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The wind whipped off the ocean, tangling Julie’s hair and sending cold tendrils of breeze down her neck. She pulled up the collar of her jacket, glad for its warmth.
She looked over the water. It was the same shade of grey as the sky so the two blended together at the horizon; one disappearing into the other. Los Angeles was known for its perfect weather, but this January had been colder and rainier than most. But the temperature had been the last thing on her mind when she’d driven to the beach that afternoon.
And she’d be a lot colder once she stepped into the water.
She walked along the boardwalk towards the far end of the beach by the pier. Her boots echoed against the damp wood, wet from the morning’s rain. They were only ankle-high, but she’d worn them in the hopes they’d fill with water. It’d be easier to drown if she was under the waves.
She pulled her right sleeve back, despite the sharp wind, and inspected her wrist for what would be the last time. The skin was still bare; no name curving around her forearm to tell her the identity of her soulmate. The one person that would’ve kept her anchored to the world still wasn’t there.
Mami, she prayed. Are you there? She’d been praying to her mother for months, ever since she’d died. But she’d never received any kind of answer. Not a symbol or a sign or anything to tell her that Rose had crossed over and was watching her from the other side. She was truly, deeply alone.
Julie closed her eyes. Mami, this is the last time I’ll ever be able to pray to you. Please, give me a sign.
The sound of someone singing to the melody of a guitar drifted to her as she walked. It was a fast-paced, happy tune that had her bobbing her head to the beat before she’d even thought about it. Her mother had always loved music. On instinct she turned towards the sound, looking for the singer as she walked.
She found him almost immediately. He was a man around her age, wearing jeans and a pink hoodie, which offered no protection from the wind. His hands were chapped and red from the cold, but they were sure where they danced over the string of his acoustic guitar. His features were even, with high, sharp cheekbones, a slightly turned-up nose and a mouth that looked like it was made for kissing. He was very handsome, despite how pink his cheeks were from the sharp breeze, and how messy and tousled his straight brown hair. His green eyes glinted with happiness as he sang:
“Ain’t gonna fight it, ‘cause it’s useless. I can’t get this music out of my head.”
“It’s like the beat is taking over. Weight off my shoulders, dancing instead.”
“And something’s feeling different in the hallways, something’s looking, looking like it’s changed.”
“I’ve been moving to the rhythm for the whole day. A million lyrics running through my brain… “
Her lips curled up in a smile as she listened, caught up in the infectious joy of the song. She remembered when music felt like that, an irresistible force filling up her heart. Until it was ripped from her, leaving only a dark, empty hole in its wake.
The thought killed the tiny spark of joy his singing had caused. She let his music blend into the background and turned back to the water and its compelling depths. All she’d have to do was swim far enough her feet couldn’t touch the bottom. Her jacket and boots, and the cold, would do the rest.
“I’ve got the music, back inside of me, every melody and chord!”
“ Can’t stop the music, back inside my soul and it’s stronger than before.”
“I got the music. It won’t let me go. I got the music. Just like a radio. I got the music, streaming from my soul. And it’s stronger than before!”
Julie smiled to herself as he played the final notes of the song, enjoying his enthusiasm even if she could barely remember what it felt like. Without his playing, there was absolutely nothing to keep her on the shore, but she was the only one around and he had been playing his heart out. She found a couple of crumpled bills in her jacket pocket and dropped them into his guitar case. “That was really good.”
He beamed at her, his green eyes shining. “You really think so?”
She nodded. “Your voice is really beautiful. Sweet but edgy. Great for rock and roll.”
His smile got impossibly wider. “Thank you so much! Hey, you’re not an agent, are you?”
She had to laugh at his excitement. “Afraid not.”
His smile turned flirty. “That’s okay. I’m always happy to speak to a beautiful woman.” Julie’s cheeks warmed. Stop it, she admonished herself. She’d come here for one reason only, and it had nothing to do with an attractive singer on the boardwalk.
