Chapter 13
The following section includes a brief instance of mild on-page cheating. It is part of the story’s journey, but this moment may be difficult for some readers. Please feel free to skip it if it feels overwhelming.
I’m not bending
Maya
I stare out the airplane window, watching the clouds blur as my fingers unconsciously graze my lips. The memories of last night don't just come back… they flood me.
I feel almost foolish now for that split second of disappointment yesterday, when I saw the bag in his hand and thought, just for a moment, that it might be a gift for me. The feeling evaporates instantly, burned away by the visceral memory of what he actually did to my body. It was intense, raw, and consuming in a way I’ve never known before.
It renders every past experience irrelevant. No one else has ever come close. With Colin, everything feels entirely different… like I'm finally waking up.
I watch him rise and head toward the bathroom, my pulse quickening in the stillness of the room. I’m waiting, aching for an invitation that never comes. When the muffled rush of the shower begins, I decide not to wait any longer. I take the lead.
I step into the stall, and there he stands, eyes closed, steam clinging to his skin, blurring his outline. I grab the body wash and let my hands glide over his skin, tracing the powerful lines of his shoulders, the curve of his chest, the hard, sculpted planes of his abs. His eyes stay shut. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move. He lets me claim him with every touch. The scent of soap mingles with the heat of our skin, and I shiver despite the warm water.
He doesn't return the gesture, yet even with his eyes closed, I feel his presence on me, consuming.
When we step out, the silence is thick. He wraps a towel around his waist and goes straight to the bedroom without aword. I grab a towel for myself and follow, watching him head for his clothes. I don't let him get that far. I walk past him, let my towel hit the floor, and settle on the edge of the dresser, my legs spread wide in a clear, silent invitation.
He comes toward me with determined steps, fits between my open legs, and pulls my naked body against his.
Between a feverish blur of kisses and caresses, he reaches for a condom and he's inside me before I can even take another breath. Before long, he’s telling me to bend over the dresser, and then he's behind me, driving into me with a punishing pace.
Colin’s eyes are closed, his head thrown back, looking as if he’s lost in the sheer, dark pleasure of being inside me. I, however, can’t look away. My gaze is fixed on our reflection in the mirror, raw and impossibly intense.
My skin still tingles at the memory.
Before drifting off to sleep last night, I took the bag he'd left and tucked it into my suitcase. A small, secret smile played on my lips as I hid it away, a reminder of what we’d shared. I fell asleep hoping it was only the first of many nights like that.
Early this morning, he was back. He knocked on my door and took me right there, pinned against the wood before I could even fully wake up. He spoiled me afterward, ordering breakfast to the room. While we ate, we talked about the ceremony and his acquaintance, Henry Brown, whom he was meeting for lunch later today.
Right up until the last minute, I held onto the hope that he’d stop by my room and tell me to come along. I waited, but the knock never came. Not a single text reached my phone. Disappointed, I spent the rest of the afternoon drifting alone by the hotel pool, letting the hours blur together. Eventually, I headed back to my room just in time to gather my things before the driver took us to the airport.
I glance to my side now and see him. His eyes are closed, his head resting against the plush fabric of the first-class seat. I wish every day could feel like this weekend—this bubble where I have him all to myself.
The thought of landing twists my stomach. I know that once the wheels touch the tarmac, something will shift. It won’t feel the same. I’m not ready for the distance to return. I just need more time.
Cecily
I see the video call light up on my phone and stretch across the couch to hand it to Alicia. The smile that blooms across her face the second her dad says,“How’s my little princess?”loosens the knot that’s been lodged in my chest since he left.
They talk for a few minutes about the movie she’s watching and how she’s feeling, until Colin asks to speak with me.
“Hi, love,” I say softly, keeping my eyes on the screen as I step into the kitchen for a bit of privacy.
Colin is sprawled across the bed in his hotel room, shirtless, his hair a little mussed, his expression still heavy with sleep but soft in that way that always undoes me.
“Hi, baby,” he murmurs with a lazy smile. “How was your evening after we last spoke? Alicia looks so much better… Is Ethan around? I miss all of you.”
Relief washes through me, followed by something quieter, the simple comfort of seeing his face, of hearing his voice. “We miss you too,” I say softly.
He called as soon as he reached the hotel, and we texted afterward. We couldn’t talk again once Alicia fell asleep on the family room couch, her head resting on my shoulder, and I didn’t want to risk waking her. The photo he sent later, holding the award, pride bright in his eyes, made me smile in spite of myself.
Still, even with Colin trying so hard to be present from afar, it isn’t the same. I wish he could have stayed.
Sometimes, I hate how much space the company takes up in our lives.
