I like it when she likes how I touch her.
“Why haven’t you been sleeping well?” I ask her.
“Because Margot was talking about taking you back, and that was a terrible idea because you hurt her and you weren’t right for each other,” she whispers.
I stifle a sigh. I don’t want to sigh. I want to be happy.
“Daph?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been thinking about that—whoa, don’t tense up. Listen. Margot’s cutthroat in business. Your father wanted us to merge companies before. He’s been quietly buying up M2G stockhimself. I think any interest she’s had in me was for professional reasons and professional reasons only.”
Her eyes slide open, and she angles a look at me.
“No judgment against Margot. She likes the business game, and she’s gonna be a kick-ass CEO someday. But that makes the most sense. Far more sense than your sister wanting to set herself up to make the same mistake twice.”
After one long, unreadable stare at me, she turns her face away, sighing as I keep massaging her tight muscles.
And once again, I’m hit with a glimmer of recognition that this is what life should be.
Not the part where we’re camped out in a cheap motel with no idea where I’m headed today once the rest of the day gets started, but sitting with someone who’s rapidly becoming important to me, taking care of her physical needs while she lets me be a little lost, a little broken, and a lot more sure by the day that I’m on the right path to finding my new way in life.
“Daphne?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad you’re accidentally here with me. I— No one else could understand. Or do what you’re doing.”
She leans back fully onto me. “I’m glad you got to choose it for yourself. Instead of being kicked out. That—that has to be a little easier. I hope.”
I loop my arms around her and kiss her hair.
“You know this isn’t real, right?” she says quietly. “It’s adrenaline and anxiety and the mirage of possibilities because of being out of normal routines.”
She doesn’t push me away when I lean my head on hers. “I will still appreciate what you’ve done for me for the rest of my life.”
“Don’t fool yourself. I’m only in it for the money.”
“If that were true, you would’ve disappeared with one of my duffel bags of cash two days ago.”
Her sigh ripples through her, vibrating against me.
“What do you want it for?” I ask.
“You can’t ask me that before coffee.”
“Because you’ll tell me?”
Once more, she falls silent.
I’ve given up on the idea that she’ll ever answer me when she shifts in my arms, twisting to hug me back. “You’re not going back for anything, are you?”
“To New York?”
“To Miles2Go.”
My breath sits heavy in my lungs while I absently run my hand over her hair. “No.”
