Page 47 of Wild Lies

When she’s gone through them all, she looks up at me, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you for bringing me, for sharing this part of you with me.”

I throw an arm around her shoulder and place a kiss in her hair, inhaling her vanilla and fruity scent. “Thank you for coming,” I mutter.

When we reach the truck, I unlock the doors and hold hers open for her, outstretching a hand so she can climb in. She slides into the middle of the bench and busies herself with fastening her seatbelt as I throw my duffle in the bed and jog around the hood.

Climbing into the cab, I meet Chloe’s heavy-lidded stare, her excitement from earlier replaced with a fatigue that I feel to my bones. It’s been a long day.

“Let’s get you home,” I say, starting up the truck as I pull on my seatbelt.

She rests her head on my shoulder as I pull out of the parking lot, and within a matter of minutes, her breathing has evened into a steady rhythm beneath the hum of the engine. I’ll take her back to my place.

For a second, I wonder if I could have this—have her—for good, not just this temporary vacation fling that we’ve got going on. Part of me hopes that she’ll choose to stay, that the work Maddie can give her will be enough for her to uproot her life, but the truth is, I can’t guarantee that.

What if she doesn’t want that? What if she meets with Maddie tomorrow and still decides to return to Seattle? All we ever agreed to was for me to play the part of her devoted fake boyfriend. She’s never mentioned wanting more.

When I pull up outside my house, I kill the engine, sitting in the dark as I stare at the house I built for a family I didn’t think I’d ever have but can see more clearly every day since I met Chloe.

My gaze drops to her head still resting on my shoulder as she gently snores, the sound mixing with the soft tick of the engine as it cools. She shifts against me, her warmth sinking under my skin, and for a heartbeat, I let myself imagine that this is forever.

An ache settles into my chest, and I know that not having her doesn’t really feel like an option.

Tomorrow, I’m going to have to talk to her about what comes next. With only two full days left together, time is ticking.

28

CHLOE

Stretching my arms above my head, I blink my eyes open, staring up at a ceiling bathed in sunlight that is definitely not the one in my cabin. It takes me a moment to remember Kade waking me as he propped me up on the edge of his bed. I thought we were in my cabin, and it didn’t even cross my mind to question him as he helped me get changed into an oversized white T-shirt. How I didn’t wake up when he brought me in from the truck is beyond me.

Either way, it’s nice to wake up in his space and a room where his scent still lingers.

Rolling over to face his side of the bed, I frown when I find the spot next to me empty. Maybe he had to go to work. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s left me in his house, and I’m ashamed to admit that I did poke around the last time. My curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know more about the man that has enamored me, simply by existing.

The scent of bacon wafts through the door, and I throw back the covers, climbing from Kade’s massive bed. Like a cartoon character finding a freshly baked pie on a window ledge, I let my nose lead me. The wooden staircase is cool under my feet, and I’m no more than four steps down when I hesitate. Should I get dressed? Maybe leave? I dismiss the thoughts before they’ve had time to fully form.

This is Kade we’re talking about.

My Kade.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he has cooked up a feast and made plans for us for the day. In fact, I’d put money on it.

When I reach the kitchen, Kade’s standing over the oven, dressed in a black tank top and gray sweatpants with a backwards cap on his head. I lean against the doorjamb, crossing my legs at the ankles and thanking the heavens above that he won’t be able to tell what the sight of him is doing to me.

The kitchen is filled with the aroma of coffee, bacon and him. It’s the kind of morning I never want to end.

“Hey, handsome.”

Looking at me over his shoulder, Kade winks at me before pointing to the coffee pot on the other side of the room. “Morning, buttercup. There’s fresh coffee, and breakfast will be ready in five, so take a seat.”

Called it.

I cross the room, rolling my lips to keep my grin at bay. He might not realize it, but Kade seems to have a thing for taking care of me. Not that I’m complaining, but if he spoils me too much, I might never leave.

God, I don’t want to leave as it is.

I haven’t felt like myself in such a long time, and being here in Coldwater has given me a little bit of myself back. It isn’t just the place, but the possibility of being able to start over without anybody else’s expectation weighing me down. Add Kade into the mix and I already feel like I’m home. With only two full days left to go until my flight back to Seattle, the thought of going back feels all kinds of wrong.

Regardless of how my conversation with Maddie goes today, I need to tell Kade how I feel: that going back couldn’t be further from what I want and that although he’s not the entire reason I’d be staying, I would like to date him. For real.