“You done with the intimidating staring? Told him he’d better treat me right or else he’d have you to answer to?”

She smirks at her father, and the guy’s stony expression cracks with a half-smile.

“Nah, that’s silly.” One of his eyebrows creeps upward. “He does you wrong, and I’ve no doubt you can take care of him yourself.” Then, he turns to me, his face splitting open in a blinding smile, his teeth shining bright against his ebony skin. “I’ll just be around to help you hide the body.”

I can still hear his booming laughter as we walk to the car.

“He likes you.” Holly grins over at me from the driver’s seat.

I’m not sure I agree with her, but I smile back. “What’s not to like?”

She snorts, shaking her head, and then reaches over to interlace her fingers with mine, steering the car one-handed. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. Take a left up here.”

“You and your surprises.” Holly follows my direction and then starts humming along to the radio.

As usual, I’ve got it set to the local classic rock station. The Police pump out of the speakers, “Message in a Bottle” filling the car.

She sings along when the song reaches the chorus. Her voice is sweet, and it combines with the lyrics to give me a solid punch in the gut.

Ever since I found out my kidneys were failing and that I’d need to get a donation if I hoped to live into my thirties, I’ve been silently panicking. When I’m around my parents and my friends, I smile and joke, but there’s always a clock in my head, counting down. Only I don’t know when it’s going to run out. There are times the ticking gets so loud that I want to scream for help. Send out my own SOS, just like the song.

But all that panic fades away around Holly. She’s a perfect match for me in more ways than I could have imagined. My cure and my inspiration. The future glows bright with her in it.

We come to a stop at a red light, and she beams over at me. My chest swells and aches in the best way.

“I think I know where you’re taking me.”

“What? No way. This is a secret little gem no one else knows about.” I cover my onslaught of emotions with sarcasm, and she sticks her tongue out at me.

That’s a move I can’t ignore. The moment her tongue retreats, I dive in, firmly pressing a kiss on her mouth.

A car behind us honks.

Holly laughs and shoves me back to my side of the car. “Stop distracting me!” She accelerates through the now-green light.

I go back to admiring her, enjoying being with the girl who’s saving my life and making every moment worth living.

HOLLY

My cheeks tingle from the cold and also because I haven’t stopped smiling for the last hour.