The feeling he’d had all night, of not fitting properly in his skin, went away, completely and all at once. It was as if he’d dropped back into his body, like he belonged in his body in some elemental way, like the whole point of his body was that it was the vehicle he used to interact with Daniela Martinez.

She was standing at the far end of the dimly lit corridor.

He found himself at a loss for words, which was unprecedented when it came to her. There were always words between them, so many words, whispered into phones late at night or, when he was very lucky, into the space between them as they sat side by side on a beach or in a car queued up at the McDonald’s drive-through.

She looked at him with a small smile that was half-fond, half-mystified. Perhaps she was facing a word shortage of her own.

They didn’t need words, it turned out. They could just stand there and stare at each other, smile like idiots and not ask a single question or consult a single list. That feeling from earlier, that the foundation on which he’d built his life was shifting, went away. He was sturdy and new and strong, standing on solid ground. He held out a hand.

She started toward him, and when she reached him and put her hand in his, he picked her up and twirled her around like they were in a goddamn movie. As the twirl wound down, she hiked her dress up and out of the way and wrapped her legs around his waist. He used a foot to kick open the door he’d left ajar. Someone had come in and turned down the bed and switched on the small bedside lamp. He walked straight to the bed and lowered her onto her back.

She pulled him down with her. For a moment, they stared at each other, their faces mere inches apart.

“Hi,” she whispered, startling the hell out of him.

“Hi,” he rasped back.

She smiled, and he thought his heart might break in two. But in a good way. For once.

And then, finally, finally, after all these hours, after all these months, they kissed each other.

Chapter Twenty

It had been a long time since Dani had had a first time with someone, but she remembered that it was usually a bit awkward. Intentions were muddy, heads tilted the wrong way, nerves impeded.

With guys before Vince, and with Vince, too, in the early days, she used to fret about what it all meant. Are we a couple now? What happens next?