Something must have shown on her face, because his expression grew serious. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She smiled, hoping it didn’t look as fake as her answer. She hadn’t been fine for a long time.
His expression became even more serious. “Are you sure? Because—” There was a loud crack of thunder, and then suddenly rain was coming down in thick sheets. HIs eyes grew wide and he practically threw his guitar back into its case, slamming the lid closed and fastening the latches. “Fuck,” he swore under his breath as he stood. His hair was already sopping. “You don’t know a trick for drying a guitar, do you?” he asked with a grin, but his eyes were pained.
“I think you covered it before it got too rained on. Just make sure you dry it thoroughly when you get home. It should be okay,” she told him, her attention already back on the water. The rain had soaked her hair and cold drops were snaking their way down her neck. She shivered, even while she welcomed the sensation. Walking into the water would be so much easier now she was already wet.
“Oh, yeah, home,” he said. Something in his tone didn’t sound quite right. It pulled her gaze from the water and back to his eyes.
He’d put his hood up in a feeble attempt to keep dry, only the rain had soaked through and he was wet from the top of his head to his knees. Water ran in thin rivulets down his face, and his beautiful mouth was turned down at the corners. He’d jammed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, like it would do anything to keep him warm. The bleak look on his face told her everything she needed to know. “You don’t have a home?”
“Is it that obvious?” His grin barely reached his eyes.
Julie surveyed him; how his clothing was totally inadequate for the weather, the way the water dripped from his hair and off his ridiculously long eyelashes; the way his shoulders trembled from the cold. “Do you have anywhere to go?”
He looked up the boardwalk, like shelter would miraculously appear on the nearly empty beach. “I’m sure I’ll find something.”
Something. Like an overcrowded shelter or maybe a doorway some other member of the homeless community hadn’t claimed first? California winters were mild, but even healthy people could die in 50-degree weather if they were soaking wet, and she could already see he was cold. How long would he last if he didn’t find shelter soon?
She looked back out at the water. The surface was rippling with the wind and the rain, as miserable and grey as the remains of her heart. All she wanted to do was walk straight into the surf and never come out.
But if she did that, she’d be condemning this boy to the same fate.
Did you send him? she asked her mother. Is he the sign I asked for? There was no reply.
Julie sighed, knowing her choice had been made as soon as the rain had started. “I’ll take you back to my place,” she said. “You can get warm and dry your guitar. Come on.” She turned and started walking up the beach, head bent against the wind.
He jogged to catch up, his guitar case bouncing against his thighs. “Wait. Are you serious?”
She glanced at him. “Are you going to kill me?”
His head bobbed back, shocked. “No!”
“Too bad,” she said, and he laughed like she’d been joking, but then his expression sobered.
“You don’t have to do this. I mean, you don’t even know me.”
“No, I don’t. But you don’t know me, either. Maybe I routinely bring homeless musicians home and harvest their kidneys.” She grinned
He blinked, then laughed again. “Fair point.”
They reached her car and she unlocked it, going to the driver’s side while he put his guitar in the back before sliding into the passenger seat. “I’m going to get your car all wet.”
Julie shrugged. The seats being damp was the least of her worries. “They’ll dry.”
He licked his lips, a small pink dart of his tongue that Julie couldn’t help but track. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.” His words juddered as he spoke, his shoulders shaking with his shivering.
She nodded, unsure how to reply to that level of sincerity. She turned on the motor and cranked the heat to its highest level. “We’ll be home soon,” she said.
Julie’s apartment was in her mother’s former studio.
It was on the same property as her family home where her father still lived. Not that he was ever there.
She led him inside, making sure to shut the doors firmly behind her to keep out the weather. It was warmer inside, and Julie sighed in relief. The cold had penetrated her jacket even with the heat on, and she was glad to finally be somewhere warm.
They kicked off their wet shoes at the doorway, and he peeled off his wet socks. His feet were long and very white against the polished concrete.
“T—this is really nice,” he said as he took in the large space. It was an open concept with a kitchen that led into the living area and a short staircase leading to her loft-style bedroom. The bathroom had the only door.
