11

LAMAL WAS BRACING for impact, with squinty eyes like a kid waiting to have his face hosed with spray-on sunscreen. "Remember," Azrael said. "Keep Jesse alive. It's a one-two punch."

"One-two punch?" I asked. "Who are you talking to? Don't use boxing analogies with me."

"Use beer analogies if you can," Adrianne teased from where she sat, sipping a mimosa on the couch between Reuel and Warren.

"You're not helping," I said.

She shook her head. "I'm not here to help. I'm here to taunt." She'd taken the day off to help me get ready for Nathan's party, or so she said. I knew she'd also taken the day off in hopes of spending Valentine's Day with Azrael.

"Well, knock it off. You're making me nervous. Do you want me to kill him?"

Azrael and Warren laughed. Reuel shoveled a handful of popcorn into his mouth. And Lamal was visibly shaking. I'd been trying to free him all week without any success at all, and everyone was starting to feel it was a joke. But no one's faith in me had dropped lower than mine, except maybe Lamal. He looked like he might cry each time I got close to him.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Look at it this way: I haven't been able to free you yet, but I also haven't killed you either. And if anything, I am getting better, right?"

He didn't respond. Neither did anyone else.

"One-two punch," Azrael said again. "Send life in, but hit Jesse with enough killing force to knock Lamal out of him."

I dropped my hands. "What if I can't do this, Azrael? Worst case scenario, what happens to Jesse and Lamal?"

Azrael sat on the arm of the couch. "Absolutely nothing. They're stuck like this."

That made me feel better. At least nothing catastrophic would happen…

"That is, until Abaddon finally does get to him," Azrael continued. "He'll murder Jesse and take Lamal to the pit where he'll spend eternity enduring torment you can't even fathom."

I sucked in a deep breath. "OK, great."

Lamal was trying to smile at me confidently, but he was failing.

"What happens if she succeeds?" Adrianne asked. "Is he going to float around the ceiling or what?"

That was a good question.

"If she succeeds, Jesse can go back to Chicago and Lamal can go back across the spirit line," Azrael said.

"Why didn't he do that to begin with?" Warren asked.

If I wasn't mistaken, Azrael looked a little guilty. "He wasn't allowed."

I pointed at him. "Because of you?"

He gave a slight nod.

I held up my hand with a question. "Does this mean I'm cleaning up your mess this time?"

Azrael rolled his eyes. "Save this guy, please."

I focused on Jesse; he was in there, probably shaking as bad as the angel stuck inside him. I blasted him with so much life it knocked him backward into the wall.

"You forgot the second punch," Azrael said.

The alarm bells chimed on my phone. "Oh, thank god." I ran to the dining table to pick it up. Friday, February 14th. Pick up Nathan's cake. Southside Sweets closes at noon. "Uh oh."

"What did you forget?" Adrianne asked.

"The cake."

"Cake?" Warren asked.

I nodded. "I ordered a cake for the party tonight. The bakery closes at noon."

Warren looked at his watch. "Where is it?"

"Biltmore Village," I said.

His head shook with surprise. "Biltmore? We've got to go."

Relief washed over Lamal's face.

Adrianne stood and carried her drink to the kitchen. "You guys go get the cake. Azrael and I will stay here and start decorating."

Azrael scowled. "I'm The Angel of Death. I don't decorate."

"You do today," she said with a sweet smile.

He rolled his eyes.

Reuel went and stood by the door.

"You're coming with us?" Warren asked him.

He smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically.

I nudged him with my elbow. "You want to go to the bakery, don't you?"

He nodded again.

"Come on, let's go."

We pulled into the parking lot at Southside Sweets at 12:06. Warren stayed in the car, but Reuel was right on my heels as we went inside. The bells on the door chimed as we ran in and skidded to a stop on the black and white checkerboard tile. "I'm here! I'm here! I'm sorry I'm late!" The smell of caramelized sugar and carbs made my mouth water. Reuel went straight for the jar of free cookie samples on the top of the counter.

Brienne Casey, the shop owner and a girl I went to high school with, came out from the open kitchen, wiping flour from her hands on her apron. She was laughing and shaking her head. "I knew you'd come, Sloan. Calm down."

Reuel stuck an entire chocolate chip cookie inside his mouth.

Her nose scrunched up when she saw my face. "The bruising isn't much better, I see."

