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He sits up, wrapping his arms around his legs, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Seems my people called your people.”
“So it seems.” I lick my bottom lip, shifting from one foot to the other, thinking about what Halli interrupted. He pushes off the ground to stand up. “What now?”
“I guess you don’t need to be that quiet,” he draws out, lunging for me at the same time. I bite back my yelp as he tackles me to the bed.
He digs his face into my hair and takes a long slow sniff, making me giggle. “You have no idea how intoxicating you are. I’m already getting high.”
“You and that sugar addiction.”
“It’s more like an Aspen addiction,” he replies. I gaze into his eyes, looking for truth. Second-guessing what everyone tells me, is not what I want to do.
“I feel like my life is distorted. What you see is not what you get. It’s like this wild distortion. Two worlds colliding, creating this warped reality. I’m questioning everything and everyone,” I admit. He deserves to know where my head is.
“I see only you, and that hasn’t changed.”
I don’t agree with him. Everything has changed.
“Are you going back to the island?”
A fresh round of doubt creeps in. Why didn’t he ask me to stay here, with him? Is he here just to relieve his guilt? When he leaves, is this it for us? Is this goodbye? We seem to be good at doing that.
And if the answer is yes, I can’t hold it against him.
I’m a disaster.
Why would he want to be with me?
“I… I don’t think so,” I stumble over my words, having no clue what I’m doing. “If I stay, will you…” My voice loses its confidence, afraid of his answer.
He licks his bottom lip and quirks up his brow. “Finish what you were saying, Whiskey.”
I twist my lips, hating when he makes me say exactly what I mean. He knows what I’m asking.
“Will I see you again?” I breathe out. The air around us stills as if his answer will be the only thing to give me life. A rejection will be another blow, but at least I’d understand.
“If I could stay away from you, I would’ve done it the moment I left the island.” He opens his mouth but then snaps it shut. My heart sinks deep into that void of hesitation. “But you need time to figure out your new life before we can give us a true shot.”
I drop my chin, knowing he’s right, but it doesn’t stop the disappointment. “Are you here out of guilt?”
His hand lifts my chin to meet his eyes. “You think I’d sneak past Secret Service, who have orders to shoot first then ask questions, because I feel guilty?”
“I come with a lot of baggage.”
“Whiskey, you come with an island of baggage and I still don’t care. You told me once that the right woman would be worth it.” He shifts forward, pressing his lips to mine. “You’re worth it.” His words take a direct path to my heart, warming it. “I just want to give you time to figure stuff out. And you have a shitload of stuff to figure out. But I’ll be here, waiting. I promise.”
“I’m scared.”
“Of what?” He pushes up on his arm, reaches over and tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“Of everything.” My chest heaves as panic builds. I glue my gaze to the white ceiling. The vulnerability in my voice scares even me.
“Aspen, live life like an adventure. You are the strongest woman I know and since I’ve known you, you’ve attacked every challenge thrown at you.” I close my eyes and a tear rolls down my temple. They ripped away my strength with my past life. With the lightest touch, he wipes it away. “I mean, you wrestle sharks. How much more badass can you be?”
He makes me laugh. “I’ve never wrestled a shark.” Although, I’d rather be swimming with hungry sharks than swimming into the unknown.
“No, but if you did, I’d bet on you.”
I tuck my body into his. “How long are you here?”
