The skies darken as we head home. Flint's driving while Ramona and the boys are passed out in the backseat. I watch the lights of passing cars and reflect on how amazing today was. I haven't had a day like this in such a long time. I wish I could have gotten to know his other brother more, but he hung out with a group around his age and didn't say much to anyone else.

"I had a good time today," I say, breaking the silence. "I'm happy I came."

The corner of his lips pulls into a smile, and he briefly looks over at me.

"I'm happy you came with us. My family really likes you, especially my uncle," he laughs.

"He wasn't as bad as you say. I liked spending time with your family. There's so many of them."

"You should see the holiday chaos. Imagine all of these people crammed into a house the size of your living room," he laughs.

"Sounds amazing."

Again, he glances over at me quickly before turning back to concentrate on the road.

"You should come to our next holiday. It's pretty insane."

He gets quiet after mentioning me attending another family gathering. His shoulders fall, and he lets out a long, drawn-out sigh. There's a sadness radiating off of him like he knows what's on my mind. As we sit here, I contemplate where I want this to go.

When we return to his house to drop everyone off, I help them unload the van. Connor is wide awake. Before I leave, he comes running back outside in his planet pajamas.

"Marnie!"

I stop walking and wait for him. Instead, he runs into me and gives me a giant hug.

"Psst. Down here," he says quietly. He waves his hand for me to come closer.

I bend down, and he stands on his toes to whisper in my ear. "If you and Flint don't work out, call me." He places his hand up to his ear like he's holding a phone.

I straighten my body and stare down at him in amusement. I ruffle up his hair, and he giggles as Flint comes outside to get him.

"Hey there, little man, are you hitting on my girl?" he asks, putting an arm over my shoulder.

I shiver at his words while my heart is doing somersaults, his girl.

"Connor, c'mon, it's cold," Ramona says, exiting the house.

She heads over to us and smiles at me. "I'm glad you could come with us today, Marnie."

"Thank you for having me. I enjoyed myself."

She takes a few steps forward and wraps me in a hug. Part of me wonders what she thinks since she saw me with Cam the night of our date. I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from crying.

"I'll see you soon, Marnie."

I nod because if I speak, I might cry in front of her. So instead, she playfully pulls Connor back inside. Flint doesn't say anything as he opens the car door for me.

"Thanks," I whisper.

Inside the car, he turns up the music. He sings along to a Good Charlotte song, and the lyrics match the mood of the moment. I try to sing, but every time I do, the knot in my throat stops me. Flint makes a hard right instead of heading straight towards my house. I glance over, but his eyes stay focused on the road in front of him.

When he makes another right, it's obvious where we are going. He's taking me to the spot where we shared our first kiss, the beach. His hands grip the steering wheel with a force so strong, even in the dark car, I catch his knuckles turning white.

Pulling into the parking lot, he shuts off the car, and I know things are about to get serious.

"Marnie," he says, just above a whisper.

"Hmm."

My voice wobbles. I should have expected we would be having a serious conversation after what went on today. But, from the kiss and all the moments between, it's not surprising.

"Where does this leave us?"

I take in a deep breath. "I like you, Flint, and not just a little either. I like you so much it hurts to breathe."

I turn to face him. His eyes shimmer in the light of the outdoor lights. He knows what I'm about to say, but it's not all bad. I wish there were a way to promise him that.

"I like you so much that it scares me," I admit.

He takes hold of my hands and draws circles with his fingertips on the top of my hand.

"I'm not talking about it affecting my reputation. I'm talking about how much I've fallen for you. That's what scares me the most. I've never felt like this, not with Cam or anyone else. It's so intense at times that I don't even know what to do with these feelings." I try to explain, but my words seem to have failed me.

He doesn't say anything. He just nods.

"I want this, more than anything in the whole world. But I also think I need just a tiny bit of time to breathe and process what happened with my friends. I've literally been single for like twenty-four hours. I know my relationship with Cam ended a while ago, but it wasn't officially over until yesterday."

I'm trying so hard not to cry and not to lose Flint.

"My heart hurts, no matter how much I try to ignore it. He cheated on me with one of my best friends. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that it happened. It hurts because a few short months ago, we were happy, at least I thought we were." My voice breaks, and I touch my chest before I continue.

"I tried to hold on because everything I've known my entire life has all revolved around them, and now it just doesn't. So, I thought if I held onto Cam, I could hold onto my popularity and all that I knew."

A small sob escapes my lips, and a few tears begin to fall. Flint catches them with his thumb, and I lean into him.

"I need to heal. The thought of committing to a relationship right now is freaking me out. I've been hurt by people I love the most, and I'm not sure I can handle anymore hurt right now. But with you, for some reason, anything feels possible."