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm afraid my fiancé is going to have to deal with the dirty looks a little bit longer."

"That's unfortunate." She disappeared into the walk-in cooler and came out with a large, flat yellow box. She looked at the sticky note on top. "Chocolate cake with buttercream icing, right?"

My stomach growled at the mention of sugary goodness. "Yes."

She put the box on the counter and spun it around so I could see it through the plastic window top. I covered my mouth and laughed. "It's perfect. He's going to love it."

Her eyes were wide as she accepted my credit card. "I think it's the most unusual request for a cake I've ever received."

"It's a joke," I said with a smile.

"When's the party?" she asked.

I glanced up at the cupcake-decorated clock on the wall behind her. "At seven." I let out a sigh as I signed the transaction slip. "I'll probably be late for it too and it's at my house."

"Speaking of being late," she said. "I need your wedding cake order soon. Brides who wait until the last minute make me nervous, and the date is in April, right?"

"Yes. I'll get it done soon. I promise."

She smiled and handed me my receipt. "Give the detective my best."

"You know Nathan?" I asked.

"Sure. He comes by here for lunch sometimes," she answered.

I looked at the glass cases full of cakes and cookies and laughed. "Of course he does. Thanks so much, Brienne."

Reuel shoved the rest of his second or third cookie into his mouth and picked up the cake. We walked out to Warren's Challenger. I climbed in the back seat and Reuel handed me the box. Warren looked back as Reuel got inside. "Do we need to stop anywhere else that you forgot about?"

"Shut up," I said, pulling on my seatbelt.

He put the car in reverse.

"Oh! We have to get the balloons from the dollar store!"

Laughing, he shook his head and pulled out of the lot.

We had to wait for the balloons to be blown up, so it was after two when we made it back to my house. Carrying the cake, I followed Warren and his two fistfuls of gold and white balloons inside. I froze when we walked through the door. "Whoa!"

Adrianne was pushing a long, white tapered candle into a beer bottle. "You like it?" she asked, motioning around the room.

"I can't believe it's the same house!" I looked at the clock on my phone. "How long have we been gone?"

The couch and love seat were still pushed back against the wall, but behind them, over the plywood hole, she'd hung a long curtain rod with opaque shimmery gold curtains. I recognized them from her bedroom.

The dining room table was sitting in the center of the living room with another table of similar size parallel to it. Both were draped with white tablecloths and both had centerpieces made out of beer bottles, flowers, and candles.

"Azrael, can you tie these balloons behind the food table in the kitchen?" Adrianne called over her shoulder.

Without argument, Azrael came and took the balloons from Warren.

"Adrianne, I'm not sure what impresses me more: the fact that you've pulled off this stunning setting that's both manly and elegant in a living room that's missing a wall, or that you've got Azrael taking orders about party decor."

Adrianne placed the beer bottle candle in the center of the table. "Thank you. Both tasks were equally challenging." She walked over and took the cake from my arms. "Wait." She turned the box around in her arms and looked through the window. Her eyes widened. "Sloan!" Her voice was clearly caught between amusement and alarm. "Does this say what I think it says?"

"What does it say?" Warren looked over her shoulder.

She angled the box so he could see it.

My nose scrunched up. "Is it tacky?"

Warren laughed. "It's hilarious, but you know Nate's mom is coming, right?"

I cringed and sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth. "I didn't think about that."

"Clearly," Adrianne said.

Azrael looked over from where he was arranging balloons in the kitchen. "What is it?"

"It's made to look like a patch for his hat," Warren said. "It says 'GTFO' in big letters on it."

Azrael shook his head. "I don't get it."

Adrianne walked over and whispered in his ear. He immediately started chuckling. "That's funny."

"And inappropriate." Adrianne looked over at me. "Didn't you tell me his sister is bringing her kids?"

I covered my face with my hands. "Oh man. What did I do?"

Adrianne rolled her eyes. "You're going to be such a good mother."

Warren kissed my cheek, still laughing as he walked by. "I love you so much."

I followed him to the kitchen. "Leave it in the box, Adrianne, and put it on top of the refrigerator. Maybe we can cut and serve it before anyone sees it."

"You've got to at least let Nate see it. He's going to love it," Warren said.