His well-formed lips had taken on a bluish hue and he was stuttering, which Julie recognized wasn’t a good sign. She frowned and took his guitar case from him. “We need to get you out of your wet clothes.”
“Is that a p—pick-up line?” he grinned.
Julie rolled her eyes and steered him towards the bathroom. “There’s a shower in there. Leave your clothing outside the door and I’ll wash them.”
“You d—don’t need t—to do t—that,” he protested. “I’ll j—just hang it up to d—dry.”
“Washing and drying it will be faster.” He also smelled a bit like a wet dog, but she didn’t feel the need to tell him that. Besides, everyone deserved clean, dry clothing. “Now hurry up before you freeze to death.”
“I’m f—fine,” he stammered, but dutifully pulled off his hoodie, dropping it on the floor with a wet splat. Julie was immediately confronted with the smooth ridges and plains of his bare chest and well-formed abs. His skin was very pale and covered in goosebumps as his body tried to compensate for the cold.
“Get into the shower,” Julie ordered him, tearing her gaze away from his beautiful body.
He nodded and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. It opened almost immediately and he shoved out his jeans and underwear; a pair of red boxer-briefs that made Julie smile. She quickly dried off his guitar, leaving the case open, then listened at the bathroom door until she heard him turn on the water. She shoved his clothes into the washing machine under the loft stairs, stripped, and then threw her clothes in with his and turned it on. He was safely ensconced in the shower but Julie still ran up the loft stairs and pulled on the first pair of sweats she could find. She then wrapped her hair in a towel, sighing in relief at being warm and dry. There was a basket of clean laundry by her bed and she eyed it critically, wondering if she had anything for him to wear.
There was a time when most of Luke’s wardrobe had been in her place, but that was before her mom got sick and they’d broken up. The sudden jab of grief was sharp enough to make her gasp. Sometimes she didn’t know what hurt worse; losing her mother or Luke.
She’d just found a pair of her brother’s old sweatpants he’d outgrown in sophomore year and a large T-shirt she’d stolen from her dad when she heard the bathroom door open and close. She dashed down the stairs, clothes in hand. “Hey, I got these… “ Her voice trailed off.
He was standing in front of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his waist. His hair was damp and combed back from his forehead, highlighting the incredible green of his eyes. As she watched, a bead of water drifted from his collarbone and down one well-defined pec. Her mouth went dry and she quickly averted her eyes. She held out the clothing. “Here.”
“Thank you,” he said softly. The feeling of his fingertips brushing hers was electric. Her gaze drifted back to his against her will, like she was being pulled by a magnet.
His face was still far too pale and the bluish tinge to his lips hadn’t faded. She frowned at the shivers rippling over his skin. “You’re still cold?”
He nodded. “The water wasn’t really warm?”
Julie closed her eyes in frustration. “I turned on the washing machine while you were showering. It must have been using all the hot water. I’m really sorry—”
“It’s okay,” he smiled despite the small tremors coursing through him. “I’m just glad to be clean.”
“But you’re freezing!” She held out the clothing again. “Put these on. It’ll help.”
He took the clothes from her with a grateful smile and disappeared back into the bathroom. Julie huffed in frustration at herself. She’d been trying to help the guy, not accidentally kill him. She might have not warmed him up, but she could at least feed him. She went to the kitchen.
Her cupboards were tragically empty, and her fridge wasn’t much better. But then again, she hadn’t really made grocery shopping a priority when she planned not to be around. There were some pizzas in the freezer and she pulled them out and turned on the oven. It wasn’t even close to gourmet, but she figured he wouldn’t mind.
He. She hadn’t asked his name, she realized, just like he hadn’t asked hers. Did that mean he’d already received his Soulmate’s Name and didn’t need to search any longer? Or was he like her, and had lost hope of a Name ever appearing? He’d hidden his right wrist the whole time he’d been shirtless. She’d been so distracted by his beautiful body she’d never even thought to look.
