I HAD TO get out of there.
Everything was a blur as I raced out of the building, my mind whirling. Had I really kissed Solo back? On base? Only minutes after the confrontation with my father?
As I straddled my bike and started it up, I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but I knew I couldn’t stick around the base any longer. I sped through the streets of Mesamir blindly, trying to outrun my father’s words, trying to forget how good it felt to kiss Solo.
Shit, I’d actually kissed him. And not only that, but I’d felt every hard inch of his body against mine, and it had been mind-blowing. All the time I’d spent trying to avoid him, pushing him away at every turn, and the explosion between us had happened when I least expected it.
No one saw us, I thought, trying to calm the panic in my brain.No one else knows.
Swallowing hard, I raced across the city only to find myself heading toward the airport. There was a park nearby, deserted for as long as I could remember, and even before I could drive, I’d cycle over to watch the planes take off overhead.
I pulled in and parked the bike beside the rusted swings, glancing up as a 737 raced down the runway and then pulled its heavy body up into the sky. It always gave me chills to watch how smoothly the pilots navigated such massive aircraft with ease, and with each takeoff, I wondered where they were headed. I’d never considered a career in commercial flying—with my father being who he was, that was never an option, even if it had been something I wanted.
I took a seat between the bars of the merry-go-round and leaned back onto my hands. It was surprisingly peaceful between the jets taking off—exactly what I needed to deal with the chaos in my brain and to calm my body the hell down.
Moments later, a crunch of gravel alerted me that I was no longer alone, and I didn’t bother turning around to see who the intruder was. I already knew.
“Did you put a tracker on me?” I said, keeping my eyes on the runway, where an airbus had started its ascent.
Solo chuckled as his steps grew closer. “Nah. I just followed you instead.”
It should’ve bothered me that he’d come here, that he’d interrupted a private moment. But as he motioned toward the spot beside me on the merry-go-round and said, “This seat taken?” I found myself not really caring that he’d made his way here. And, if I were honest, I’d expected him to come. Maybe I’d wanted him to.
“It wouldn’t stop you if it was.”
Solo smiled as he sat down. “Glad to see you’re finally getting it.”
“Like I said—you’re not subtle.”
“No, I’m not.”
We watched in silence as another plane took off, the sound loud enough to drown out the noise in my head, which was exactly why I’d subconsciously chosen this place.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Solo rubbing his lips. Those lips that tasted as good as they looked. “You ran out kinda fast.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not sorry.”
The comment was so unrepentant, so…Solo, that my lips quirked. “I’m not surprised.”
“Do you want me to apologize?”
I stared up at the sky as I thought it over. My body was at war with my mind, half of me wishing he would just leave this thing between us alone, and the other half desperately craving what he wanted to give.
“It’s a simple yes or no,” Solo said, leaning back on his hands to mimic my position.
I shook my head. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“Because of your father?”
The fact that he’d nailed the source of what felt like all my internal conflicts jolted me.
“I’m gonna take a stab here,” he continued. “I’m guessing he doesn’t want you out to all his colleagues.”
“He doesn’t want me out, period.”
“Ahh.” He paused while another plane took off. “But what do you want?”