When I came downstairs at a quarter till seven, the house smelled amazing from whatever Warren was spooning out of the huge pan on the stove in the kitchen. I stood on the bottom step and admired everything. Adrianne was lighting the candles on all the tables. Reuel added wood to the fireplace from a stack of logs in Lamal's arms, and Azrael sat on the leather couch drinking whiskey.

"This place looks wonderful," I said.

Adrianne walked over. She'd changed into a black dress and low heels. "You really like it?"

I nodded. "I really do. It makes me excited to see what you do with my wedding."

With my added height from the step, we were almost eye to eye. She leaned close to me and winked. "You ain't seen nothin' yet." She tugged on my sleeve. "You look adorable. Is that the sweater I picked out?"

I nodded and ran my hand over the light cream, cashmere sleeve. "Of course."

"And your hair," she said, nodding with approval. "You did it all by yourself."

I'd done nothing except flat iron it down my back. "I think it's time for a cut. It's getting really long."

"Prenatal vitamins make it grow faster," she said. "Come by the shop and I'll cut it this week."

"Need any help with anything?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. Might want to check with Warren though."

I walked to the kitchen and put my arms around Warren's waist from behind. "I think this is what heaven smells like."

He turned around in my arms. "I hope you're hungry."

I stretched up on my tip-toes. "I'm always hungry." I kissed his lips. He tasted like red wine. "What's for dinner?"

"Grillades with gouda grits," he answered.

I whimpered. "You made me grits?"

"I did."

I kissed him again. "I love you."

He smiled. "You'd better."

"Need any help?"

The doorbell rang and he looked toward it. "Yes. Answer the door."

But before I could turn to leave the kitchen, we all heard Azrael get up off the couch. Phwaaaaawert…

I chuckled. "It never gets old."

He pulled the door open as I walked into the living room. It was Nathan, carrying his nephew Carter who was passed out over his shoulder. His parents and his sister Lara were right behind him. His mother was gawking at the bruises on my face, and Nathan was mesmerized by the transformation of my living room. "Wow," he mouthed, so as not to wake the little boy.

Silently, I waved to James, Kathy, and Lara before tugging on Nathan's sleeve. "Let's put him upstairs on my bed."

Nathan nodded toward the stairs for me to lead the way. When we reached my bedroom, he bent over the bed and gently laid Carter on top of the comforter. I pulled the fleece throw off the chair in the corner and carefully draped it over him as Nathan pulled off Carter's tennis shoes. Nathan caught my eye and smiled.

When we were outside the door with it closed behind us, Nathan opened his arms. "Hello. Good to see you."

I hugged him and laughed softly. "When did he fall asleep?"

"Right before we turned off the highway, of course. He might be out for a while." We walked down the stairs. "Did you buy a new house?" he asked when we reached the living room.

I pointed at Adrianne. "She's secretly moonlighting as Martha Stewart, I think."

"It's incredible. Thank you." He walked over and gave Adrianne a side hug.

"Kathy!" I cheered, walking over to where Nathan's family was talking to Azrael.

"Oh, Sloan, I've missed you," she said, pulling me into a tight hug. She squeezed till I felt lightheaded. When she stepped back, she grabbed my chin to examine my face. "What happened to you?"

"Nathan didn't tell you? I was in a train accident up in Chicago. I'm fine though, really."

She looked skeptical. "No, he didn't tell me." Then she put her hands on my belly and smiled. "He did tell me about this, however. Look at you. No hiding it now, huh?"

My nose wrinkled. "Definitely no more hiding it. I'm eating for two now and it shows."

She laughed and patted her round hips. "At least you have an excuse. Not all of us do!"

Lara was waiting behind her mother for her turn to say hello. I hugged her. "Hey, Lara! I'm so glad you made it." I stepped back and looked around. "Where's your husband?"

"He's at home with Rachel. She had her very first dance at school tonight for Valentine's Day."

"Rachel?" I asked. The only Rachel I knew was my demon mother.

She thought for a second. "I guess you didn't meet my daughter at Thanksgiving because she was with her dad. She's ten."

I shook my head. "No. I guess I only met Carter." I pointed up the stairs. "We put him on the bed in my room."

"Thank you. He's been a pill this evening." She looked at her mom. "No nap and grandma brought him cookies."

Kathy waved her off. "That's what grandmas are for."

"Hey, Sloan," Nathan's dad, James McNamara, said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Thanks for having us."

