Lifting my head, I surveyed the room, watching our classmates dancing and having fun. And I loved it. I looked at each person I had grown up with, wondering what they would make of themselves when they grew up. Who’d they marry, if they’d have kids.
Then my eyes stopped at a familiar face, looking at me from across the room. Avery was sitting with another group of friends. When I caught her eyes, I held up my hand and gave a small wave. Avery smiled and waved back.
When I looked back to the table, Rune was glaring at Avery. When my hand landed on his arm, he sighed and shook his head at me. “Only you,” he said. “Only you.”
As the night passed, I watched on, completely content as our friends danced the night away. I treasured this time. I treasured seeing everyone look so happy.
Rune’s arm came around my shoulder. “How did you do this?” I asked.
Rune pointed to Jorie and Ruby. “It was them, Poppymin. They wanted you to have this. They did it all. Moved the date forward. The theme, everything.”
I eyed him skeptically. “Why do I get the feeling it wasn’t just them?”
A blush flared on Rune’s cheeks as he shrugged casually. I knew he’d done a lot more than he’d let on.
Inching closer, I took his face in my hands and said, “I love you, Rune Kristiansen. I love you, so, so much.”
Rune’s eyes closed for a second too long. He breathed in deeply through his nose, then opening his eyes, declared, “I love you too, Poppymin. More than I think you’ll ever know.”
As I cast my eyes around the gym, I smiled. “I know, Rune … I know.”
Rune held me closer. He asked me to dance, but I didn’t want to take my chair out onto the crowded floor. I was happily watching everyone else dance when I saw Jorie walk to the DJ.
She looked over at me. I couldn’t read the look in her eye, but then I heard the opening chords of One Direction’s “If I Could Fly” flood the room.
I stilled. I had once told Jorie that this song made me think of Rune. It made me think of when Rune was away from me in Norway. And more than anything, it made me think of how my Rune was with me in private. A sweetheart. Only for me. For my eyes only. When he told the world that he was bad, he only ever told me he was in love.
He was loved.
So completely.
I had dreamily told her that if we had ever married it would be our song. Our first dance. Rune slowly got to his feet; it seemed like Jorie had told Rune.
As Rune leaned down, I shook my head, not wanting to take my chair on the dance floor. But then to my surprise, with a move that completely stole my heart, Rune took me in his arms and swept me to the floor.
“Rune,” I protested weakly, wrapping my arms around his neck. Rune shook his head, not saying a single word, and began to dance with me in his arms.
Refusing to look anywhere else, I stared into his eyes, knowing he could hear every lyric, seeing clearly in his face why he knew this song was for us.
He held me close, swaying gently to the music. And, like it always had for Rune and I, the rest of the world fell away, leaving only us two. Dancing among the blossoms, completely in love.
Two halves of one whole.
As the song hit its crescendo, slowly bringing it to a close, I leaned forward and asked, “Rune?”
“Ja?” he rasped back.
“Will you take me somewhere?”
His dark-blond eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded in agreement. As the song ended, he pulled me in for a kiss. His lips shook slightly against mine. Feeling overcome with emotion too, I allowed myself a solitary tear, before taking a deep breath and shooing it away.
As Rune withdrew, I whispered, “Kiss nine hundred and ninety-five. With my Rune. At prom as we danced. My heart almost burst.”
Rune’s forehead pressed to mine.
As Rune moved us to leave, I glanced to the center of the floor. Jorie was standing still, watching me, tears in her eyes. Capturing her gaze, I placed my hand over my heart and mouthed, “Thank you … I love you … I’ll miss you.”
Jorie’s eyes closed. When they opened again, she mouthed back, “I love you and I’ll miss you too.”
She held her hand up in a small wave, and Rune met my eyes.
“Ready?”
I nodded, then he placed me in my chair and took me from the hall. When he had placed me in my seat and gotten into the car, he looked over to me.
“Where are we going, Poppymin?”
Sighing in complete happiness, I revealed, “The beach. Let me see the sunrise from the beach.”
“Our beach?” Rune queried as he started up the car. “It’ll take us a while to get there and it’s already late.”
“I don’t care,” I replied, “As long as we make it before the sun.” I sat back, taking Rune’s hand in my own as we began our ultimate adventure to the coast.
* * *
By the time we arrived at the beach, the night had drawn on. Sunrise was only a couple of hours away. And I was content with that.
I wanted this time with Rune.
As we pulled into a parking spot, Rune looked over to me. “Do you want to sit on the sand?”
“Yes,” I said hastily, staring up at the bright stars in the sky.
He paused. “It might be cold for you.”
“I have you,” I replied and watched as his expression softened.
“Wait here.” Rune slipped out of the car, and I heard him taking things from the trunk. The beach was dark, lit only by the bright moon above. In the moonbeams, I saw Rune laying a blanket on the sand, a few extra blankets from the trunk beside him.
As he walked back, he reached up and undid his bowtie, then snapped open several buttons of his shirt. As I stared at Rune, I asked myself how I had gotten so lucky. I was loved by this boy, loved so fiercely that other loves paled in comparison.
Though my life had been short, I had loved long. And in the end, this was enough.
Rune opened the car door, and reaching in, he took me in his strong arms. I giggled as he cradled me. “Am I heavy?” I asked as he shut the car door.
Rune met my eyes. “Not at all, Poppymin. I’ve got you.”
Smiling, I pressed a kiss to his cheek and laid my head on his chest as he walked us to the blanket. The sound of crashing waves filled the night air, a gentle warm breeze blew through my hair.
When we arrived at the blanket, Rune dropped to his knees and gently laid me down. I closed my eyes and inhaled the salty air, filling my lungs.
The sensation of wool covering my shoulders made me open my eyes; Rune was wrapping me up warm in the blankets. I tipped my head back, watching him behind me. Noticing my smile, he kissed the tip of my nose. I giggled, suddenly finding myself held tightly in Rune’s protective arms.
Rune’s legs straightened to box me in. My head fell back to rest against his chest. I let myself relax.
Rune pressed kisses to my cheek. “Are you okay, Poppymin?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m perfect,” I replied.
Rune’s hand pushed the hair back from my face. “Are you tired?”
I went to shake my head, but wanting to be honest, I answered, “Yes. I’m tired, Rune.”
I felt as well as heard his deep sigh. “You made it, baby,” he said proudly. “The blossom trees, the prom…”
“All that’s left are our kisses,” I finished for him. I felt him nod against me. “Rune?” I said, needing him to hear me.
“Ja?”