“We aren’t that bad,” he says, laughing. “See you next week.”

“Can’t wait,” I say, and I hang up the phone. After setting it on the counter, I sit down on one of the stools. I put my head in my hands, and I hear her voice in my head. My heart is in my throat when I think about the fact that she could have been there alone with Dylan.

“Hey.” I hear her soft voice next to me, and I look up at her. She’s wearing what she was wearing last night. She looks so beautiful I just want to hold her and protect her. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” I say and move to get up.

“If I have to be honest, then you have to be honest,” she says, and I turn around.

“Fine,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “I was thinking about the fact that I could have lost you and Dylan.” The way my chest rises and falls, I have to put my hand to it and press down. “That just like that, you could have been hurt, and there was nothing that I could have done.”

“But I’m not,” she says, coming to me. “I’m fine.”

“He brought that danger to your front door, and he doesn’t even care,” I say, my voice getting louder. “He left his child to face those guys,” I say, running my hands through my hair. “Like who the fuck does that?”

“He’s a coward,” she says, looking down again, then looking up. “He’s always been a coward and inattentive.”

“You could have been so hurt. Dylan, fuck Dylan, who has this heart of fucking gold, he could have been …” My voice trembles.

“Justin,” she says, stepping closer to me.

My hands go to her face, and I kiss her with everything that I have. I kiss her, knowing it could have been the last time. I kiss her, promising her everything that I have to give. I kiss her as a vow to protect and treat her like she should be treated.

“Oh, God,” Dylan says, “you guys are always kissing. I’m starving.”

And just like that, we both laugh, but I don’t let her go. “I’m starting the pasta now.”

“Good,” he says, coming into the kitchen and climbing on the stool. “Mom, we made the sauce.”

“Did you?” Caroline says, and I let her go as I go into the kitchen and turn the water on.

“Yeah, but Justin had to call his mom, and she laughed at him.”

“Dylan, bro code,” I say, smiling, and he just looks at me.

“So what else did you do today?” she asks, sitting down on the stool next to him.

“Justin has a special place where he goes to work out,” Dylan tells her. “It’s down the hall.”

“It’s a gym,” Caroline tells him.