She looked down at her wrist, but it was still as blank as ever. Her heart twisted with the familiar rush of despair. It didn’t matter what his name was. He wasn’t hers. She was destined to be alone.
Luke had always promised her they’d get each other’s Names one day. Once they knew each other better, or were older, or were ready to get married, or any of the other millions of reasons he made up for why they’d stayed Nameless even though they were so in love. She’d believed every single one.
The oven’s beeping broke through her melancholy thoughts, and she popped the pizzas onto the rack and set the timer, turning to lean her back against the counter as she waited. The door of the bathroom opened again and the man came out. He looked marginally more comfortable in the T-shirt and sweatpants, but he was still shivering. His feet looked cold against the cement floor.
Julie grimaced. “I don’t have any socks that will fit you. I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine,” he said with a smile. He came into the kitchen and sat down at the small round table and rubbed his arms. “I can’t believe I’m still cold.”
“A cold shower after getting soaked will do that,” Julie said sardonically. She went to the couch and grabbed her reading blanket, draping it over his shoulders. He wrapped himself in it, smiling gratefully. He was so handsome when he smiled. She cleared her throat and busied herself getting plates from the cupboard. “I hope frozen pizza is okay?”
“It’s great,” he said. “You’re doing so much for me. Thank you so much.”
She smirked at him. “A cold shower and frozen pizza isn’t a lot.”
“It is to me,” he said with the same level of sincerity he’d had before. It made Julie’s heart pang to hear it. No one should be that grateful to be out of the rain.
“You’re just easy to please,” she joked, trying to ease the pain in her chest.
“Maybe I am,” he said, eyes locking with hers and crinkled at the edges. Julie’s pulse leapt. He was flirting with her and she didn’t exactly hate it. But he wasn’t soulmate. She looked away.
The timer pinged and she carefully manoeuvred a couple of the pizzas onto a plate. She turned only to realize he was standing right next to her, just on the edge of her personal space. Close enough she could smell her shampoo on him. She just stopped herself from leaning into him to see if his skin tasted as good as he smelled. “Here,” he said softly, putting his hands out, “let me help.”
She handed him one of the plates and he put it on the table, before finding some glasses in the cupboard and filling them up with water. She joined him at the table. He looked at her questioningly. “Do you pray before you eat?”
Julie shook her head. “I don’t really believe anymore.”
He nodded like he’d heard more in her words than what she’d said. “I get that. I don’t really, either.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what had happened to change his mind, but she didn’t. For sure he’d turn around and ask her the same question and she certainly wasn’t ready to share. She gestured at his plate with her chin. “Eat before it gets cold.”
He tucked into his food exactly like she’d expect a homeless person to do: quickly with a frantic edge like it could be taken away at any moment. He’d cleared his plate in the time it took for her to eat half of her first pizza. It was both heartbreaking and strangely endearing. Wordlessly she slid her second onto his plate.
He went to grab it, then blushed. “I’m being a pig.”
“You’re being hungry. When was the last time you ate?”
His blush deepened and his voice dropped to a mumble even as he shoved the pizza into his mouth. “I don’t remember.”
“You’re hungry,” she repeated. “I have peanut butter and bread if you want more?”
“I’m good.” He sat back and patted his stomach. “Thank you.”
“It’s just frozen pizza.”
His flirtatious smile was back. “I’m easy to please, remember?”
She let herself fall into his eyes for a moment before pulling her gaze away. He was far too captivating. She was trying to come up with a good retort when the washing machine played its ‘Your clothes are done’ song. She got up.
He stood too. “Let me.”
“It’ll take me longer to teach you than to do it.” Julie waved him off and put the wash into the dryer, setting it to make sure it’d be both dry and warm when it was finished.
“How long will it be?” He asked. “Because I can head out as soon as it’s done.”
Julie looked out the windows that ran along the back wall of the studio. The rain was still coming down in sheets, one of the hardest rainfalls she’d seen in Los Angeles. She got her phone from where she’d left it on the counter, checked it and then put it back. “My weather app says the storm’s going to last until morning.”
