Ansley sether phone down and then checked the battery power. It was low, so she plugged it in on her kitchen counter before grabbing a glass for water.
She wasn't just charging her phone for work the next day. Instead, the confrontation with Pete weighed on her mind, and she wanted her phone to have a full battery overnight. It bugged her that he knew the neighborhood where she hung out and lived. The man knew what she drove and where she worked. If he wanted to confront her again, he would have little problem finding her.
Because she was in the military, she couldn't physically fight him. He had to punch her first, and it had to be obvious he was attacking her. He'd already threatened lawsuits and she hadn’t even punched him. Instead, she’d pushed him away because he was hitting her. It wasn't fair, but it was the way the law worked.
So far, she hadn't seen anything come of his threats, but he'd tried to file assault claims against her but the police had talked him out of it when they saw the video. Luckily, he'd attacked her in a location with cameras. That had made a huge difference in how the police treated her. Those officers in that case had warned her not to hit him first, and that warning stuck.
Talking to Link had calmed her. She enjoyed their lighthearted banter. It was nice to have someone to chat with. It wouldn’t be difficult to get along with Link.
She pushed thoughts of Pete out of her mind and watched some TV before bed. Her sleep was filled with worry, so she was up early the next morning and went out for a run, which was more of a walk than a real run. Her leg was still sore, which was expected. Eventually, she would feel better and then she would start running. She wouldn’t keep up with exercise at the same level, but she would still work out.
The week went much smoother than she’d expected. She and Link talked a few times, with was great, but she really wanted to see him.
Her friends had a party for her on Saturday, so she didn’t get much time to talk to Link. It felt good to know that she would see him in less than a week.
On Sunday, she finished packing everything but the clothes she planned on wearing and her toiletries. Originally, she'd planned on leaving at the end of the week, just before her apartment lease ran out. Her desire to see Link was too much, so she decided to leave on Wednesday morning.
She hadn’t heard from Pete again. The man was upset, and she hoped he got whatever help he needed. She had no answers or relief for him. Craig had died, and though she’d been sad about him passing away, she wasn’t responsible.
Wednesday morning dawned, and it was time to leave. She felt a pang of sadness driving away, but that twisting in her heart lasted only for a moment before the excitement took over.
The drive would take longer because she was alone. Her plan was to drive about ten hours a day, maybe sneaking in a few extra hours when possible, but with lunch and potty breaks, that would make the day very long. She would be lucky to get ten hours of solid driving in.
Every break, she sent a text to Link telling him where she was. On Saturday, as she left Virginia and drove into North Carolina, her phone rang. She saw it was Link and answered with a click of a button.
“Hey. I’m close. About three hours.”
Link chuckled. "Three hours. I guess that is close, considering you drove from California."
“Yeah. I’m done driving for a while. I’m tired.”
“I bet. When you get here, I’ll have burgers and a beer ready for you.”
“Thank you. That sounds great. I’m looking forward to getting clean and sleeping, after eating, of course.”
“Of course.”
Talking to Link gave her the boost she needed. She stopped a few miles north of where she needed to turn to get to Link's house and brushed her teeth, then washed her face. She swiped on some deodorant, so she didn't stink and made sure she didn't look too frightening. The last thing she wanted was to scare Link. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been messy and smelly. This time, she wanted to seem a little more put together.
His house was in a nice neighborhood with big lawns. She could see his house when she was still fifty feet away. It was low like a bungalow or ranch style and had yellow paint accents. The lawn looked well cared for, and there was a spot for her to park. Excitement built as she drew closer.
When she pulled into the driveway and cut the engine, the front door flew open. Link stepped out, and her breath caught.
His lips tipped up in a smile that made his eyes twinkle. His curly hair was pushed back, but she could tell it was seconds away from flopping over his forehead and looking messy.
His tight blue T-shirt hugged his muscles, leaving little to her imagination. His shorts hit just above his knee, giving her a peek at his massive quads.
Overall, the man was much better looking than she remembered. She opened the door to her car, glad she'd stopped a few miles ago and stretched her car-sore muscles.
He didn't say anything as he came around to the driver's side of her car and pulled her into a hug. To say his arms felt good wrapped around her would be an understatement. After years of living on military bases and being in the military, she felt like she belonged. Being hugged by Link was like how coming home should feel.
Chapter 19
Link knewit would feel good seeing Ansley, but holding her in his arms was better than he’d expected. He liked how she didn’t hold back in wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.
He leaned back just a little, expecting to say something witty or smart, but she glanced up and their gazes connected like perfect puzzle pieces. The magnetic pull drew him in, and her lips were right there.
Without hesitation, he brushed his lips over hers. The zap of electricity shot straight to his toes. Her fingers curled against his back, her arms pulling him closer.
