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Back The Companion Project
Chapters (89)
  1. Dedication
  2. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  3. ONE
  4. HENRY
  5. TWO
  6. EMMA
  7. THREE
  8. HENRY
  9. FOUR
  10. EMMA
  11. FIVE
  12. EMMA
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. HENRY
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. HENRY
  20. ELEVEN
  21. TWELVE
  22. EMMA
  23. THIRTEEN
  24. HENRY
  25. FOURTEEN
  26. HENRY
  27. FIFTEEN
  28. SIXTEEN
  29. EMMA
  30. SEVENTEEN
  31. HENRY
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. HENRY
  34. NINETEEN
  35. HENRY
  36. TWENTY
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. EMMA
  39. TWENTY-TWO
  40. EMMA
  41. TWENTY-THREE
  42. HENRY
  43. TWENTY-FOUR
  44. EMMA
  45. TWENTY-FIVE
  46. EMMA
  47. TWENTY-SIX
  48. EMMA
  49. TWENTY-SEVEN
  50. HENRY
  51. TWENTY-EIGHT
  52. EMMA
  53. TWENTY-NINE
  54. HENRY
  55. THIRTY
  56. HENRY
  57. THIRTY-ONE
  58. HENRY
  59. THIRTY-TWO
  60. EMMA
  61. THIRTY-THREE
  62. HENRY
  63. THIRTY-FOUR
  64. EMMA
  65. THIRTY-FIVE
  66. EMMA
  67. THIRTY-SIX
  68. HENRY
  69. THIRTY-SEVEN
  70. EMMA
  71. THIRTY-EIGHT
  72. HENRY
  73. THIRTY-NINE
  74. HENRY
  75. FORTY
  76. EMMA
  77. FORTY-ONE
  78. HENRY
  79. FORTY-TWO
  80. FORTY-THREE
  81. EMMA
  82. FORTY-FOUR
  83. EMMA
  84. FORTY-FIVE
  85. HENRY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ALSO BY CHELSEA CURTO
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“It’s my spot,” I begin, leaning against a nearby tree. “It’s a little dilapidated and has definitely seen better days. When I was younger, I would come out here all the time and do my homework. Sometimes I would sit and stare at the sky wistfully, daydreaming about what the future might hold. Other days I would toss my calculus homework on the ground because it didn’t make any sense, and I knew you were probably understanding it better than me. This was the only place in the world besides the library that felt like it was mine. I came out here when I was tired. Sad. Stressed out and confused. It became the place I ventured to when I needed a moment to breathe. I thought you might need that, too, with everything that went down back there. I didn’t bring you here with any ulterior motives in mind. A few minutes of quiet sounded nice, and I’m happy to step away if you want some solitude.”

Emma smiles at me, moonbeams bathing her face in a bright, perfect splendor. “Thank you for showing me. It’s so beautiful.” Her head swivels, surveying the surrounding land. A cricket chips in the distance, and leaves rustle overhead. “I don’t want you to leave. Please stay.”

“Okay,” I agree, knowing I’d do anything she asked. “I’ll stay.”

Forever, if you’ll let me.

“Henry, can we talk about earlier?”

“What happened earlier?”

“When we were in bed this morning. About what I said and how you left.”

My spine stiffens. I suspected this conversation was coming. “I’m dejected you keep reminding me this isn’t real. I’m confused. Everything is blurring together. You say we’re doing a great job of pretending and then… Then we kiss like that and I can’t believe any of this is fake. Not anymore. Not on my end.”

“Ah. I thought that might be the case.” Patting the empty space of wood beside her, I sit on the bench and turn to face her. “This morning was so perfect. I’ve thought about it all day and I can’t get you out of my head. This,” she gestures between us, “means something to me, and I’m sorry if what I said comes across as otherwise. I-I thought not real was what you wanted.”

“I thought it was, too. Guess not.”

Her head drops to my shoulder, hair tickling my neck. “Guess not,” she repeats.