Behind me I hear his steps approach, slow and almost hesitant as he comes toward where I am sitting at the end of the dock.
“Hello trouble,” he says quietly.
“Are you okay?” I can’t stop the words from tumbling out.
I’ve been wanting to know what was wrong from the moment I spotted him in the diner this afternoon. I’ve never seen him look like he did today, his brows knotted, mouth set in a grim line while his eyes burned. I wanted to say it was anger, but I didn’t know him well enough to read the emotion.
One thing I did realize though, was that I had caught feelings for Kolten. I told myself I wouldn’t but how could I not?
And the realization that I had, had made me uneasy. I wanted to shut off my feelings, shut down my heart because I had a sense this was not going to end well.
I guess I knew it this morning. Knew it and ignored it. I told him we shouldn’t do what we did again, yet I had the burning desire to give him everything. All my firsts. All my everything.
They would be safe with him.
I knew they would.
Perhaps we could make it work.
And if it didn’t, I would be okay. It’s not like I’m in love with him.
“I’m fine,” He answers after a beat.
“Who were those people?”
“It’s not important.”
“It looked important.”
He lets out a long breath and sits beside me, staring out at the water with his head resting in his hands, his elbows on his knees.
“Kolt?”
“Just be with me,” He says so quietly I almost miss the words over the sound of the waves, “Right now. Just be here with me.”
“Okay,” I breathe, shuffling closer. I place my hand on his leg, “What do you need?”
His arm comes around me and pulls me ever closer before he tuns his face and buries it into my hair.
“How can a woman I’ve only just met feel like home?”
I open my mouth to speak but words are choked by the emotion that clogs my throat.
“I’m no good, Ness. No good for you.”
“We’re just friends.” I manage to get out, the words tasting like acid.
He chuckles lightly, “Just friends.” His hand reaching out to link with mine, “Then as a friend, Ness, all I need is you right now.”
“Okay,” I breathe.
So I hold his hand, his holding mine like I’m the rock keeping him grounded in this moment. Unease swirls in my stomach, so heavy I feel sick with it.
This had only just started. It couldn’t end yet, we hadn’t had enough time.
I know it was just for now, but now was supposed to be longer than this.
We sit in silence for hours, watching the waters beneath the dark skies and when the sun begins to rise, turning the sky a beautiful periwinkle color, his hand releases mine. The clouds from the night before, the ones that threatened a storm, never unleashed a single raindrop.