"Are you kidding? Thanks so much for coming!"

In the kitchen, Warren was wiping his hands on a towel. I motioned him forward. "I want you all to meet my fiancé, Warren Parish."

They turned and looked up at him as he approached. Kathy did a double take, then looked at Azrael. "Brothers?" she asked.

"Not brothers," I said, "but they are related."

Warren offered his hand to her, but she pushed it away and put her arms around his neck. "I don't shake hands, son," she said. "I'm a hugger."

Warren patted her on the back. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. McNamara."

"Shush. Call me Kathy. And it's lovely to meet you," she said, pulling away from him. "I've heard so much about you, I feel like we've been family for years."

"Warren," I said, "this is Nathan's sister, Lara."

Lara had that dewy-eyed stare that most women got when looking at Warren for the first time. She must have realized it because she blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry." She offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you. Nathan told us about your engagement. Congratulations to you both."

Warren smiled at me. "I'm a lucky guy."

Kathy nodded. "Yes, you certainly are."

"Sloan, you're supposed to show her your ring," Adrianne said.

My lower lip poked out as I held up my bare hand. "My fingers are too swollen to wear it."

Kathy laughed and squeezed my hand. "Same thing happened to me with Lara. Perfectly normal. Maybe you're having a girl!"

Warren and I exchanged a smile. "Maybe we are," he said.

"This is my best friend, Adrianne," I said to Kathy and Lara. "She did all the decorating tonight." I looked around the room and pointed to the angels in the corner. "And those are our friends, Reuel and Lamal. They don't talk much. And I'm guessing you already met Azrael." I pointed at him.

Kathy's head tilted. "Azrael? I thought your name was—"

Azrael cut her off. "Yes, Damon Claymore. Azrael is a family nickname." He cut his eyes toward me.

"Oh, OK." Kathy still looked confused.

I felt stupid.

The front door opened, and my dad walked in, saving me from further embarrassment. "Dad!" I scurried over and grabbed his arm. He was carrying a bottle of wine. "Everyone, this is my father, Dr. Robert Jordan."

"Hello," Dad said. "I hope I'm not late."

I kissed his cheek. "You are right on time."

The meal was incredible, and after we finished, Warren stood up with a beer. "Excuse me for a second, I'd like to say something."

"Uh oh." Nathan was grinning at the head of the table.

Warren pointed the bottle at him. "You should always be very nervous around me."

"Oh, I am," Nathan replied, laughing.

Warren turned to all of us. "The first time I met Nate, he pointed a gun at my face."

"That's not true," Nathan argued. "I had my gun out, but I didn't point at you."

"He wanted to," I said.

"True," Nathan admitted. Everyone laughed.

Warren continued. "Whatever the details, the first time he saw me, he wanted to kill me."

Nathan laughed and raised his beer. "Some days I still do."

Warren clinked his bottle with Nathan's. "Likewise." He looked back around at all of us. "The truth is, Nate and I are supposed to hate each other. We were certainly never meant to be friends. And while our friendship is rocky at best sometimes, there's no one in this world I trust more."

"Hey!" Azrael and I shouted at the same time with a pitch of offense in our voices.

"You two shut up. It's not your party," Nathan said.

Warren turned toward him. "So, brother, I wish you the best of luck on this new part of your journey. And I hope that where ever you end up"—he held up his beer toward Nathan—"that it's far, far away from me and my wife."

The room howled with laughter. I dropped my red face into my hands. Everyone clapped and cheered. Nathan got up and hugged Warren, then they both sat back down at the table. A moment later, a sleepy little boy appeared on the stairs rubbing his eyes.

"Oh," I said. "We woke him up. Hi, Carter."

He stuck his thumb in his mouth and trudged the rest of the way down the stairs. He ran to his mother, and Lara scooped him up in her arms.

"Who wants cake?" Adrianne announced, standing up while several people shouted "me" in response.

Warren looked at me. "You'd better hurry and show him."

I grabbed Nathan's sleeve. "Come with me a second."

He stood and followed me to the kitchen. Adrianne was pulling the cake off the refrigerator. "What’s going on?" he asked.

I pointed to the cake as she opened it on the counter. "Go look at it. Hurry, before anyone else sees it."

Nathan walked over and immediately laughed. "Oh man, is that a patch?"

