Has she been seeing anyone else?
The thought creeps in, tightening my grip on the steering wheel, but I shove it aside. Tonight, I’ll get the answers I’ve been waiting for. It’s time to find out where we really stand.
“So…” I start, trailing off as soon as we get inside my apartment. I toss my keys on the counter, and head to the fridge, swiping two chilled bottles of water for us.
I feel incredibly vulnerable, nervous, and worried that this won’t go the way that I planned it out in my head for the past few months. It’s a strange feeling, and I start to question whether I should have let her go at all.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“Really, Clay?” she responds with an eyeroll.
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
She steps towards me, her fingers thread into the fabric of my shirt as she pulls my face closer. “There’s been no one since you.”
I rake my fingers through her soft hair. “Fuck, Maggie. That’s good to hear.”
She cocks her head to the side. “What about you?”
“There could never be anyone but you for me, Maggie.”
She smiles as she reaches up on her toes and kisses me. It starts slow, but before I know it, I’m pulling her hair, pressing her closer and squeezing her breasts, completely lost in her taste and smell that I’ve missed so much.
Her arms loop around my neck as I scoop her up, carrying her to my bed just like the night I picked her up from Lucy’s in May and placing her down gently.
“I have something exciting to tell you,” she whispers, her eyes are dancing with excitement, and I hope it’s that she’s here to stay - for good.
“What?”
She rubs her hands together eagerly. “I got the job at the Lonestar Junction hospital.”
“That’s amazing,”
She nods and crawls backward on the bed, slipping under the covers as I follow. My hands find the hem of her dress, and I pull it up and over her head, needing to get rid of the layers between us just like I intend on removing any other barriers tonight.
Piece by piece, her bra and underwear join the growing pile of clothes on the floor, along with mine, until there’s nothing left separating us. Pressed skin to skin, I wrap myself around her, my fingers tracing the familiar curves of her body. She feels different now—healthier, softer, fuller. So much stronger than the last time I held her after her surgery. She’s come back to me in so many ways, and I can’t help but savor every inch of her.
“So, you’re here to stay then?”
“Well… there’s one catch.”
My stomach flips but I maintain a neutral expression.
“I was offered an incredible opportunity to work in the hospitalsystem in Madrid, Spain for two months before I take the job here. The hospital in Lonestar is covering all of my costs because they want me trained in this new robotics technology that they have there. I’ll bring the skills back with me.”
“Okay...” I say, sensing there’s more.
“So,” she bites her lip, a little nervous, “I have to fly to Madrid in three days. I’ll be back for good in February.”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words. But I can do this. What’s a couple more months when she’s worth everything?
“Okay.”
Her eyes widen. “Okay?” she repeats, her lips curving into a smile.
“Yeah, okay. I’ve already waited four months for you, Maggie. What’s another two? If you haven’t noticed, I’d wait for you for an eternity.”
Her smile falters for a second, something deeper flashing in her eyes as she stares at me. “What do you mean, ’for an eternity?’”
