The First Last Kiss Read Online Free

yeah?’
    I nod and sniff and lift up my camera to indicate that I can keep myself busy.
    He hands me his rucksack and blows me a kiss as he walks backwards then breaks into a run, streaking across the park like some kind of action hero.
    I turn around, snapping furiously as I try to capture the colour and beauty of this pretty pocket of the park. The sun is disappearing behind the silhouetted treetops, creating jewel tones of coral, amber and ruby in the sky. I focus my lens on a sign to my left and suddenly realize that I’m standing at the entrance of Strawberry Fields. I shiver, as much with the sense of musical history as the wintry chill. I glance down and notice the ‘Imagine’ mural on the ground ahead, laid in honour of John Lennon after he was shot in 1980. I walk up to it and gaze at it. My dad would love to see this. He loves The Beatles.
    I hate that I’ve tainted a single moment of this perfect trip with bad memories from the past. I want to put it right, focus on today – that should be my motto. Just focus on how good life is right now. Suddenly I have an idea. I put down the rucksack and, giggling to myself, I quickly pull out all the ridiculous novelty souvenir items we’ve collected over the past couple of days and put them on one by one.
    I feel pretty silly standing here alone like this, but it’ll be worth it for the look on his face when he appears with those coffees. I adjust the foam Statue of Liberty crown and wave at some passers-by who are looking at me out of curiosity. I can’t believe I’m the strangest thing they’ve seen in this city. I look around. Ryan’s been gone for ages. Where the hell is he?
    I busy myself taking photographs of the scenery surrounding me, finally pointing my camera down and photograph the mural for dad. My red Converse are just poking into the picture and I’m still looking down when I hear Ryan’s voice.
    ‘Close your eyes, Molly.’ His breath warms my forehead as his hand suddenly covers my eyes. I can hear the amusement in his voice. ‘Nice to see you’ve dressed up for the occasion.’
    ‘What occ—’ he puts his finger across my lips to silence me. ‘Ryan?’ I whisper through his finger. ‘Have you got my latte?’
    ‘No, Molly.’
    ‘Hey!’ I protest, opening my eyes momentarily. ‘I’ve been waiting ages!’
    ‘I said, close your eyes,’ Ryan repeats firmly.
    ‘I don’t know why you’re being so bossy, Cooper . . . ’
    ‘While you’re at it, can you please close your mouth too?’ The restrained laughter is evident in his voice.
    ‘Charming!’ My eyes ping open.
    ‘Are you ever going to do anything I say?’ he asks, clearly exasperated now.
    ‘Probably not,’ I laugh and he looks pleadingly at me. Reluctantly I squint my eyes shut.
    I sigh as I’m cloaked in darkness. ‘Now what?’
    ‘Well,’ he says, the warmth on my neck disappearing and his voice sounding more distant. ‘I want you to open your eyes and look down at your feet.’
    I do what he says and see the mosaic again. Imagine. It strikes me what a beautiful word it is, full of hope, possibility and belief.
    ‘Now,’ he says, his voice sounding strange. ‘Imagine for a moment that we’re here alone. Imagine that it is just you and me, like this. There’s no one else here. Just you, me, the earth, the sky and the sun, stretching out before us endlessly . . . ’
    ‘Sounds lovely,’ I sigh, opening my eyes briefly. He’s not there. I go to turn around. ‘Now what?’ I close my eyes again and I hear music start playing, the opening chords of a song. I start humming along.
    ‘Now imagine that I am right beside you . . . ’
    I stop humming. ‘But you’re not, you’re behind me . . . ’
    ‘ . . . all the time,’ he continues determinedly. ‘Beside you all the time. From now on. Always.’
    I open my mouth and close it again. ‘That sounds nice,’ I say quietly, trying to block out the voice in my head that’s saying, Is he about to do what you