"Yeah."

He looked at me, still chuckling. "GTFO. You really want to get rid of me that bad?"

I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. "Obviously Warren does."

"Obviously." He smiled. "I love it. Thank you. Why are you hiding it?"

I sucked in a sharp breath and pointed to the living room. "I didn't think about your mom being here."

"Pshh, Mom won't care. Hell, she probably won't get it," he said. "Lara, come look at this cake."

Lara carried Carter into the kitchen. He turned the cake toward her on the counter. "Oh, that's hilarious," she said.

Kathy walked in. "I want to see!"

My heart dropped into my stomach.

Kathy's eyes squinted. "GTFO. What does that mean?"

Nathan looked at me. "See?"

I smiled.

Kathy crossed her arms. "What is it?"

Nathan pointed to the cake. "It means Get The Fu—"

"Nathan!" I shouted, slapping him on the arm.

Kathy's face turned as red as mine felt. "Oh mercy. Never mind. I understand."

I winced. "I'm sorry, Kathy."

She laughed and put her hand on my arm. "It's not my party, honey. It's perfect for Nathan."

Adrianne nudged me with her elbow. She was holding a butcher knife. "Is this all you have to cut the cake?"

I shrugged.

"That's sad, Sloan."

Adrianne cut the cake and passed out slices at the table. Warren brewed a pot of coffee and I got clean forks for everyone. The cake may have been offensive, but it was delicious. Nathan ate two pieces. So did I, but when no one was looking.

Carter had icing all over his face. "More," he said to his mother.

She shook her head. "Not till you eat some dinner. Do you want some real food?"

He nodded and Lara led him to the kitchen.

When Kathy finished her cake, she curled her hands around the coffee mug in front of her. She looked at Azrael. "Nathan hasn't told us very much. What exactly is he going to do for you, Mr. Claymore?"

Be the liaison between the supernatural leader and the mortal employees, I answered in my mind as I swiped a bit of frosting off Warren's plate with my finger.

"He's going to train to be the head of operations. In a few years, I'd like to see him overseeing all the day-to-day affairs of the company," he said. "And please, call me Damon."

She folded her arms on the table. "But Nathan doesn't have any military experience."

Azrael smiled. "He will when we're finished with him."

I knew he meant the statement to be positive, but Kathy's head pulled back in fear. I reached across the table and put my hand on hers. "He means Nathan will be well trained before he's given any major responsibility."

Her shoulders relaxed.

"He leaves for boot camp tomorrow," Azrael said.

I was surprised. "Boot camp?"

Warren nodded. "It's every bit as intense as the Marine Corps boot camp, too." He looked at Nathan. "I don't envy you at all."

"How long is it?" I asked.

"Eight weeks," Nathan said.

Warren looked over at Azrael, who was sitting at the other table. "Are you going to let him have his phone? Or only write letters?"

"He may not even get to write," Azrael said. "He sure as hell won't get any special treatment except the pleasure of working directly with me."

"You're going to Claymore?" I perked up in my seat.

Azrael nodded. "Sometime next week. I'll be there about a month."

My wide eyes turned back to Nathan. "Working with Azrael for a whole month?" I asked, looking at Nathan. "Better be one hell of a benefits package."

He laughed. "You have no idea. Don't forget to send me your address so I can—"

Just then, a blood-chilling scream came from the kitchen. It was Carter.

"Nathan!" Lara shrieked over the cries of her son.

Nathan jumped up, toppling his chair as he ran to the kitchen. Kathy was right after him. I ran to the doorway as Nathan yelled. "Lara, don't touch it!"

"Dr. Jordan, we need help!" Kathy screamed.

Dad moved to go, but Azrael blocked him with his arm. He pointed at me. "Sloan, get in there." His voice was commanding.

"Sloan, help!" It was Nathan.

I swallowed hard and pushed by James into the kitchen. The butcher knife Adrianne had used for the cake was buried in Carter's tiny foot. Blood was darkening his sock around the blade. Carter's face was turning purple as his piercing screams echoed around the kitchen. Lara was holding his arms still, and Nathan held his legs.

"Mom, move!" Nathan yelled.

James grabbed the back of his wife's shirt and yanked her out of my way.

"Nathan, get the doctor!" Lara cried.

Nathan's terrified gaze locked with mine. "Fix this. Tell me what to do."

