But for now, all I cared about was the dreamy man pressing his lips against mine, whispers of “I love you” crossing between us, and my head floating directly up into the cloud.

This moment was huge. Monumental. It cemented something between us. It verified every single feeling I had, and it made them all the more stronger. My body flooded with a serene sense of warmth and calm. I thought back to being scared at even thinking those three words, and here we were, saying them out loud, smiles on our lips as we kissed over and over again. It was beautiful.

“Come on,” I said through one of the breaks in the kissing. “I think this place has champagne in the fridge. Let’s pop one open.”

“Let’s,” Jake said, kissing me one last time, a gentle hand on my cheek as he looked into my eyes. This was as close to the top of the world as I was getting.

“God, I’m so glad we didn’t stay just friends,” I said, standing up and brushing some dirt off my pants.

Jake laughed, his hand finding mine. “Yeah, that would have sucked. Not that being your friend is a bad thing, but I’d much rather be able to do this,” he leaned in for another kiss, this one feeling even more passionate than the rest, “whenever I want.”

We walked the short way back to the cabin, every step lighter than the last. Laughter and smiles and flirty comments filled the air. I almost forgot about the circumstances that lead us to this cabin in the first place.

Almost.

30. Jake Perez

30

JAKE PEREZ

Noah lay down in bed, Just Beneath Her Bones open on his chest as he shook his head, jaw slightly dropped open. He looked up at me as I came into the room, towel wrapped around my waist.

“You finished it, right?”

I nodded. He must have gotten to the reveal. “It was Archie the whole time? And he was speaking to the killer and jewelry maker because he was having a psychotic break? Twisted. Damn.” He shut the book and sat up a little higher on the bed. “He was obsessed with her from the start, and that divorce broke him. He knew what kind of jewelry she’d buy and went to work. What a fucked-up story.”

“Plus, how Gabrielle finds out is pretty messed up, too.”

“Oh yeah! That was wild. Archie doesn’t kidnap her, does he?”

I shrugged. “No spoilers from me.”