“I’m sorry,we?” I snorted at his sheer ridiculousness. “What are you talking about?”
“You wanted to learn how to skate, and so that’s exactly what I’m going to do, teach you.” He glanced at his watch. “But unfortunately I don’t have all day, and you’re wasting my time with tedious conversation.”
“I— well, why does it have to be at six in the morning?”
“Because these are the hours at whichI’mavailable and I have a schedule to stick to the instant the clock strikes nine till sundown,” he explained. “This isme, making time foryouraspirations.”
“This is you making time for me, huh?” I challenged, folding my arms.
“Against my will, but yes nevertheless.”
I looked him in the eye at that and held his gaze, bathing me in warm chocolate honey and unwavering warmth despite how he’s grown so accustomed to the cold. I glanced down, realizing how I had literally just woken up and I was still in pajamas.
“Fine,” I agreed not wanting to argue with him. “I’ll wash up and meet you in the lobby.”
“Please get the hell out, Wyn, you’re robbing me of my sleep!” Sydney chucked a pillow at him. “You’re so annoying!”
“Ah. I hear that often.” He shakes his head at the realization with a cocky expression. “Make it quick, we have three hours and thirty minutes left.”
“Out!” I insisted, and he chuckled, closing the door behind him.
“Guys…” Remi cleared her throat in anticipation.
“Yes?”
“Is this a safe space?” Remi wondered.
“Uh oh.” Sydney sighed.
“Yes,” I assured her.
“He’sso freakingpretty,” Remi teased with a mischievous grin. “Honestly, I will never judge you for being so hung up on him, I’ll never wonder why again, I get it. The accent alone isenough to make me forget every remnant of feminism existing in my mind.”
“The accent always gets them, doesn’t it?” I slipped on a pair of pink leggings and a white tank top with a bow at its shoulder. “Remember the fact that he could’ve had a Geordie accent instead of a Yorkshire one if his dad had actually gone to college a little further away.”
“What’s so bad about a Geordie accent?” Remi asked.
“Have you watched a single episode of Geordie Shore?” Sydney snorted a laugh.
“No…and now I never will, thank you.” Remi shook her head.
“In my humble opinion Americans should never complain about accents!” I informed them.
“Fair.” Sydney sighed, falling back onto her pillow.
“He’s a total geek, I swear people just never see that side of him because they’re too busy deciding whether or not they want to be him or be under him,” I grabbed my bag and took one last look in the mirror.
I often found myself wishing I could see myself through his eyes instead. I wondered if he’d notice that my skin was paler out here in the city, away from the sun. If he’d notice I’d started trimming my eyebrows and my curls were no longer wild and free. If he’d still recognize me without the harsh tan lines and even harsher acidity on my tongue. I had spent so much time trying to pinpoint all the ways in which he was different without realizing that I too had changed,deeplyso. Both inside and out.
“I’ll see you guys later,” I promised and then I was gone.
I made my way down the stairs and into the lobby where I saw Wynter waiting for me by the door, twiddling with the keys to his car between his long slender fingers, a single gold band he wore on his ring finger that all his sisters had too. Never took it off.
“Happy?” I huffed, the remnants of sleep still haunting me.
“Delighted,” he assured me but I just rolled my eyes and made my way outside as he opened the door for me—God,he was so polite it wasaggravating. Gentlemanly in every aspect of his being.
He drove a black Aston Martin Vulcan that I didn’t even want to guess the cost of, truly. It was a really comfortable vehicle despite how it exuded such effortless luxury. I waited inside as he talked outside on the phone; he appeared to be having quite a heated conversation. I could only make out the wordsI’ll be there in timeandI won’t miss the shootandWhen have I ever?But when he came back to the car and opened the door, it was almost as if none of that had ever happened.