"Azrael! I need you!" I called out.

A second later, he pushed his way into the room. "Let me have him," he said to Lara. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Let me have him," he said again, this time prying her son from her arms.

He pushed her back a few steps, and she pounded his back with her fists. Of course it didn't faze him. "Sloan, pull out the knife."

"No!" Lara screamed.

Warren broke through Kathy and James and grabbed Lara from behind.

"Sloan, do it!" Azrael yelled again.

I gripped the handle of the knife, closed my eyes, and pulled. It clanged against the tiles when I dropped it on the floor, far under the table away from everyone. Then I grabbed Carter's foot and blasted all my power into it.

"Carter, look at me," I said.

His eyes looked like they might fall out of his head. Huge tears poured from his eyes and watery snot ran from his nose.

"Carter, breathe with me," Azrael said, pulling Carter against his own chest and taking exaggerated slow breaths. "That's good. Keep breathing. Miss Sloan is going to make your foot feel better. Just breathe."

After a few deep breaths with Azrael, Carter started breathing more normally on his own. His screaming subsided as the heat left my hands. I pulled off his bloody sock, then used it to wipe his foot. A two-inch mark was in line parallel to the bones on the top, and there was a smaller puncture mark on the bottom where the tip of the blade had gone clean through.

Azrael released Carter back to Lara who was still crying, but too shocked to make any sound.

Kathy grabbed my shoulder. "What did you do?"

"She healed him," Nathan said, reaching over and grabbing my hand.

"Healed him?" Kathy asked.

Nathan stood and pulled me to my feet. He hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispered against the side of my face. "Thank you."

"But how…?" Kathy's voice faded away.

"God, who cares how?" Lara grabbed me around the neck and hugged me with the arm that wasn't holding Carter. "Thank you, Sloan."

"You're welcome."

No one pressed further about how I was able to heal Carter's foot, but we all knew the secret was out and that an explanation would have to be given sooner or later. To my great surprise though, none of Nathan's family treated me any different after the accident. If anything, they seemed to love me even more, which was evident in the long embraces I received from each of them on the porch when it was time for them to leave.

Kathy teared up. "I don't know why I'm so weepy. I'll see you again," she said.

"You're coming to the wedding, right?" Warren asked.

"I'd love to. When is it?"

"April 19th." I looked at Lara. "You're all invited."

Lara smiled.

"April 19th," Kathy repeated to her husband. "Make it happen, James."

He saluted his wife. "Yes, ma'am."

Kathy hugged me one more time. "Take care of yourself and that baby."

"I will."

She hugged Warren, then they left the porch, leaving us with Nathan.

"Any last-minute advice?" Nathan asked Warren.

Warren laughed. "Yeah, don't go."

"I appreciate that," Nathan said with an eye roll.

"All I can tell you is to keep your head down and your mouth shut. Don't be an overachiever or an underachiever. Try to blend in."

Nathan nodded and offered him his hand. "Thanks, man."

Warren pulled him into a hug. "Good luck and take care of yourself. Keep us posted on how things are going."

"I will. Remind Sloan to text me your full address here."

"I won't let her forget." Warren took a step backward toward the front door. "I'll give you two some privacy."

When he left, Nathan laughed and shook his head with disbelief. "He's either very confident or seriously stupid. There's no way in hell I'd leave you alone with me."

"He's not stupid. He trusts you," I said.

Nathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then blew it out very slowly. "I'm not so sure that he should," he finally said quietly.

His tone disrupted the butterflies in my stomach.

"You're certain you want to leave?" I asked again.

He kicked his boot against my welcome mat. "Yeah. I need to get out of here for a while."

I shook my head. "That's not what I asked."

"That's the only answer I can give you," he said.

"I'm going to miss you, Nathan."

He forced a smile. "I miss you every single day."

I put my arms around his neck and hugged him. Burying my face between my arms and his neck, I began to cry.

He shook his head against mine. "Don't do that." He pulled back and cradled my face in his hands, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. "No more tears."

I sniffed. "Please be safe."

He chuckled. "You be safe. You're the one getting trains thrown at you. Not me."

For a moment, he studied my eyes, then his gaze fell to my lips. But instead of moving closer, he took a deep breath and a step back. He grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Goodbye, Nathan."

He smiled and walked away.