Page 106 of A Thousand Second Chances

“About damn time!” Quinn says into the awkward silence that follows. “Maybe now you two will stop sneaking those sad little glances at each other.”

Chris blinks out of his stupor to scowl at her. “I wasnotsneaking sad little glances!”

“I don’t know what else you’d call them. There was some next-level pining going on.”

“Idon’tpine.”

She pats him on the shoulder. “Sure, you don’t.” She hops to her feet, her rainbow dreadlocks swishing. “Anyway, I think I’d better give you two lovebirds some time to talk. Later.”

That leaves only Chris and me, and while I’d resolved to kiss him, I hadn’t gotten much past that. I play with my glasses. “I, uh, know it’s not much, so far as grand gestures go. I mean, there’s hardly anyone up here on this level except Quinn, and she doesn’t really count. But just so you know, I’ll gladly kiss you anywhere else you want if you need more proof.”

He opens and closes his mouth several times as if struggling to find the words he wants. “But…I thought…last night…”

I reach out and tentatively take his hand. My heart is pounding out of my chest, but I swallow down my nerves and free the words fighting to escape. “I love you, Chris. I never stopped loving you. And I’m finally ready to admit what I want. Forreal.”

Chris yanks his hand back, and my stomach sinks. “What about your dad?” he demands, his voice almost frantic. “Or your mom? What about not wanting to come out? We’re not stuck in a time loop anymore, Perce. This is real life—no more redos. No more second chances.”

I smile hesitantly at him. “Well, I was sort of hoping for one last second chance. The rest, we can figure out as we go…so long as we do ittogether.”

He doesn’t answer right away, his entire body tensing, and my smile slips.Am I too late?Just because I’ve gotten my head out of my ass and chosen Chris doesn’t mean he’s still open to being with me. Had I let him down one too many times?

“If, that is, you’re still interested,” I add hastily. “I mean, I know I should’ve done this a lot sooner, and I’m sorry it took me so long to accept what I want. I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you. You deserve it. I want to be with you, more than anything, and—”

Chris surges forward, shutting me up with a kiss. I close my eyes, relishing the taste of him and the electric tingle the press of his lips sends sizzling across my skin. Eventually, he pulls back, grinning fondly at me. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Does that mean I’m not too late? You want to try again, too?”

He cups my face, bumping the cold tip of his nose against mine. “Of course, I do. Because nothing is more real to me than this.”

He leans into me, and I wrap an arm around his shoulder, holding him close to my side. We’re still snuggling like that when Quinn rejoins us and starts chattering away like nothing’s amiss. Like we’ve known each other a lot longer than the handful of interactions she remembers from yesterday. Perhaps some inner part of her recalls all the moments we’ve shared across different iterations of that infinite Saturday.

Or perhaps it’s just Quinn being Quinn.

Occasionally, I catch her eyeing Chris and me with a small grin, but she doesn’t say a word. I’m grateful. As resolved as I am to be with Chris, this wholepublic display of affection thingis still pretty new and leaves me feeling uneasy. If things go awry now, there’s no way to hit reset. Trailing my fingers down Chris’ back, however, while his soft bangs brush against my cheek, I can’t imagine why I’d want to.

Where the ferry ride out on Friday had seemed to drag, this one passes in a blur. Before I know it, Chris and I are untangling ourselves to grab our bags and disembark. I spy my dad right away, his sleek sports car parked in the drop-off lot. He honks, leaning out the window to wave.

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” Quinn says. She leans in and hugs me, her grip surprisingly strong. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t,” I promise, waving at her as she starts down the path along the shore leading to the overnight parking lot.

Chris hesitates, his eyes flicking from me to my dad. He gives me an uncertain smile. “Later, Perce. Call you tomorrow?”

This is it—moment of truth.I could smile, nod, and let Chris walk away. Or…

Fighting down the bundle of nerves buzzing in my chest like angry hornets, I grab Chris’ hand and tug him toward the car.

“What are you doing?” He tries to yank his hand free, but I tighten my grip. “Quinn’s waiting for me. I’ve gotta go.”

“This won’t take long,” I assure him. “I just want to introduce my dad to my boyfriend.”

Chris inhales sharply, stumbling on the gravel. “Are you sure about this, Perce? This is all still new to you. You don’t have to rush anything. We can take our time, work up to—”

I shake my head. “No. No more excuses. This is what I want.” I glance at him and grin. “Youare what I want. And it’s way past time I acknowledge that.”

Though he tries to put on a brave face, I feel his hand trembling in mine. I take a steadying breath.I can do this.

As we draw close to the car, my dad steps out of the driver’s seat. “Hey, son,” he says. He turns toward Chris. “And who’s your…” He falters, his eyes locking on our linked hands.