More tears start to fall. I can't help it. More than anything, I want to be with Flint, but I need time to find myself again. That doesn't mean I don't want to see where this goes.

"I would never hurt you, Marnie, not intentionally."

I nod. "I know, but can you give me some time to process? I don't want to lose you. The thought of losing you...." I have to stop for a moment to catch my breath.

"Hey...." his voice breaks as he reaches out and holds my face in his hands.

"Thank you for being honest with me. I think that's the first time you have been this entire time. So, I'll wait, Marnie, I'll take a step back, I'll stop texting...."

"No!" I throw my hands around him. He grunts as I do, and I pull back a little afraid I've hurt him.

He unbuckles his belt to get closer to me, his face full of confusion over my outburst.

"Please don't stop. I don't mean I don't want to try. Your messages are sometimes the only thing that helps me get through the day. It sounds stupid, but I love how you use lyrics to tell me how you feel. I love how it's our way of communicating with each other. I still want you around. It's selfish to ask, but I want ... I need...."

"Hey, shh. It's okay. I won't stop," he very softly combs his hands through my hair. His eyes never leave mine. "If it's helping you, I won't stop. I promise. As I said, I'm not going anywhere. I'm in too deep now," he whispers.

"I promise I'll figure it all out, and we can...."

I'm cut off by his lips pressing softly against mine. I can taste his mouth mixed with my salty tears. His tongue slides in, and I don't stop myself from diving all the way in. I don't know what takes over me, but I get on my knees to adjust myself. There's plenty of space between him and the steering wheel, and I slide right over and into his lap. The steering wheel lightly presses into my back, but I'm not worried about it. A moan escapes my mouth as his hands continue to comb through my hair. Both of us are breathing heavily, and the moment he moans into my mouth, something ignites inside of me.

Both his hands slip under the hem of my shirt, his fingers dancing along the skin of my lower back. My stomach tightens, and something about this moment feels right. It never felt right with Cam, not like this. It's why I never let him go further. Pushing those evil thoughts from my brain, it's my turn to touch him. I pull myself back, but not enough to break our kiss and start to tug his shirt upward. He doesn't hesitate to release his hands from me and take off his shirt. A trembling breath escapes my lips as he goes for mine.

Seconds later, we stop our kiss to stare at each other and take in the scene before us. His hungry eyes are all the confirmation I need that we are doing this, going further than I've ever gone before.

As he reaches down beside him, the chair zips backward, giving some space between my back and the wheel. There's some unspoken permission that falls between us as I lean forward and plant my lips against his.

It feels like a lifetime before we both finally come up for air. Our clothes are scattered all over the car. I pull away and stare at him, there's a beautiful glow on his cheeks, and I'm sure my face mirrors his. His shoulders are rising up and down as he tries to catch his breath.

He rests his forehead against mine and closes his eyes so tight that a single random tear escapes.

"I'll give you my heart on a string...."

"I'll stay awake for you," I whisper.

He smirks, "You knew that one too?"

"One of my favorites," I say.

"Mine too."

***

We pull up to my house, and surprisingly all the lights are on. For the entire drive, he held my hand, and he still has yet to release it from his grasp. I don't mind, not one bit. I'm afraid if I let go, this will all have been some sort of dream. Nevertheless, the moment we shared at the beach will forever be ingrained in my memory.

"I'm willing to give you time."

When I glance over, I expect him not to be looking at me, to act distant and scared, but instead, his eyes call me to him, and every fear I have vanishes.

"Even after..."

He nods, and squeezes my hand, and whispers, "Even after."

I lean in and brush our lips together. It's a short, sweet kiss, but that doesn't take away the power it has over me.

"Goodnight, Marnie," he says, his warm breath lingering on my lips.

"Night, Flint."

I grab my bag and give him one last glance before I open the door. I reach over and take his hand in mine. I'm trying to tell him not to leave me, that I will work this all out. I let go and step out of the car, then watch as he pulls out of my driveway.

As I start heading inside, another car pulls up. I'm hidden from sight and continue to observe who it is. When they get closer, I realize it's Dom and that guy I saw him with the night of my birthday. He leans forward, and the two share an intimate moment. It dawns on me that this is probably why he's been cranky lately.

The second he steps out and spots me, he freezes. I smile at him to let him know that it's cool. I take a few steps forward. He says something to the guy in the car. The engine cuts off, and the guy steps out of the car. He steps into the light of the spotlight, and I get a better look. He's taller than Dom by a few inches and has emo bangs that look amazing on him, although not in style anymore. Who knew my brother had such good taste.

The guy walks around and stands next to Dom. I go over to them and hold out my hand.

"Hi, I'm Marnie." I smile.