The man bit his lip, and Julie fought down the urge to press her mouth to the same place. “I can still go,” he said softly, but he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.
Julie made a face at him. “I’m not sending you out in that. I’m not that cruel.”
“Of course not!” he said immediately, like the idea of her being cruel was ridiculous. He moved towards her, his toes curled against the cold of the floor. “But I’m just a homeless guy you met on the beach. There’s no way you’d want me to stay.”
Julie moved closer to him, noting the way his shoulders were shaking minutely under the blanket. “You’re still shivering,” she said.
His eyes dropped to her mouth, and then back up to meet her gaze. A soft one-two punch straight to her sternum. “I’m warming up.”
She took another step towards him, close enough to reach out and touch his hand that was still clutching the blanket around his shoulders. His skin was cool under her fingertips. “You’re cold,” she said, aiming for matter-of-fact, but her words came out breathy with the speed of her heart. What was he doing to her? He wasn’t her soulmate. There was no reason for her to be this attracted to him.
But she was, falling for him exactly like a boat over a waterfall. Just as powerless and out of control.
“I’m warm,” he murmured and suddenly they were kissing. She didn’t know who’d moved first, but his hands were pressed against her back and her fingers were twined through his hair. He held her against him, fusing them from chest to thigh. She could feel every inch of him pressed against her and he was warm, warm enough to send liquid heat directly to her centre.
She licked at the seam of his mouth, and he obliged by opening for her. She slid her tongue inside and he moaned. She could feel his arousal against her, heavy and hot and she wrapped her arms around his neck, balancing on her tiptoes to get as close as possible. The blanket slipped from his shoulders to pool around their feet.
He pulled back, his eyes blown wide and chest heaving. “Is this… do you… are you sure you want to do this?”
She slid her hands down to his shoulders. His mouth was reddened and swollen from their kisses, a faint blush colouring his cheekbones down past his collar. He was absolutely gorgeous and she wanted him so badly she could taste it. But there was a line she wasn’t going to cross. “Do you have a soulmate?”
He was shaking his head before she’d even finished. “No. No. My wrist is blank.” He held his right arm out, displaying the tender skin of his inner wrist, pale and Nameless.
“Mine, too,” Julie said. I’m alone. It was on the tip of her tongue to say it, but she ruthlessly shoved it down. She was with him now, and right now that was enough. She’d deal with her heartbreak later.
He was still staring at her with his incredible green eyes, desire reflected in their depths. “Then, if you want me, I’m yours.”
“I want,” Julie whispered and kissed him again.
Julie woke and stretched, feeling pleasantly sore from the night before.
He’d been as good in bed as he’d been with his guitar, playing Julie’s body as well as any instrument. But even more than that, his gentle touches had put the pieces of her heart back together. It wasn’t healed, not by a long shot, but she could feel a glimmer of hope instead of the constant crush of despair. She’d actually woken up happy for the first time since her mother died.
Her mouth curved into a smile. Whomever this man was, she was very glad she’d met him.
She hummed happily, the song rising effortlessly from her chest. ”Ain’t gonna fight it, ‘cause it’s useless. I can’t get this music out of my head… “ It was the same song she’d heard him sing on the beach, stuck in her head like he was stuck in her heart. She giggled, light with happiness. She hadn’t wanted to sing for months.
She reached over to his side of the bed, wanting to share her joy with him. Her fingers contacted nothing but her sheets. Her eyes snapped open. He wasn’t there.
He wasn’t in the loft. She got up and put on the sweats he’d so carefully taken off her the night before, her fingers clumsy with her panic. As she pulled her pants over her hips, her eye was caught by a dark mark on her right wrist. She stared at it, then touched it. It was slightly elevated, and warm like a healing wound. She rubbed at it, then licked her thumb and rubbed it harder. It didn’t smudge or fade.
