent me a very thoughtful present."
