I meet Annalisa in the front hall, and she holds her head high as we walk, a scowl on her face as she stares down the people who gawk at us without shame until they bow their heads in submission. If I wasn’t her friend, I’d be terrified of her. We round the corner to get to my locker and I stop short. Leaning on my locker with his arms crossed, looking perfectly at home but still managing to appear menacing, is Aiden. Talking on the phone and FaceTiming this last week hasn’t done him justice; it’s nothing in comparison to him in person. A sense of peace washes over me at seeing him standing there, waiting for me, looking at me with hunger and impatience. Everything fades away as I walk over to him. Aiden pushes himself off of my locker and studies me as we approach him.

“How’s your face?” is the first thing he says to me once we’re close enough.

Wow. He’s so romantic. The corner of my lip turns up. “Not as bad as yours.”

He smiles at me as he shakes his head and immediately pulls me in for a hug. I melt as he rests his chin on the top of my head.

Yes, FaceTime cannot compare to being in his arms, to feeling the tight muscles in his back. It cannot compete with the feeling of my head tucked into his chest, with hearing his steady heart beating in time with mine beneath my ear, with the feeling of safety and assurance that comes with being in his arms. I can say with absolute certainty that nothing can substitute for the feeling of actually being with him in person.

“Are you okay?” he whispers.

There’s something about sharing a traumatic, life-threatening experience with someone that brings you immediately closer to them. When you think about it, Aiden and I kind of saved each other’s lives. Actually, not kind of. We did. After the car crash, when Harvey’s gun was pointed at me and he pulled the trigger, the shot went wide because of Aiden’s quick thinking. And when Harvey started slicing Aiden’s throat, he only stopped when I shot him. I’m so grateful my aim was good that day. Being with Aiden now, I instinctively know that no matter what happens in my life, he’ll always be close to my heart.

“Yes. Are you?”

He pushes a piece of hair behind my ear and pulls back to meet my eyes. “I’m better now.”

My heart flutters, and I remember when he said something similar to me after we got separated at the Tracks when the cops busted the races, which seems like forever ago, even though it’s only been about a month.

Annalisa clears her throat. “I wanted to know how you were, too, in case you were wondering.”

I laugh and separate myself from Aiden so Annalisa can have her turn with him.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she says when they stop hugging.