Chase lifted his head, his eyes glowing.“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

His goofy smile charmed her. “I’ll never get tired of that.” He shifted and sat up. “How’s your hand?”

“It’s okay.” She smiled and his stomach flipped a cartwheel.

“How’s your heart?”

Megan’s face dimmed. “A bit battered.”

He sighed but swallowed back the I-told-you-so. “I know. That’s why you need to delete that post. You feel like shit already — it’s only gonna be worse tomorrow when you’re not so mad.”

Megan sat up and frowned at her computer screen. A moment later, she clicked the Remove link next to her snarky comment and it disappeared. Chase stood, took her face in his hands and kissed her again and damn if that wasn’t the most amazing feeling.

Her arms snaked around his neck and pulled closer. Okay. This was the most amazing feeling. He let himself float in the moment and slowly pulled back. “I need to go home.”

She held him tighter and he laughed. It was cool that she didn’t want him to leave — that maybe there was a little part of her afraid it wasn’t real and wouldn’t be there in the morning. The laughter got caught in his throat and he took her by the shoulders, held her away from him so he could stare into her eyes for the truth.

“Megan. I’m awake, right? You’re not gonna pretend this never happened tomorrow, are you?”

She went still and then sank heavily to her bed, shaking her head. “I fought this for so long. I—I just don’t have the strength to keep it up.”

Girls made absolutely no sense. “That’s the part I don’t get. Why did you fight it all?” He had to touch her and took her unbandaged hand. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

The fear was back in her eyes and he dropped to his knees in front of her. “What, Megan?” He wanted to shake her like the twins’ Etch-a-Sketch toy and erase that look. “Tell me.”

She drew in a long slow breath. “You could. You and Bailey. Hurt me, I mean. You’re the only ones who could.”

The lightbulb went on. “Bailey really got to you, didn’t she? So you think it’s just a matter of time before I do, too.” He couldn’t hide it — her lack of faith in him was like a kick to the gut. “You could do the same to me, you know.” And already have. “So we’ll take it slow.” He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

“Chase, there’s no time for slow. Graduation’s in a few months and after that, you’re leaving.”

Damn it, he’d forgotten. “Come with me.” When she stared at him sideways, he took her hand. “I’m serious. We could share a room in that apartment with the other guys, just until we get our act together. We’ll finish school. We’ll get jobs. We’ll be together.” He watched her face, saw the light in her eyes shine and rushed on. “You could paint. I can do the house work, make sure you eat right. We’d wake up together and when we go to sleep, I’d be able to touch you instead of look across a backyard and wait until your light goes out.”

Her face exploded in a wide grin.

He left out the part about the binoculars and kissed the corner of her smile. “I have to go, Megan. Wait for me tomorrow. We’ll go to school together.” He wanted her at his side, her hand in his. He wanted the whole damn school to see them as a couple. He also wanted to protect her from Bailey’s fury. She’d deleted that bitchy post, but it had gotten some comments.

There was bound to be fall out.