I've reread the last letter, the one Brian was holding in his hand, at least ten times. When I lift my eyes off the page and look around, he's not here. He decided to give me some privacy. That, or the nerves took the better of him. Probably it's the latter.

I put all the letters back into the shoebox and stroll toward the garage. It's open, and I see Brian. He's sitting on the bench with his hands in his hair and his head hanging low.

I make my way inside and put the box on one of the shelves.  

Brian's head snaps up. His eyes roam my face, looking for answers.

"You lied to me, O'Brien," I say. "I feel cheated on."

Brian scrunches up his brows. 

"Yes, you lied. You're not a bad boy."

"Fuck, Kitten," he mumbles, chuckling lightly. "Did you read...um...everything?"

I nod. "Every single one, more than once."

Brian swallows and says nothing. Somehow, I know that the question he wants to ask is, What now?

The truth is, I have no idea. 

I walk up to him, fighting the weakness in my knees. Brian's hazel eyes don't stray from mine. He watches and waits right until I'm standing in front of him.

He leans forward, but I don't let him move and keep him still, placing my hands on his shoulders.

And then, I bend my head down and kiss him.

Brian's hesitation spurs me on. I press my mouth to his and deepen the kiss, running the tip of my tongue along his bottom lip.

A groan rumbles deep in his chest, and Brian's lips part. He pulls me toward him, wrapping his arms around my waist, and I move my hands up until I can bury my fingers in Brian's dark hair.

Everything disappears but us. Brian takes over, slipping his tongue into my mouth and rubbing it against mine. His grip on me is so tight his heat trespasses my dress and seeps into my pores. I moan when he sucks on my tongue and tug at his hair.

Brian breaks the kiss, pressing his forehead to mine. "Wait, Kitten."

I let out a shaky breath. "Why?"

"Because I can't. I need to… need to know what this is."

I caress Brian's dark hair, thinking of an answer.

He changed. I saw it even before I read those letters he was too ashamed to show me. He did change, but the parts of him I love are still the same.

He might not be perfect, but neither am I. The time we spent apart surely taught us something. I'm not the same girl I used to be.

I could blame Brian for leaving yet again and hoard every ounce of pain and every ugly feeling inside me. But then, I would be repeating my mom's story. I would risk becoming someone bitter and unhappy, choosing my pride over my feelings and spending years thinking about the what-ifs.

Fear and apprehension swirl in Brian's eyes. He's unsure of what my answer will be, but I'm certain of one thing — I don't want to lose the only guy I've loved because the new me wouldn't have existed without him. He hurt me once, but he made me happy countless times and brought out the best in me.

I place my hand on Brian's jaw and smooth my thumb over the barely-there stubble on his skin. "This is us. You and me, together."

He's staring at me without uttering a word, but then he leaps to his feet and draws his arms around me, pressing my body to his. 

I tuck my face in the crook of his neck and inhale his scent.

"Forgive me," Brian whispers into my hair. "I know I fucked up, but there's nothing I want more than for us to be together and have another go at it."

"I want it too," I say against Brian's skin and then look at his face. 

He smiles. His eyes twinkle, and the tension leaves his features. Brian kisses my forehead, and I hug his neck and seek his lips again.

This kiss is different. My slightly open mouth glides over Brian's, touching it just barely at first. But then, the timid caresses turn into a deep, hot kiss that makes my knees weak. 

Brian nips at my bottom lip and caresses it with his tongue again, and I can't help leaning into him to feel the heat of his body on mine.

"Let's get out of here," Brian says, gripping my face between his palms. His eyes are blazing with desire, and all I can do is nod.

Some voices outside the garage burst our happy bubble, reminding us that there's a party with lots of guests in the vicinity. Brian's house isn't an option, either — the guests would likely want to use one of the bathrooms, or his parents could need something.

Brian's eyes dart around the garage. He chews on his bottom lip and then asks, "Our place?"

"Please."

"Where's your bike?"

What Annie told me breaks through my foggy brain — Brian hasn't ridden his bike since the accident.

I toy with a strand of Brian's hair that fell over his forehead. "Dad drove."

Brian's shoulders sag. He sighs deeply and loosens his grip on me. 

"Your bike's here," I say.

"Leah…"

"What? It's our only chance to be alone. You know we can't go to your room and risk being interrupted. Wouldn't you hate that?”

Brian pushes his fingers through the mass of dark hair on his head. "You can ride."

I shake my head slowly. "No can do, O'Brien, unless you want all the town to see my lace panties. This dress is short."

The words lace and panties must have short-circuited Brian's brain. His hungry eyes roam my body, making me hot, although he hasn't touched me yet.

"Fuck this."

Brian darts to the back of the garage and exits his dad's office holding his bike key. With a frown, he looks at his bike and then at me.

"Make sure that dress doesn't lift while we're on the road, okay, Kitten? I don't feel like killing anyone today."

