Page 68 of Crease Collision

I lean back against his arm and let the music wash over me. With Oskar, it is more beautiful than ever.

When the concert ends, the applause is too jarring after the beauty of the concert. We get up and join the line to exit the church.

When we reach the door, Oskar takes my hand again. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

The outside air is chilly, and the streetlights seem extra bright after all the candles. The sidewalks are still crowded, and the smell of food lingers throughout the neighborhood.

But I’m more comfortable. Less thinking, more being.

We don’t talk much during the walk home, though we spend a lot of time looking over to catch each other’s eyes.

As we turn onto my street, Oskar says, “Thank you for tonight. I haven’t been to a concert for too long.”

“You really liked it?”

“I loved it. And it was even better because I was there with you.”

My chest does something stupid and fluttery. “Yeah?”

“Definitely.” His thumb traces circles on my palm.

In front of my building, he turns to face me, and the doorman pretends not to watch.

Oskar raises our hands and places them against his chest. His heartbeat is so steady I want to touch it with my other hand too.

Resisting the urge, I break the silence. “Thank you for going with me. This has been so nice.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he says.

“Good. I should be home by noon.”

He nods, but we keep looking into each other’s eyes.

“I should…” I start, not finishing because I don’t know how to end the sentence.

“Yes. I need to get home.”

He leans in and brushes a kiss over my lips. Our stubble catches as he pulls away, such a thrill that I almost ask him to stay.

“Goodnight, Kai. Du är så skön.”

“What does that mean?” I ask, trying to ignore the thrill racing up my spine. Swedish is… Well, how can it sound so… If he says much more, I might get hard.

“It means you are comforting to be around. My brain goes quiet when I touch you.”

Without saying anything else, he releases my hand and turns to walk away.

“Oskar?”

He looks back. “Yes?”

“The next time we see each other, maybe you should catch the rebound.”

At first, I think he doesn’t understand, but then a slow smile spreads across his face. “Only if you promise to let one in.”

“We’ll have to see.”