“I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” I teased, as I leaned forward and turned up the radio.

He tugged on my hand, which made me fall on my side against him. “Come here, Kettle.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes as I squeezed him.

“So…what did you two talk about?” Abel cleared his throat, and I smiled against his side.

“You jealous?” I teased, as his arm tensed around me. “Don’t be.” I settled in tighter against him. “You’re my forever. He was a lesson.”

Abel’s lips pressed against the top of my head as I felt the car turn a hard left.

“Whoa. Where are we going?”

“Hotel.”

I sat up and pushed my hair from my face as I laughed at the sign. “Dead End Inn? Really?”

“You scared, Kettle?”

“Only of your sense of humor. Your jokes are going to bore me to death.”

“Cute. You’re real cute, Kettle. Now get out of the car.”

“You’re serious?”

His expression didn’t change, and I groaned as I opened my door and stepped out of the car. He got out as well, and we both rounded the front.

“So you thought this would be…what? Romantic?” I asked him.

He chuckled as he draped his arm over my shoulders, and we headed toward the entrance. “There’s someone here we’re supposed to meet.”

I looked at him confused, but I understood when he pulled open the door to the office. “Jesus,” I mumbled, as I took in the scene. There was blood, black and dried, in splatters across the walls.

“No, not Jesus. This is Brandon. He was robbed a few hours ago.” My body froze, and I pulled back against Abel’s grip. “Be cool, Kettle. What am I saying? Be like me, Kettle.”

“Oh…you got jokes?” I said. “You’re seriously joking right now?”

“You’re going to scare our new friend.” He plastered a smile on his face, and his voice rose. “You all right, sir?”

“Help,” a faint voice mumbled from behind the desk. I glanced at Abel before hurrying to the counter and bending over the edge to look down at a very badly injured Brandon.

“Is he…?” I asked, glancing back at Abel. He shook his head, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

“He would be if we hadn’t stopped here.” Abel grabbed the phone on the counter and picked it up. “It’s dead.” He started to laugh but cleared his throat as I glared at him. “All right. That was lame.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed the police as I slipped around the counter and knelt next to the hotel owner.

“You’re going to be OK.” I tried to soothe him.

His bloodied hand wrapped around my arm. “Are you an angel?”

Abel snorted, and I glared up at him. “No. We’re here to help you.”

“Thank God,” he murmured, and Abel rolled his eyes.

“Actually, my name is Abel, and this is Kettle,” he began, but I interrupted.

“Actually, my name is Delilah. You’re going to be just fine. You’re real lucky we stopped in here.” I brushed his graying hair from his forehead.

“It’s a miracle. Bless you. Bless you.”

Just when I thought Abel was going to die—a second time, for his not getting the credit for his miraculous save—we heard sirens in the distance, and I couldn’t hold back the smile that spread over my face.

We waited for the paramedics to get closer before we slipped outside and into Abel’s car. “Lesson of the day, dear Kettle, is that without whatever happened to us in the past, this guy wouldn’t have been saved today.”

“So…everything happens for a reason?” I asked, confused.

“No. Shit happens.”

“Oh, that’s poetic.”

“But we saved his life, so it kind of makes it worth it, right?”

“I guess.” I slid against his side as he pulled out of the parking lot and passed the ambulance and police cars that were on the side road.

“You guess?” He shook his head as he stepped on the gas, and we continued on our trip west, toward California. “Kettle, you’re not embracing my awesome. Embrace the awesome.”

“So are you going to tell me how you knew?” I pulled back to look at him, and his gaze flicked to mine.

“Well, I’d always had a feeling of awesome, even as a young boy.”

“My God. You’re infuriating.”

“Kettle, I’m touched, but you don’t need to call me ‘God.’”

I shook my head. “You’re so lucky I love you.”

“I know. Trust me—I know.” His tone was serious as he pressed a kiss into my hair. “I love you too, Delilah.”

Happily ever afterlife.