“It’s really good. Let’s eat this?”

“If you’re sure”—I shrugged and turned off the burner—“after the day you’ve had.”

“Who said I had a bad day?” Kael asked, stepping closer. He put his arms on both sides of me and leaned in. His face was inches from mine.

Would it be weird if I kissed him?

Will he remember kissing me when he’s back in his hometown, beginning his new life? Would he miss me? Would he remember me at all? The thoughts hurt me.

“I—” I couldn’t recall what he had just said to me. I was too distracted by how close he was.

“I’ve been smoked before; everyone has. I’m taking this as a farewell from the Army. Plus, look how my day has turned around.” He licked his lips, and I mirrored his action without a thought.

“You promise you’re okay?” I asked one last time.

“Me?” He tapped his chest with his finger. It landed on his rank badge, front and center.

I nodded. My throat was dry as a bone. “Yes, you. After yesterday, after today, in general. I really hope you’re okay,” I said, meaning it.

He smiled again. “I’m fine. Are you worried about me?” he asked playfully.

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact. He dipped his head down to make my eyes meet his.

“Karina, I think you are worried about me.”

The kitchen, my very small kitchen, felt as if it were shrinking by the second.

“I mean, I was worried, yeah. Last night was pretty damn intense. I feel like you should run away from me as soon as you can, before something worse happens to you.”

He smiled and chewed his lip again. The scar above his brow had darkened; I noticed the change of color. Some days it was more raised, others more purple. The cut he got last night was less pronounced today. I felt a little relief.

“I’ve been to war twice before the age of twenty-one. I can handle MPs, and Austin is . . . well, Austin.” He sounded like he knew my brother well and, once again, I felt left out.

“Karina, Karina, Karina,” he sang my name. There was a softness to the way it sounded that made me want to close my eyes. So I did.

Kael’s voice carried on. “You keep apologizing for things you didn’t do. I thought we were going to stop doing that,” he teased.

I loved this mood he was in. I wanted to stay in a cloud of it forever. I was blissful long enough to get addicted, enough to crave it again until reality caught up with me. What was I doing? Literally, what the hell was I doing? I opened my eyes, closing the curtain on my daydreamy moment with Kael.

I somehow managed a voice. “You sound like my old therapist.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?”