I hurry to the door, squeezing in front of Thorne before he can scare her off. My cousin smiles when she sees me, looking relieved.
“Hi!” I say, pulling her into a quick hug.
“Hey Ari. Sorry I couldn’t come earlier. I had to wait for my lunch break.” She glances down at me. “Where are your clothes?”
“Oh, Thorne lent me a sweater to sleep in.” I chuckle a little awkwardly. “More comfortable than jeans.”
“Right.” Savannah’s gaze flits between us. “Anyway, Grandma said you were stuck up here. She didn’t have time to come get you before the tavern opened this morning, so…here I am!” She smiles uncertainly. “I thought she texted you about it.”
My phone has been on silent all morning, forgotten on the nightstand. I was so preoccupied with Thorne that I never thought to check it.
“Thank you for coming to get me,” I say, squeezing her hand. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
“Just give me a minute to get dressed.”
“Sure.” She moves back from the door. “I’ll wait in the car.”
As she retreats down the porch steps, I turn and head back inside, closing the door behind me. Thorne is staring at me, his eyes burning into my face.
“I should probably go,” I tell him reluctantly.
“I strongly disagree.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. The stubbornness practically rolls off him in waves.
“I’ll come back soon, but Savannah came all the way up here to get me…”
“Then I’ll pay for her gas money.”
Why does he have to have an answer for everything?
“You could probably use some time to heal.”
“I’ll heal even better with you here.”
I sigh. As much as I’d love to stay with Thorne for longer, I can’t lose focus of why I came to Cherry Hollow. I should headback to the real world for a few days. Start working at the tavern. Settle into my new life. I’m trying so hard to be sensible here…even if all I want to do is curl up in his arms and never leave.
“Listen, princess,” Thorne says gruffly. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. If you leave now, I’ll spend the rest of the day fixing up my truck, so I can drive right back down the mountain to bring you back here.”
My heart jolts as I mirror his stance, crossing my own arms.
“You’re bluffing,” I say. “You already told me you can’t fix the truck without a new crockshit sensor.”
“Crankshaft sensor.”
“Yeah, that.”
“Fine.” Thorne takes a step toward me. “Then I’ll walk.”
“You can’t walk all the way down the mountain!”
“Watch me, princess.”
We stare each other down, the tension thickening. It’s a standoff. A stalemate. Neither of us speaks. Then, to my surprise, Thorne softens. His arms drop to his sides, and he closes the gap between us, resting his hands on my waist.
“Listen, Aria, I’m not here to trap you. If you really want to leave…that’s okay.” The words come out like they’re paining him. “I can get my truck fixed and come get you when you’re ready to see me again. But I don’t think you want to leave, princess.” His thumb hooks under my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Am I wrong?”