Dom shifts from leg to leg, but his shoulders relax when the other guy smiles at me.

"I'm Tony. I'm your brother's...."

"Boyfriend," Dom finishes for him.

The two look at each other and smile. I sense that Tony is Dom's version of Flint. Afraid to tell the world but finally seeing the light.

"That's amazing. It's so nice to meet you."

"Same." He smiles.

"Was that Flint?" Dom asks.

I nod, and he senses that I'm upset.

"I'm all ears, Marnie, if you want to chat later." He offers.

I like that Dom and I have somehow gotten past whatever bad thing had come between us. My brother was always there for me, and it's nice to have him back.

I nod. "I'd like that, same for you."

"I've got to get inside. It really was great to meet you," I say.

I can't keep the smile off my face when I head inside. Sure, I've got a lot to think about with Flint, but seeing my brother happy made all that fear go away. Instead, I'm distracted by voices in the living room. Inside Derek, Lucille and Dad are attempting to play Pictionary.

"Join us!" Derek says, noticing me. "I need a partner. They're kicking my ass."

I could use a good distraction and seeing my family smiling is the perfect cure. I place my bag on the floor near the couch and sit down next to Derek. Lucille is in the chair next to the drawing board.

"Hey, can we join too?" Dom asks from the entryway.

I turn to his voice, and he's not alone. Tony stands beside him, and they are holding hands. Dad and Lucille do a double take, but there's a smile behind dad's eyes.

"Hi, I'm Jonathan." Dad stands to greet him.

"Tony, it's a pleasure." He reaches out, and they shake hands.

"There's more than enough room." Dad smiles.

As Dom walks into the living room, Dad places his hand on his shoulder. The two share a moment, and I know dad gives him the approval he was looking for.

"It's dad's turn, and he sucks," Derek says as I sit down next to him.

We end up with three teams: Derek and I, dad and Lucille, Dom, and Tony. Dad is awful at this game, and he and Lucille lose by a lot. However, Dom and Tony end up taking the win. By the time we finish, it's well after midnight. Derek retreats to his room, and I think Dom and Tony have done the same.

As I'm about to say goodnight, dad reaches out for me. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

I sit back on the couch, my eyes darting between the two of them. They're sitting on the love seat across from me, their hands entwined with each other.

"Are you guys pregnant?" I ask.

Lucille and Dad look at each other and laugh. Okay, not that.

"I know you've had a bit of trouble accepting Lucille and I...."

I hold up my hand to stop him before he goes further. "Dad, it's not that I don't accept you as a couple because I do. I was pissed that you guys kept a secret like that from me. If you love each other, I'm not going to get in the way of that. I just want you to be happy."

"I know we messed up," he says. "Lucille is someone I love with all my heart and have for quite some time. We want to make sure you're okay with our relationship. I know we should have come to you sooner about it, and for that, we apologize."

"I'm okay with it."

Wide-eyed, Lucille stares at me. "Really?"

It's taken me a while to get there, but I'm learning to accept it. After the letter from mom, my view on the matter took a drastic turn. It's not dad's fault he fell out of love. Although he could have gone about it differently, I'm no longer angry.

"Yes. I've had a while to think, and it's your life. I'm not happy with what happened, but like I said, if you're happy, that's all that matters."

Dad hesitates to say more. He glances over at Lucille before turning his attention back on me. "Would it be okay if I married Lucille?"

"Wow. Why are you asking me? Shouldn't you be asking her?" I point to her.

His laughter fills the room. "I kind of already did. But she won't say yes until you approve."

"Me? What about Dom and Derek?" I ask.

"They are okay with it. It's you."

You can see how in love they are. The way dad regards her as if she's the most precious thing in the world. I want this for him. But, for them, they deserve happiness too.

"Dad, I think it's great. If you want to marry Lucille, that is your choice. I can't stop you, but just know I'm very happy for you," I tell them.

"You're really okay with this?" Lucille asks. She has tears in her eyes.

"Yes. Really."

She walks over to me and wraps her arms around me. She's sobbing loudly in my ear, but when she pulls away, she has a smile on her face. I can't keep punishing them for something that happened years ago.

"Thank you," she whispers.

***

I should be beyond tired at this point. It's been exactly twenty-four hours since I've been awake, and it's been a wild ride. Today feels like it's been several days all piled into one. Between my amazing kiss, my day with Flint, my brother's confession, Dad and Lucille's wedding news, my brain is still trying to process it all.

Once I'm finally settled in bed and on the verge of drifting off, my phone beeps. I reach over and grab it. Flint's name lights up on the screen. He's written the lyrics from one of Charlotte Rising's older songs.

Flint: I'd offer you the world, but for now, I'll wish you goodnight.

Me: And I know you'll be waiting when I come around.