"Come on," Oliver is leading me back out through the alley, both of us finally done crying. As we head back around, I see a huge staircase going up right on the corner.

"Did I walk right by this?" I look at it and see a sizable balcony.

"Yeah, I have no idea how you missed this," Oliver confirms.

"Are you sure this was always here?"

He lets out a short laugh, but it's slightly hollow. I know he's hurting, but he's trying to act like he's good.

"Erin! I found her. She was at the Hideaway!" Oliver yells up the stairs, and the brunette comes to stand at the top of the stairs and looks down at us.

Oh, jeez, he had help looking for me? Was I gone that long? I wonder if he had Erin set up that balcony like Kelsey did for Gabe... I'd feel even more terrible if that's the case.

"Oh good! Kinsey, I'm sorry. I should've just told you to go inside and had them show you up here," Erin calls down.

"You're fine. I just missed it," I tell her, my cheeks flush red with embarrassment. I bet inside, she's laughing at what a moron I am.

"Well, get up here, you two. They're making fresh appetizers. Vin, Josh, and Sadie are all here now, too!"

Wait huh? Who?

"Change of plans, Erin. Kinsey's got to leave. I'm going to bring her to the airport, but I'll be back to join you all soon, okay?"

"I was going to introduce you to some of my coworkers tonight," Oliver tells me quietly.

Oh, his coworkers?

"So, you didn't have some grand gesture planned?" I accidentally blurt the stupid question out before I can stop it.

"No, Kinz," Oliver says. "All I wanted to do this weekend was reclaim our friendship. I didn't bring you here to pressure you about the choice."

"You alright, Oliver?" Erin's tone changes to one of worry, as she takes a few steps down and studies us.

"I'm fine," he assures her, but she's already descending the staircase anyway. "Kinz has got to get back, to Hunter."

"Oh," Erin's face says it all, she knows everything. She descends the rest of the stairs as she speaks like she's taking control.  "I will take her to the airport. Oliver, go up and get a stiff drink."

"I still need to book the plane, and we need to go get her stuff," Oliver argues. "You've done enough overtime this weekend."

I can make the call, and I have a key card to your place," Erin reminds him in a firm tone. "Besides, taking your friend to the airport is not overtime it's a favor, and I like it when you owe me."

"If I don't make sure she gets on the right plane and gets home safe, Hunter will kill me."

"I can handle getting on the right plane," I tell them and then look at the very obvious staircase and cringe a little, I am kind of hopeless at times, aren't I?

"We can't risk you getting lost at the airport, Kinsey," Oliver says.

"I will make sure she gets on the right plane," Erin says. "You are going to go up there and have a drink with your friends. Now."

"But.."

"It's okay, go have a drink it's been a night," I assure him. "Let Erin handle this."

"I... okay," he agrees albeit hesitantly. "I will be back in Sweet Haven soon. Give me a few days, maybe a week."

"Take as much time as you need, just promise you will come home, Olly."

He smiles at the old name as he pulls me in for a tight hug. "I have to my best friend is there."

He looks over at Erin as we part. "Thanks again."

"Go on," she says with a small smile but a firm tone.

He heads up, and we're both silent as we watch him.

"Let's go get your stuff. I'll start make the call on the way," Erin suggests.

"Thanks... um..." I say as I follow her, her heels clicking loudly on the sidewalk. "I'm sure you... have thoughts about all this..."

"When Oliver told me you and he were talking again, and Hunter was part of it too, I did. Of course, I did," she says with a small sigh. "...and I shared them with Oliver because he's like a little brother to me. But, I'm not judging you, Kinsey. I don't even know you after all these years."

"I appreciate that," I say, she really has matured, and now I feel like such a drama queen for all that arch-rival stuff.

"Come on, let's hurry across the street while we have a chance," Erin directs. As she walks, she calls the airport, and I follow her. She uses Oliver's name and starts talking quickly and she walks just as fast. I hustle to just to follow her, in those heels, too! It's impressive.

I catch up with her as we reach the building, and she finishes her call.

"I got you a flight. We have an hour," she says as she unlocks the door with her card.

"Thank you again for doing all this. I'm sure helping me is the last thing you want to do on your night off."

