“Do you have proof of his cheating, abuse, or his ruse to meet you that night?”
Celeste is quiet, but I can feel her thinking.
“My parents have pictures I started taking, sending, and then deleting them from my phone before he checked it. He’d send me texts or pictures mocking me about cheating, so he could see my reaction when he returned home to give me my phone. I don’t think I have any proof of that.”
Celeste sits up as if she just remembered something important.
“I have an Apple watch! I wasn’t wearing it that night! It’s at my parent’s house. Everything that happened that day is in the watch! I just wish I could’ve taken a picture of him standing there smiling as my car went under…”
I popped up next to her. “He did what?” I ask loudly. I saw her flinch in the dark. “Sorry, he did what?”
“After he rammed my car into the ocean with his truck, I could see him standing there, watching me sink. I had to stay in the car as long as possible. He needed to believe he’d succeeded. If not, I’m sure he would have jumped in and held my head down.”
My blood runs hotter with every word she says. It’s one thing to have a fit of rage and do something stupid; it’s a whole different beast to watch someone drown.
“I went under water and held my breath as long as I could while moving away from my car. It was already dark; so, when I surfaced, it was hard to tell where I was. I had to keep moving in case he was looking for me. By the time I found land again—”
“You found me.”
“Yes. I instantly knew you were nothing like him.”
“I will, however, throw a Post-it stack in your general direction at some point, though, since you’re the one who’s actually married.”
I had to go with humor to lighten the mood. I’m feeling too many different emotions for someone I just met. I want to hurt Wes, protect her, and make her happy.
“Har. Har. Har. That was different. I thought you were lying to your wife. Weston knows I hate him. And I was technically divorced before I went for a swim.”
I kiss her because I can’t help it. It’s not a lingering kiss meant for seduction. It’s a peck to the lips to show affection. When I packed my bags to stew during the hurricane alone, I didn’t expect to have company. I surely didn’t expect to want her here, but I do.
We laugh when her stomach growls.
“Let’s feed you. You did fall asleep awfully early.”
Celeste frowns in the dark. “What time is it?”
“3:17 a.m.”
“I can wait until sunrise.”
I climb out of bed and take her with me.
“Your stomach disagrees. How about a sandwich and some almond milk?” I suggest as we work our way through the house to the kitchen.
“Food then sex.”
My head falls back as I chuckle hard. I turn and pull her close.
“Why are you so horny?”
Celeste smiles up at me and wraps her arms around my neck. “It’s your fault really. I was a perfectly sane woman with a million and one excuses not to have sex. Then you show up all sexy, thick, and slightly fuzzy.”
I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her waist. “I don’t see how thick and slightly fuzzy can be considered as compliments.”
“They are. And you’re warm.” She nuzzles my neck.
“The answer is still ‘no.’ Snack then sleep.”
Celeste sucks her teeth and spins out of my embrace. “Well, put some damn clothes on, you tease,” she complains over her shoulder as she swings open the fridge door.
