Page 63 of Wrapped in Hope

Hope is walking back to me now. She stops at my side, grabbing hold of the front of my shirt like she knows something is wrong. “Okay, I’ll be there soon.” I hang up the phone.

“Who was that?” she asks, climbing on the bike behind me.

“Jane. We have to run by real quick.”

“What? Why?” I hear the panic in her voice and see it written all over her face when I look over my shoulder at her. “She needs help getting a box in the car so she can leave. It won’t take long and she knows you’re with me. Are you okay with that?”

“She knows I’m with you?”

I nod once.

She doesn’t say anything but I see her answer in her eyes. She’s not okay, but what choice do we have? I mean, I could blow off Jane, but I think it would be best for the both of us to end all this sooner rather than later.

We make the twenty minute drive to town just as the sky turns dark. It’s a bright night with the big, white moon hanging nearby. The warmth of the sun is gone, and the chill in the air clings around us. The minute I turn onto our old street, I feel her tense behind me. She leans forward. “What am I supposed to say if my parents see me on the back of your bike?” she asks.

I shrug. “I’ll tell them we just ran into each other in group and you wanted a ride.”

I don’t know if she accepts my answer, but she leans back.

I pull into the driveway and cut the engine. I put the kickstand down and stand up. I hold out my hand and she takes it before climbing off behind me.

I lead her toward the door but she stops suddenly. “Holden, I don’t know if I can do this, face her.”

I look across the street at her parents’ house. There isn’t any lights shining through their dark windows, meaning they probably aren’t home to see what I’m about to do.

I place my hands on either side of her face and pull her mouth to mine. Her lips are stiff and move slow at first, but then they soften and move along with mine. When I break the kiss, we’re both breathless. I look into her eyes, hoping she can see everything that I feel for her. “Everything will be okay. This won’t take long.” She leans her forehead against mine and nods.

“Let’s go get this done so we can get back to our evening.”

Her face flushes with my words like she knows what that means, but she smiles, stealing my breath. I pull away from her and turn toward the door.

My heart stops beating when I turn around to see Jane, Lisa, and Gary standing on the sidewalk watching us.