"It's fine." She scans the door to the building with a key card similar to Oliver's and we step inside.

"No, it's really nice, and I was always such a bitch to you. You don't have to be so polite to me now."

"I don't hold crap from high school against you," Erin stops and looks at me, with a soft look in her eyes.  "And you weren't that bitchy. You just burned a lot of holes into the back of my head. Besides, if anyone was a bitch back then, it was me."

"You had reasons to be," I excuse.

"I won't deny that," she agrees. "But I was pretty snobby back then to everyone, LA humbled me pretty fast."

As we walk in, she flashes a picture badge at the security officer, and he smiles at her.

"Hi, Erin!"

"Hey, Randy!" she smiles back. "If you're not on too late tonight, we'll be closing down Luna's. Bring Gia."

She doesn't wait for him to answer but keeps walking to the elevator and I follow along; just like high school she has a certain aura about her, only now it's impressive and not so intimidating.

"Jack coming?" Randy asks as we reach the elevator, and Erin pushes the button.

'You know he is," she says.

"Then we're there," Randy agrees as we step on.

"Do you live here too?" I ask as the door closes and she hits the button to the top floor.

"No, Randy is good friends with my Jack," she explains. "Jack works security, too. We met here, actually, when I first started working here. He almost had me arrested one night. I hated him for a while until Oliver started playing matchmaker."

"I need a lot more of that story," I demand, and she laughs.

"Next time you visit," she says, the door opens and we head down the corridor. "You'll just have to come back here again. You and Oliver are friends again, and you need to hold onto that."

"I will, I am not losing him again."

"Good... That's good. He missed you and not just you, all of you. You all had a tight bond, which made it hard for anyone new to get in there," she laughs dryly at that as she lets us into the penthouse.

"You felt left out?" I ask, bewildered at the idea, she always seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but with us.

"Very," she says. "I always felt like you and Brandi were huddled up talking about me."

Well... that's not a lie. "I am sorry for that."

"It's fine I get it, " she says dismissively. "So, Hunter and you, never...?"

"Never," I confirm.

"Well good luck. Hunter's a good guy and he adored you."

My cheeks warm slightly, an easy feeling settles between us and it's nice.

"I'm glad you've been watching out for Olly," I tell her. "I hate that I hurt him, and now I've done it again."

"He did it to himself. He should've listened to me," she says, and I shoot her a curious look. "If you want to know what I told him, it was to fix his lifelong friendship with you, but watch his heart."

"He did try to do that, actually," I comment. "But I could see his hurt tonight, I hope he'll be okay."

"He will be, he's a lot stronger than you think," she assures me. "But we don't have time, we got get you to the airport."

"Right!" I say as I dash off into the guest room in a hurry.

***

I'm a mess, a total mess of nerves, as I sit in a cab clutching my purse in my lap.

My phone is dead, so I can't call Brandi to come and get me, but I lucked out that Erin was the one who made my plans. She had a cab waiting for me when I landed. She also graciously offered to let me keep all the clothes she'd packed up for me. But the only item I cared about was that Camel shirt.

I have the old sweatshirt on over the shiny black dress I was wearing. I swapped the boots for tennis shoes so that I could run through the airport. I look ridiculous but I don't care.

All I care about is getting to Hunter. What's he going to do? Will he take me in his arms and kiss me breathless?

What if ... he doesn't? What if he doesn't trust me now? What if I messed it all up with my stupid, mixed-up head? He was angry earlier, so angry. He's never been angry at me before.

Ever.

...And I once backed his brand-new truck into a pole and dented it to all hell.

Know what he said? "Just a truck, Darlin."

He's been there for me through everything and then some. He put me back together when I was broken. He's been patient and steady through all this, and I have been a confused mess.

Of course, he's pissed at me. He maybe won't even want anything to do with me now. Maybe he'll push me away - tell me to leave alone.

Even though, logically, I know that's not true, and he won't, the idea makes my eyes swim with tears as if I haven't cried enough tonight.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The driver asks.

"No... but I'm trying to be. I'm trying to make it right," I mumble.

He turns up the radio and I realize he didn't want the answer, so I shut up.

"Stop here!" I say as soon as he drives past the orchard.

"Here? You sure? There's a driveway right up ahead."

