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Ana gave a hint of a smile. “A giant Paul Bunyon statue.”
“You really like giant things, huh?”
“Of course. Why do you think I keep you around?” It was an attempt at a tease, but it hit differently. The curl of her lips left my chest feeling tight.
Even when I reminded myself daily of keeping my feelings for her platonic, sometimes she made it hard without trying. Made it hard not to think about the wall separating our relationship.
Obviously, there were lines that I was not allowed to cross. I would be one hell of a bastard if I caved. Owen’s trust would be broken the moment I tried anything with his sister.
If Ana knew I secretly craved her every night I slept on that lumpy couch of hers, my ass would be tossed on the street in seconds.
“I figured it was because of your lack of friends,” I offered with a shrug. That earned me an eye roll and a scoff.
As if she could ever look at me in a romantic way. Maybe when pigs could fly. Maybe in my dreams. That is, if I could be lucky enough to get any sleep being around her so closely.
No matter how bad I’d want to cross a line or two, I’d keep myself away. I needed to keep my head clear. Stay focused on the tasks at hand. I wouldn’t let any filthy bastard near her, including myself. Owen trusted me enough to protect his sister. That’s all our relationship needed to be.
“Kind of hard to have friends when you scare them all away,” she reminded me as if it should have been obvious. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t sound upset by my interference. Though, she didn’t exactly seem thankful for it either.
I had more than enough time on my hands. Sure, I used a lot of it at that library she worked at. How was I supposed to keep an eye on her unless I was with her? Being far away enough to avoid interfering with her life, I made sure to remain close enough to do what I needed.
Grunting as an answer, the air felt a little lighter. Resting back in the seat, I tried to get comfortable. I trusted Ana enough to know she’d get us to our first location unharmed. Resting my eyes, I let my exhaustion pull me into a deep slumber.
With what she had in mind, I would definitely need the energy to keep up with her. A nap could help prepare me. No doubt about that.
???
The small shake against my shoulder brought me to. Ana was leaning close, fighting back a smile as she continued to shake me even after I woke up. With the sweet smell of vanilla in the air, I almost thought I was still dreaming.
“What is it, are we already there?” I asked as I looked around. How long had I been sleeping? From the looks of it, the sun was now high in the sky. I must’ve gotten a few hours at least. My limbs felt heavy and cramped from being forced to stay in the same position.
She shook her head as she pulled away. “We are close, but I saw a sign that made me want to make a pit stop.”
Taking the chance to look around, I noticed the shops surrounding us. Only one day into the trip and she already wanted to go on a shopping spree. With my luck, I didn’t think I would be able to stay in the car.
With the excitement returning in her eyes, I could see how worked up she felt to buy some things. Giving in, I already moved to open the door. I needed to stretch out my leg anyway. The position I was in was starting to ache.
Once she had jumped out, I had to fight to keep up with her. With how she was moving, I could imagine the rest of our day would be dedicated to making purchases alone.
When she had her arms filled with bags, I thought that would be the end of it all. Instead, once we were on the road again, she had made another stop claiming that she saw something else online about a particular shop.
The third stop during our trip and I was already eager to wrap the day up. Despite her back seats being loaded with bags from different shops in different cities, Ana continued to want to make small pit stops. I could only imagine how much her wallet would be hurting by the end of the trip.
Speaking of hurting, my leg was starting to ache. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d walked around so much. I was not normally one to complain, but when I found a bench, I offered to take a seat and let her go in the next place alone.
With the weather so nice, I at least had a nice view as I waited for her. Rubbing at my leg, I tried to ignore the ache of my skin. While I was beyond glad to ditch that wheelchair, the prosthetic I was given liked to rub me raw after long days like this.
With my pants covering all evidence of my disability, I still felt a lick of shame every time my aches reminded me that a piece of my body was missing. Each time my fingers brushed the metal attachment, my insides curled.
Ana was one of the very few people I knew who hardly ever questioned it. Rarely did she ever look at me in pity. Sometimes, she looked curious. Though, she never went through and asked. One day, she’d ask how I lost half of my leg.
I wouldn’t lie when that time came around. I’d tell her about my mistake. About the homemade explosive.
She’d hate me. I could only hope that she’d never ask. Every day, I dreaded the conversation.
Letting out a sigh, I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and refused to acknowledge it. Soon, we would get to the hotel and I would have my own room and at that point, I could throw my damn leg across the room and not even feel bad about it.
Sitting out there for what felt like a lifetime, the door to the shop opened and Ana appeared. She came out with another bag on her arm. Approaching me, she flopped down and let out a sigh.
“I think I’m ready to call it a day,” she declared. Thank God. I didn’t think I would be able to survive another stop. “But I gotta do something real quick.”
Without giving much of an explanation, she dug through her bag. When her face lit up, I figured she found what she was looking for. Though, I didn’t expect her to suddenly move toward me. Drowning my senses in a sweet vanilla scent, a heard a click and finally noticed what she had in her hands was a camera.
Giving her a questioning look, she lifted a brow. “What? I don’t go on vacation often. Gotta take some pictures to help me remember this down the road.”
“So, the hotel’s the next place to go?” I asked her after clearing my throat. I was more desperate to relax than I thought. Even now, I had a hard time keeping that a secret. Plus with her being so close, I struggled to think.
Ana nodded as she tucked her camera back into her bag. “Yeah. Then it’s going to be the same thing over and over. Maybe we can check out more sightseeing views tomorrow. Gotta do a little more research before we leave tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I got enough stuff today. Let’s go grab a bite first and then we’ll call it a night,” she promised.
Getting to my feet, with her words, I was able to make it back to the car with a straight face. The last thing I wanted her to be worrying about was my condition.
