Damon chuckles, his laughter humming against my ear. “I know, love.” His hand wraps around mine, gently pulling them apart so he can turn to face me. “You needed someone to be mad at. Still, you didn’t have to be such a bitch about it,” he teases playfully.
I sit on his bed as he meticulously packs his bags. Of course, he asks questions about Anson, which I do my best to evade, unable to think about him right now without crying.
Once he’s all packed, we make our goodbyes with the remaining crew and exit, leaving the boat together.
My sandals clack against the concrete as I step off the boat with the help of Damon’s steadying hand. He pulls me in for one last hug. “I’ll miss you, love.”
“Oh come on,” I slap his chest playfully as I pull back, “You’ll be calling the next girl my nickname in no time. Probably as soon as she steps into your galley.”
Damon grins at me while sliding on his sunglasses and reaching for his bag. “I’ll see you around, Hannah.”
“Bye, cheffy,” I murmur as I watch him walk away from me.
Chapter Sixteen
Anson
Everything is pointless when it comes to Hannah.
I have no sense of control or restraint when it comes to that beautiful girl that has captured my heart.
It’s been hell ignoring every one of her goddamn phone calls, to the point that I had to put my phone on silent to keep from being tempted to answer. When those phone calls started to become less frequent, I thought my heart would rip from my chest.
So yeah, it was all pointless because now I’m standing on the dock holding a fucking stuffed animal. What is it called? Oh, yeah, Squishmallow.
I felt like a creep when I walked into the toy aisle and picked out one that I thought she would like. The squid-octopus-looking thing hangs in my hand as I watch her make her goodbyes with Damon.
She looks just as stunning as the day I first saw her walking on this dock. She’s wearing shorts and a tank top, her long hair braided to the side. All I can see is her back as she watches Damon walk away and for a second, I think she’s going to call after him.
After a moment, she grabs the handle of her bag and turns toward me. I expect her to see me, but her eyes never stray from her feet. I can tell the moment she spots me when her head lifts to take in her surroundings. Her sandal catches on the concrete, her arms flailing at her sides, saving her balance.
She’s twenty feet away and my hand twitches with the need to touch her. To have her in my arms again.
She rights herself before locking eyes with me.
God, I’ve missed those eyes.
Hannah doesn’t smile or run to me. She doesn’t look happy to see me at all. She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin and walks toward me.
“Hannah.” My voice is rough, my heart pounding nervously in my chest.
“Don’t,‘Hannah’ me,” she barks, not bothering to stop, but walks right past me. Her bag scrapes against the pavement, her feet moving faster away from me.
“Hannah, stop,” I order, and her steps slow. Hannah’s stubborn but secretly loves following my orders.
She stops, whipping around, her hair swinging in an arch behind her. “I’m fucking mad at you,” she spits.
“I know, baby.”
She scoffs, rolling her gorgeous eyes at me. “Sure, you fucking know,” she mumbles, tears beginning to overflow and stream down her cheeks.
“I know,” I start, “because I’m mad at me too.”
“Are you, Anson? Really? Please tell me because you haven’t been able to answer the goddamn phone!” She flings her arms out, her face reddening in anger. “You left without a word, took the blame for everything, and then ignored me." Her voice drops, aware that other people are walking along the docks. “So, please, tell me howyou’rethe angry one in this scenario.”
“I love you.” The words fall from my lips and Hannah steps back as if I’d hit her. “I love you and I can’t—couldn’t—stay away.”
“Well, it looks like you did a great job to me.” Her voice drips with sarcasm, showcasing her hurt.
