Part of me wants to tell Kieran to ease up on Jim and Carlie, but I figure he’s had enough to deal with tonight without me trying to plead their case. So I take one last look into the dark before turning us around to head back to the Laniers’ hand in hand, stopping every once in a while so Kieran can rest or so we can get in a few more kisses before we’re no longer alone. Eventually, the dirt path between my house and his gives way to his driveway, and we stop to take in the light coming from every window in the house in front of us.
“Guess they waited up,” Kieran grumbles as I check the time on my phone.
“Still pretty early,” I report, realizing I forgot to text Kayla on the way like I said I would, my brain a little kiss-scrambled right now.
“Can you stay a while?” he asks. “I’m not sure I’m ready to spend quality time with them alone yet.”
I squeeze his hand. “Of course. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
He smiles and leans into me, his lips brushing across my forehead and down to my eyelids before ending their travels at my ear. “Then you might not be going home tonight,” he whispers. “Or ever.”