Ethan is pacing as he packs his bag, looking in places he’s already checked and I can tell he’s nervous. I know there aren’t any expectations for tonight. But if it’s anything that naturally happens between us when we’re alone together, things will go farther than ever.
We exit the room with our backpacks snug tight against our backs and close the door behind us. Stopping at the front desk we hand both of our keys over to the same front desk gal that we checked in with and she smiles as she takes them from us.
“Checking out?” she asks me and I nod with a smile.
“You still have one more night paid for, is everything okay?” she inquires softly as she taps on her keyboard.
“Everything was perfect. This is by far our favorite place we’ve stayed.” I peer over at Ethan, surprised by how open he’s being, but he’s right. Not only was the location amazing, but the company was too.
“It’s our policy not to rent out the beds if they were prepaid so we’ll leave that bunk open for you in case you need to return for any reason tonight. But, if we don’t see you, we do hope you’ll come back on your next trip.”
“Absolutely,” Ethan replies to her as I tap my chin with my palm and push out, thanking her, and we push through the lobby doors onto the sidewalk and walk toward the address that Dane texted me.
It’s a perfect summer day in Paris; there’s a small breeze and the sun is warm as it hits my skin the moment I step onto the sidewalk.
Ethan cups his arms around my elbow, pulling me into the shade as he zips open the side pocket of his backpack and pulls out a small tube of sunscreen.
“Come here, love.” He calls me to him but he makes the step closer to me and squeezes some of the lotion on his fingers. He takes his time rubbing it softly over my scar, massaging it into the skin with care and detail as if it’s his most important task in life.
I can’t help but smile as his tongue darts at the corner of his mouth, fully concentrating before he snaps the lid closed and says, “there,” in the most satisfied tone.
He tilts his head as he peers down at me and the level of love he has for me shines bright, even hidden behind the shades that cover his eyes. I feel it more and more every day and what happened with Dane on this trip brought us a deeper understanding of each other.
Somehow, bringing in another person made me feel more connected to him than ever.
He glances to the left, squinting as if trying to see how far the distance is. I take in his stern demeanor that has softened over the last couple of days, appraising his golden hue that glows from more than just the sun-kissed skin from our backpacking trip. His thick, dark hair has grown out longer than I know he likes and rebel pieces stick out of the sides of his backward baseball cap.
When he returns his gaze to me, I can’t help but smile at how unkempt yet happy he is. It’s unusual for him to be both at the same time.
“You like him?”I sign.
His brows pinch together as his lips press together. Sucking in a deep breath he nods.
“Me too.”
“We’re okay right?”he signs.
“Better than okay.”
“Good,” he says softly with a smile.
“Anything goes for me tonight,”I add.
His brows lift and there’s a small twitch at the corner of his lip before he looks down the street again.
“It’s the last night.”
“No inhibitions.”
He gives me a soft, grateful smile, the one I see often when he feels supported and loved. Unlike the fake ones he feeds his father when he reprimands him on every decision he’s made, and continues to make, in his life.
I hate how discouraging he is, and I wish his father saw him for the amazing man he’s become. But I don’t want to focus on that now. We have enough to worry about when we get back to the states. For now, I want us to enjoy the last night of our trip before we go home.
Leaning down, he presses his lips against mine and I fallinto him like I always do, loving how protected and loved he makes me feel.
He kisses me with meaning and purpose, and when he pulls away, his lips still hover over mine as he whispers, “No inhibitions.”
22