She pulled her sweatshirt over her head and then pushed the sleeve up to her elbow. The mark was still there. Three separate words written in a strong, masculine hand.
It was her Soulmark. It’d finally come.
“Dios,” Julie whispered. Her heart was pounding on her rib cage so hard she couldn’t breathe. She’d prayed to her mother yesterday; begged her for a sign.
There wasn’t a sign in the Universe bigger than the Name of her soulmate stamped on her wrist.
Desperately, she leaned over the railing, searching the small space below for any sign of him, praying he hadn’t already left.
He was there, fully dressed in the clothing she’d washed for him, bent over the kitchen counter, moving a pen over a piece of notepaper as he wrote a letter goodbye.
“Oh no,” she murmured, then shouted: “No, no, no!” as she flew down the stairs to where he was. “What are you doing?”
He startled; his stricken expression telling her everything she needed to know. She gasped like she’d been stabbed. Her heart, barely healed, immediately shattered.
“Why?” she choked out, the word thick with unshed tears.
“Because… “ he started, then swallowed like he was also fighting a lump in his throat. “Because you’re a perfect angel and I’m a homeless loser you had to save from freezing to death. Because you’re everything that’s good and kind, and I’m just… “ He shook his head, his green eyes brilliant with unshed tears. “I’m no good for you, Julie,” he whispered. “You deserve so much better.”
The remains of her heart thudded painfully. “What did you say?”
“I’m no good for you, and you deserve—”
“No! My name! You said my name!” She grabbed his hand, sending the pen clattering to the counter. She shoved the sleeve of his hoodie as far up as it could go.
It was there, emblazoned across his right wrist in her own handwriting. Julia Rosa Molina.
“You have my Name,” Julie said softly. “Reggie, you’re my soulmate.”
He looked at her, his eyes wide. “Reggie…?”
She nodded and pulled back her sleeve to show him his name: Reginald Eugene Peters
The way his eyes lit with happiness quelled her fear, and she gave him a tremulous smile. “I think you look more like a Reggie.”
He grinned back. “And you look more like a Julie.” But then his expression crumpled. “Oh Julie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry it’s me.”
She took his hand and led him to the couch, making him sit. “Why would you even say that?”
“I’m no good for you. Julie, I ran away from home before I finished high school. I’ve been living on the streets, busking for change for three years. There’s no way you should—”
“Why’d you run away?” she interrupted before he could put himself down any further.
He looked away. “My dad tried to kill me,” he said softly, like admitting it was somehow shameful.
Julie’s blood was flooded with ice at his words. “What?”
“My dad… “ He shook his head, like he was shaking off a memory. “I had to leave.”
“Oh my God,” Julie breathed. “Reggie.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay!” Julie said hotly. “It’s awful and horrible and I’m so glad you got away! That’s brave, Reggie. Not shameful. It’s really brave.”
“But I haven’t finished high school. And I came to California to make it as a musician but no one will hire a guy with no fixed address. I’m a loser, Julie. And you deserve so much more.”
“Or maybe you’re the one who deserved more. Like a good family and a real chance.”
He blinked like what she’d said was totally earth-shattering. “But I’m homeless.”
She stroked his cheek, loving the feel of the delicate stubble under her fingertips and the hard lines of his cheekbones. “You’re a survivor. And besides, you’re not homeless now.”
He leaned into her touch, then what she’d said penetrated and he stared at her. “You can’t mean that.”
“You’re my soulmate. And it would break my heart if you leave.” Her voice cracked on the words.
He brushed a tear off her cheek, his eyes full of sympathy. “Julie?”
“My mother died a year ago,” Julie wept. “And my dad got a new Name six months after that. Like she didn’t matter.”
Reggie pulled her into his arms, cradling her against him. “Oh Julie, that’s so awful.”
“And my brother thinks Dad’s boyfriend is the best guy ever, so I can’t even talk to him about it,” she sobbed against his chest.
“That’s got to hurt.”
She chuffed out a wet laugh. “You want to hear the stupid part?”