"No here please," I say as I open my purse, and hand him a few twenties.

I get out and he takes off fast, nearly giving me whiplash. I see Hunter's truck parked in front of his trailer, and a light is on inside. I take a brave breath as I step up to the door, I don't hear Hunter, Harley, or the TV as I get closer.

It's just past nine, so maybe Harley is sleeping. I carefully open the door and step inside.

"Hunter?" I whisper, but as I step further inside, I don't find anyone. There is a beer and Hunter's cell phone sitting on his table but neither of them are here.

"They must be at the house then," I mumble. I reach over and feel his beer, and it's warm, weird that he just left it. My gaze falls to his phone, and I wonder if he tried to call me, my phone has been dead for hours.

I pick it up and see a few calls to my number and a long text.

Kinz... I was only calling to tell you I'm sorry. I told you to figure this out and that I'd be patient, and I was anything but tonight.

I sense everything at a boiling point with this lately and I was on edge. I think I know where this is going. I think you made your confession and ran from it.

I get it he's your damn soulmate, the love of your life. How do I compete with that?

But that moment on the roof was everything. If all we get are some kisses and stolen confessions, I'll take it.

I love you. No matter what you do, you just be happy.

"No... Hunter, no."  Tears are streaming down my face as I race out of the trailer, through the yard to the house. I don't stop running until I'm inside, panting as my stunned mama and dad look at me from the table.

"Kinsey?" Dad asks wrinkles his brows as he takes me in.

"We thought you were in New York." Mama looks confused as he does

"Where's Hunter?" I ask as I look around. I hear the TV from the other room and start towards it.

"Not in there; Harley is in there watching a movie; Hunter left a while ago. Hon, what's going on?" Mama says.

"I can't get into it right now. His truck is here. Where is he?"

"He went for a walk," Dad says. "You okay, Kinsey?"

"No, I need to find Hunter," I plead. "A walk? through the orchard?"

"No other direction," Dad says. "Past the cherry blossoms, take your time walking by the old field..."

"Wha– okay," I'm confused but all I care about right now is getting to him, assuring him.

"What in the world was she wearing?" I hear Mama ask as I run out the door.

I try not to run so I don't get any sweatier but I walk fast down the dirt road. I do as my dad says and slow down as I get towards the old, abandoned field.

The sky is lit up with stars tonight, and I can see him, Hunter. Well, the silhouette of him, his back to me, standing far into the field.

I start towards him through the dead grass, some of it tall and some of it bare, there's hard lumps I nearly trip over and I'm glad I wore tennis shoes. I can hear grasshoppers singing all around me, growing louder and louder as I move through deeper grass.

"Hunter?" I call his name as I get closer, and he turns around, I see his eyes are glossy, and I start moving faster, closing the distance between us in a hurry.

"Kinz? What are you doing here?"

"I came home," I say, pointlessly.

Suddenly, I am so nervous I feel like I might pass out; my hands are clammy, and my heart is pounding like a drum. It's like I'm fifteen in his room all over again. "To... to talk to you."

"I was afraid of that." He closes his eyes and turns away.

"No, Hunter, no–"

"This was it," he says. "My grand gesture. This land."

"What?"

"Do you remember when we were kids and I told you I wanted to build a house for my wife someday like Judd did?"

"Of course, I do. It was the sweetest thing in the world."

"What I didn't add is how much I wished that wife would be you. I dreamed about it even, a life with you," his eyes grow misty, and a sob escapes my lips.

"Hunter..."

"Wait, Darlin let me finish, it's okay, but I want you to hear what I wanted to tell you."

"But you–"

He puts his finger on my lips a sad look in his eyes as he gives me a soft smile. "We always rode our bikes past here, and I started picturing it, right here. This future I could have with you, this house I would build for you, and we'd be so happy.  We'd be so close to your folks and the orchard.

"Sixteen years old, and those were the thoughts that ran through my mind all the time. Even long after I shouldn't have been daydreaming about stuff like that, I was," he confesses. "It was a lovesick boy's dream, obviously, the land was never even for sale... until a few weeks ago. It felt like fate."

He pauses momentarily and then says, "So I bought it."

"You bought this land? This whole field?" I gasp in wonder as I look around us.

