Page 125 of The Photograph

I kiss her smile. “Give me a minute, I’ll take you home.”

“All right.” After a soft kiss, she returns to her bag on the floor.

In the car, tucked tight to my side, she fits as if she’s made for me. When she sighs and hooks her knee over mine, I peck her head.

A few minutes into the drive, she lifts her smiling eyes to mine. “Do you want to come to Rainbow with me tomorrow? It’s the annual thank you party and Cara’s going to be whumped.”

Whumped?I can’t help but grin. “She’s getting what?”

Aelin nods. “It’s a word we made up. Once a year, we nominate someone who’s been particularly helpful or has been thriving. We have a picnic party where we give the children cans of whipped cream and party strings to spray over the winner. Rainbow is opening another house soon, but Cara and I are going to take a less active role in the charity, so I put her name forward.”

And you want me there?When her face flushes, I realize I’ve been staring. She tilts her head down. “You … don’t have to come… I just thought—”

“I’d love to go with you.”

She raises her smile. “You would?”

I’ll give you anything for you to keep looking at me like that.“Yes.”

On her doorstep, Aelin loops her arms around my waist. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

When I kiss her, her moan gets me harder, so I force myself to pull out of the kiss. “Sleep well, baby.”

“You too, honey,” she whispers.

As she closes the door, I clench my fists with the need to throw her in the car and take her back to my house. And keep her there.

****

The next day, I push my sunglasses on my nose while I scan the grounds of the Other Rainbow. The picnic area is roughly fifty meters from the house itself.

Standing in a shaded area where four long wooden tables with benches set in a square, the one placed in the middle is caving under rainbow-colored cakes, a generous spread of sandwiches, and a neatly aligned dozen whipping cream cans, blood-red logos gleaming under the sun.

A few steps from the house, Aelin’s deep in conversation with Vania and Emma while balancing her goddaughter on her hip. I haven’t kissed nor held her yet. I dive my hands in my pockets.

When Cara and Mike stroll hand in hand from the car park behind the house, I shift toward them.

After I hug-backslap Mike, I dip my chin at Cara and freeze who closes the small distance between us, rolls on her toes, and kisses my cheek.

“Hi, Gabe, thank you for coming.”

I clear my throat. “Thank you for inviting me.”

She smiles while my brother grins.Stupidly happy.

Aelin’s sister called me the week before, and I tensed thinking something had happened to Aelin. But she laughed and invited me to the picnic for which she nominated Aelin. As she wraps her arm around Mike’s waist, I chuckle silently.One of them is in for a surprise.

Aelin smiles as she approaches us. She hugs Cara and Mike, pecks my mouth before we settle at one of tables between me and Emma while my brother sits next to Cara across from us. Vania follows suit, at the head of our table while women and kids fill out the other tables.

When Vania stands up, the small assembly falls silent, and even the kids get quiet.

The older woman flicks her long grey hair over her shoulders and lifts her glasses hanging around her neck by a silver chain.

“So, the recipient this year is one of our most loved allies. She’s spirited, stubborn, with the heart of an angel. Ladies, please stand up.”

Three women along with Aelin and Cara get on their feet and hold hands. Aelin turns to Cara and winks at her.

“Aelin Thorne.”

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