Page 115 of Falcon’s Forever

“No, he didn’t,” I confirm.

Emily watches my face. “That mattered to you.”

“Yes,” I admit. “It did.”

“He stayed.”

“He never left.”

“You know what I mean,” she says.

I do.

“He stayed at the fence,” I say quietly.

“And you hugged him.”

I close my eyes. “How does everyone know that?”

“Zip,” Emily answers.

I open my eyes again. “That man is a plague.”

She laughs, then presses a hand carefully against her side.

I point at her. “See? This is exactly why you should be asleep.”

“Don’t be funny, then,” she complains. “It hurts.”

“I wasn’t being funny.”

Emily grimaces. “That’s worse.”

She adjusts the pillow behind her back, and for a minute neither of us says anything.

"You want him back, don't you," she says.

"That's incredibly direct for three in the morning."

"You didn't say no," she says.

"No."

Her eyebrows lift. "Cara."

"I don't know." I don’t want to talk about this at three o’clock in the morning.

"That's not the same answer."

I pull my knees up under the blanket. "I want him. I can't deny that anymore." The admission feels less frightening than it did even a few days ago. "I love him."

"I know."

"Apparently everybody does." I shake my head.

"Yes, they do." She smiles at me.

"That's annoying."