"In the end, your happiness is all that matters to me. I want you to have a place that's yours, all yours, every bit of it,  down to what flowers you want outside."

I can't find words, I try, but it comes out as a sob.

"...and I want to be the one that builds it for you. I get that might be overstepping him, but it's the one thing I've always wanted to do for you. Will you let me build it for you, Darlin, please?"

"There's only one problem with that," I whisper as I step closer and place my hands on his cheeks.

'What?" His face fills with confusion. "You don't want me to build you a house?

"I'd rather you build us a house," the words come out all shaky as I'm crying. But I smile through my tears as I gently strum my fingertips over his coarse cheeks.

"What are you saying, Darlin?" His tone is timid and boyish, and his lip trembles.

I take a small step back and pause to gather my thoughts. My eyes are still teary, and my feelings are so deep. I don't even know where to start.

"I saw your text just now, actually. My phone was dead," I say gathering both the words and the courage as I go. "Hunter, you were right about a few things but wrong too. Oliver is my soulmate. We  grew up together, and we have a special bond. I think, in part, that's because of how isolated we were for a lot of our childhood. So when that was severed, it did break me. Him too. But I rebuilt myself stronger, and so did he.

"But we were left with a lot of hurt and unresolved feelings, Olly and me. So when he showed up here. I was so confused. I didn't know what I was feeling for him.  Neither of us did really," I let out a shaky breath. "Once we sorted through all that rubble of the past. What we both wanted more than anything, was our friendship back, and we finally have that.

"You were wrong about the other part, though. Someone can be your soulmate and not the love of your life. Those two things don't have to go hand in hand. They don't for me."

"They don't?" His husky voice is nearly a whisper, and his teary blue eyes are beginning to fill with hope.

"No, they don't because you were right about the first thing you said about me running from you," I confess. "That's exactly what I was doing, what I have been doing. You said you never didn't love me, and I've never not loved you. I loved you before I knew what it was. I loved you when I wasn't supposed to, when I pretended I didn't. I don't know a world where I don't love you. We call each other best friends, but we both know it's so much more than that, Hunter."

"So much more," he agrees, stepping closer, reaching for my hands, and pulling me back in.

"Olly isn't the love of my life. You are," I stress the words, making sure he cannot doubt them.

"Please tell me this is real," he comes in closer, holding my face gently in his large hands. "Because if it's a dream, I never want to wake up."

"It's real," I'm crying now. "I love you, and I want to be with you."

I barely even get to finish before his mouth claims mine, urgently and without warning. I entwine my arms around the thick of his neck, pulling him closer as he deepens the kiss. I can taste our salty tears as we devour each other, and it's the best taste in the world. I feel like we're floating above the ground in some magic bubble made just for us.

We're both breathless as we part, standing there in the middle of this empty field, breathing hard and clinging to each other as our tears finally give way.

It's dark, but it's like the sun is shining down on us, warming us finally after years of cold.

It's like we're...

"Home.." I say out loud. "We're finally home."

A smile lights up his whole face, highlighting every handsome detail under the light of the stars.

"You ready to finally do this thing, you and me?" He asks as his arms encircle around my waist, pulling me in, his cobalt gaze locking me in place.

"I think we waited long enough," I say and he lets out a small laugh.

"I'm sorry, I got scared and floundered between you two like I did. It wasn't fair to you."

"You don't need to apologize. I got why you were scared and confused, and think you needed to do exactly what you did. We all made mistakes, all three of us, but you know what? It's just life, timing all that, it's been unfair to us. It tested the hell out of us, but look at us, Darlin. Twenty years later... you are the goddamn love of my life too, and we've never even been together."

"Until now," I say, he leans his forehead against mine.

"Until now," he whispers it back to me and a slow smile spreads across my face.

His starts peppering little kisses down my face, making me giggle, and I feel so light so happy. Our lips meet again as he lifts me up spinning us around.

"I lied, Kinz," he drawls, as he sets me back down.

"About?"

"Getting over you" he crushes his lips against mine as he speaks. "Never would've happened. Never will."

"Take me home, Hunter," I plead in a breathy voice, and his gaze darkens, his grip tightening.

"We are home, little Darlin," he murmurs in a husky voice as those eyes trail down my face.

"Then take me right here."