I smile and leave the repair shop to wait for Brian outside. He hands me a helmet in no time. I get on the bike and circle Brian's waist with my arms.

The engine purrs and vibrates under the two of us as we ride out of Brian's yard. I say nothing, keeping my cheek pressed to Brian's back and my hands on his stomach.

It's late afternoon. The sun is less searing, but it's still hot as the bike rolls into the woods on the edge of the town. Brian kills off the bike's engine and parks in the shade of the trees.

I get rid of my helmet and hand it to Brian. He places it on the handlebar and reaches behind him, putting his hand on my thigh. 

"Don't move," he says in a hoarse voice. In a moment, Brian is facing me just like that first time after our date. Except this time, I'm not that shy.

I glance around to make sure we're alone before gripping the hem of my red dress and yanking it over my head. 

Brian's lips part. He swallows and runs his fingertips over my lace-covered breasts. The look on his face is full of awe. Perhaps it's because my body changed, or maybe it's the same desire I feel boiling in my blood.

Brian puts his hands on my waist and pulls me forward, making me straddle his lap. I slide my hands under his tee and get rid of it, tossing it onto the grass where it lands on top of my discarded dress.

"Come here," Brian whispers, stroking his hands down the length of my back. His deft fingers unclasp my bra, and then, I feel slightly callused pads skirting over my bare chest.

He’s taking his time touching me, but my hand grazes down his stomach, and he loses control. Brian’s mouth wraps around my nipple. The combination of his lips gently sucking, and his fingers caressing my inner thigh makes me whimper. I grab Brian’s hand and put it where I want it the most.

He moves on to kiss my other breast and slips a finger inside me. I still, biting down on my lip. Brian’s darkened eyes lift to peer into mine.

“It’s been only you,” I say. I know I don’t have to. I know if he hadn’t been the only one, it would still be okay, but he showed me his vulnerability in those letters, and I don’t want him to have doubts if we’re starting fresh.

Brian doesn’t stop touching me, but his lips leave my chest, and he smiles. “I haven’t been with anyone else, either.”

Relief slips into me at the same time another finger of Brian’s does. He moves his hand faster and caresses my most sensitive spot with his thumb. 

My head falls back. I’m teetering on the edge of losing it and feel my muscles start to spasm when Brian’s kisses restart. He moves his mouth from my breasts to my neck and back. Clenching around his fingers, I moan and sag against Brian. My bare chest touches his, and I kiss his lips, hooking an arm around his neck.

I’m the one to undo the button on his jeans, managing to free Brian from them and his underwear between wet kisses that grow in intensity. 
Brian grabs the condom he brought and puts it on himself without tearing his mouth away from mine. The position we’re in isn’t the easiest, but one of his feet is planted on the ground, and I am too consumed by him to care if we fall. We’ve already fallen, after all.

“You good, baby?”Brian whispers against my lips.

I nod, and he kisses me again, aligning himself with my entrance. The tiny scrap of red lace is still on me, and Brian moves it to the side as he eases inside me inch by inch.

I gasp at the sensation of him filling me. It's not the first time, but the time we spent apart made me forget how good he feels.

"Brian," I say as I inch forward and wrap my legs around his waist.

Brian's moan incites another movement of mine. I grip his shoulders and lift myself off him, only to sink down on him again.

Brian cups my bum and guides my movements, slowing me down. His eyes bore into mine, and his lips don't wait long to claim mine in a plundering kiss.

He slides out of me and plunges into me again and again, watching what he's doing to me.

"I love you," Brian whispers, picking up the pace of his thrusts. His fingers press into my skin, keeping me where he wants me to be. 

I want to speak but can't. Every nerve ending on mine is on fire, and my core tightens around Brian's length.

"I'm close," I manage to say.

Brian gives it to me hard. Beads of sweat dot his forehead as he leans it against mine. Our eyes lock when pleasure takes hold of both of us.

My body shakes, and so does Brian's. He slows down his movements but doesn't stop them completely right until the most intense pleasure grabs hold of my body for the second time.

I stifle my moans by pressing my mouth to Brian's shoulder. He lets go right after me, throwing his head back and biting his lip as he comes.

"I missed you so much," Brian utters, kissing my neck.

I giggle. "You or the boy?"

"Definitely the boy," Brian says, slapping my backside. 

"Hey!" I press my palms to his hard chest. "What was that for?"

Brian laughs, hugging me. "I happen to like that my girl grew up a bit in all the right places."

I place a string of kisses on Brian's neck and lean back to look at him. "Speaking of places, we never made it to the lake."

A soft smile plays on Brian's lips. "We still can. The party will last well into the night. We'll be back in time for the cake."

"Then let's not waste the time we have," I say, caressing his jaw.

This summer day and the love we share feel like a dream.

It's thrilling. It's tender. It's passionate. It's us.