Mosaic Read Online Free Page A

into one of those trances. Temporary insanity.
    Luckily, Rachel had already packed her overnight bag and headed to Brad’s. I’m not convinced we would’ve cared if she was still in the house, our reunion was so intense.
    Within seconds of him parking his car (that Beemer his dad gave him), I was in his arms. He carried me straight inside with our mouths stuck together and us all wrapped around each other like Asian contortionists. Or spaghetti. Or monkeys.
    We sort of flew together then bumped back, knocking over the coffee table on our way to falling on the couch. I’m not sure the front door even made it closed before our clothes started flying. I barely had time to spread my hand over the round tattoo on his torso before he was driving my skirt higher, devouring my mouth, pushing my panties aside.
    “I missed you so much,” Julian’s breath was hot against my skin, and I was pretty sure my body would combust if he paused for even a nanosecond.
    “No, I’ve missed you,” I breathed, my fingers threading in his silky hair, inhaling his clean, beachy scent.
    My stomach was painfully tight as the magnitude of missing him collided with the intense happiness of holding him again. We stretched and curled, trying to press our lips against every part of each other’s skin. He was pushing inside before I even registered how ready I was to welcome him.
    Yeah, typing all this is pretty crazy now, but it was hot. The whole night was pretty much the same. At one point during it all, my eyes grew damp. I’d let myself think about how our time together was so short—less than two days and he’d be gone again on Sunday afternoon. I tried to smother the feeling, but a sob jerked in my chest. I was wrapped so tightly in his arms, clutched against his chest, that of course he felt it.
    “Hey.” His voice was low as he smoothed my hair away from my face. His warm lips pressed against my brow, working his way down my temple to my cheek then my jaw before lifting up again and holding my gaze. I was powerless against those Kyser blue eyes.
    “I love you.” It was a simple statement, but he said it with such conviction, it could’ve been a mandate. “This separation isn’t forever.”
    My eyes were still burning with unshed tears, but I blinked them back and nodded. “I know.” My voice had the slightest tremble. “I love you, too.”
    He hovered above me a few minutes more, holding my gaze, as if that simple act would somehow forge a concrete edifice of fact. We loved each other. What we were doing, being in college pursuing our dreams, was so important, but it was also temporary.
    In the next breath our mouths were together again, and I’m not sure we would’ve left the duplex if Rachel and Brad hadn’t called and texted repeatedly, insisting we meet up with them for brunch at the Camellia Grill. It was the next morning, and we were lying beside each other on our backs.
    “You’ve got it right over your bed.” Julian’s fingers lifted my curls off my shoulder. I turned into him, placing my cheek on his chest listening to his heartbeat. I was drowsy with happiness and love and pure bliss of holding him.
    “Hmm?” I wasn’t sure what he was talking about at first, and I was reluctant to lift my head and break contact.
    “I get it next semester, right?”
    The watercolor. The one he’d made of us apart but held together by our dragonflies—I was wearing my ring, and I lifted his hand to slide my thumb over the little tattoo on his.
    “Hmm,” I frowned. “If you take it, you’ll have to give me something to put in its place.”
    He chuckled, and I did lift my head to press my lips against his skin. That’s when my phone buzzed. Rachel was texting again about meeting for brunch, and I knew Julian wanted to see Brad. The two had become almost inseparable by the end of senior year—just like their dads had been, although Julian didn’t know about that. Neither of them did. I was the only one who’d read