“I don’t anything causing you this much pain is stupid,” Reggie murmured against her temple.
“My high school boyfriend, who’d told me for years we’d be together no matter what, who said it was only a matter of time before my Name ended up on his wrist, who told me we were going to get married, suddenly decided us being together was keeping us from getting our Names. He broke up with me. Can you believe that?”
“You lost all of them,” Reggie said, voice soft with empathy. “You had no one left.”
It felt so good for him to say out loud what she’d been feeling for months. “They were all gone. I was so alone.”
“And here I was, trying to leave you too. I’m so sorry,” Reggie said with a wince. He held her tighter.
Julie pressed herself against him. It was amazing to be held by her soulmate, like his very presence was healing something she’d thought was broken for good. “I was planning to walk into the ocean,” she confessed quietly. “I’d worn my heaviest jacket to make it’d go quicker. I just wanted everything to end.”
“Oh my God. Julie,” he breathed. “I’m so glad you’re still here.”
“I’d asked my mom for a sign. When I was on the boardwalk,” she continued. “I prayed to her to give me a sign to not go into the water. She sent me to you.”
She could hear the awe in his voice, and her heart warmed with how he didn’t even question her belief. “She sent you to me?”
Julie nodded. “I even woke up singing the song you were singing. I kind of thought my music was gone for good.”
He moved so he could look at her. “You’re a musician?”
“I was. I mean, I am. I just haven’t played… “
“Since your mom died,” he finished for her.
She nodded again. “I’ve just been really sad.”
He took her into his arms, his chin resting against her crown, and she snuggled against him. They fit so perfectly together. Reginald Eugene Peters. The man she was always meant to find.
“I’d like to sing with you. One day. When you’re ready,” Reggie said against her hair.
“Me, too,” she said, realizing it was true. “And I’m so glad you’re here. Runaway high school dropout and everything.”
She felt the rumble of his laugh. “I want to help you through this, Julie. Because… because I know how dark that place can be. I want you to know you’ll never be alone again.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “And I think I’m going to call my school’s counselling services. My friend Flynn says they’re pretty good to talk to.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” He took a breath. “And maybe… call your dad?”
Julie stilled with his words. “I haven’t spoken to him in a while.”
“I get that,” Reggie said. “But maybe now’s a good time? He’d probably like to know you got your Name.”
“He would,” Julie agreed. “I’m still mad at him for getting Trevor’s so soon after Mom died.”
“Oh yeah. The Universe can be a real bitch sometimes.”
Reggie’s soft words were like a smack across the face. Humans had no control over anything about their Names. Not where, or when or who. If they did, she and Luke would’ve gotten each other’s Names years ago. “It wasn’t my dad’s choice, was it?”
“To get a new Name so soon after losing his wife? Probably not.”
The epiphany was ringing in her head like a bell, making everything so much clearer. She’d been so caught up in her own pain, she’d never thought what her father might’ve been going through. She moved so she could see Reggie’s face. “Thank you. I’ve been mad at my dad for a really long time, but your words… I think I might be ready to talk to him now.”
His beautiful mouth curled up at one end. “Really?”
She nodded, returning his smile. “My mom really did send me to you. I’m sure of it.”
“You know, I almost packed up before that last song, but then something made me stay. If I’d left, I would’ve still been caught in the rain, but you wouldn’t’ve been there to keep me from freezing. Do you think your mom did that, too?”
Julie stared at him, eyes wide. “It was my mom. I know it!”
Reggie brushed a curl behind Julie’s ear. “She was looking out for both of us.”
Julie’s eyes filled with tears. “She saved us.”
He gently brushed a tear off her cheek with his thumb. “I’m glad I met you, Julia Rosa Molina.”
“I’m glad I met you, too, Reginald Eugene Peters.” She bit her lip. “Does this mean you’re going to stay?”
He nodded. “If you’ll have me?”
She smiled into his eyes as another piece of her heart slid back into place. “Forever.”
END