droopy.” I begin to remove everything that won’t work, then grumble, “You’d freaking think we were planning a junior prom. What the hell?”
“Exactly,” Summer whines. “It was a nightmare.”
Suddenly she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me again. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
When she pulls back, I give her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it under control again.”
I glance to where Kao’s grabbed some coffee. He’s leaning against the wall, watching me with a proud smile on his face.
The rest of the girls arrive, and when they see me, they all take a turn to hug me. They all shoot Kao a curious look, and it has him moving to the back of the room.
Kao being here, even though he struggles to be around people, shows me how much he loves me.
Wanting to draw everyone’s attention away from him, I say, “Let’s start the meeting.” I plug my laptop into the overhead projector. When an image of various heart-shaped lanterns appears on the screen, I say, “This is the theme we’re going with. The traditional red heart theme is overdone. We’re going with light and hearts this year.”
Once I have the girls’ attention, we begin discussing all the various aspects of the ball. By the time the meeting comes to a close, I feel more confident.
Kao was right. I have to continue doing the things I love.
As I unplug my laptop and place it back in my bag, Kao comes to stand next to me. “Admit it, you enjoyed that,” he teases me.
“Hmm…” I pull an unsure face, “maybe a little.”
Kao takes my bag so he can carry it, and then his arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me in for a kiss.
When we pull apart, one of the girls asks, “Are you guys official now?”
Grinning, I nod while joking with them, “Yeah, so hands off my man.”
Summer is the only one who says, “I’m happy for you both.”
She used to hang out with two girls I couldn’t stand, but after they left Trinity, Summer has become a friend and a great asset to the decorating committee.
Kao’s fingers intertwine with mine, and he begins to drag me out of the room, saying, “It’s time to feed your man.”
KAO
Over the past two weeks, my sight has gotten much better. I’m able to see all the primary colors but still struggle with shades. The blurriness has lessened somewhat, and I’m hoping in another two to four weeks, my sight will be back to what it was before the accident.
The main thing I’m focusing on is that my vision keeps improving.
Fallon checks the time again, and it has me taking hold of her arm. I pull her against my chest and wrap her up in a hug. “Everything is going to go well,” I try to reassure her.
Wrapping her arms around my waist, she sucks in a deep breath. “I’m just scared.”
“I’ll be there every step of the way.” Pulling her a little back, I press a tender kiss to her lips and getting to make out the rich golden-brown of her irises, a smile tugs at my mouth. “We’re in this together. Okay?”
Fallon nods, and she gives me a quick hug before she pulls back and linking our hands, we leave the room.
When we walk into the shared open space, Noah glances up from where he’s drinking coffee, “Are you guys leaving?”
“Yeah, Fallon needs to check-in by seven.”
He sets down his cup and comes to give her a hug. “Good luck, Fallon.”
“Thanks.”
As we take a step toward the front door, Hana calls out, “Hold your horses.” She comes to join us, then says, “Did you think I’d let you leave without me?”
A wide smile splits over Fallon’s face. “Of course not, but I wanted you to sleep in.”
“Not a chance in hell of that happening.”
Fallon, Hana, and I file out of the suite. While we make our way out of the building, Fallon says, “Thank you for coming with, Hana.”
“Of course. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
When Fallon unlocks the car, Hana climbs in the back, and I slip into the passenger side. Fallon gives me a nervous smile. We first put on our seat belts, then I lean over and give her a kiss.
I’ll only be able to drive once my doctor clears me. Dad’s already gotten me another car, seeing as my old one was written off. Then again, I’m not sure I’m ready to be behind a steering wheel. That’s something I’ll face