Nearly in this same spot.
My breath catches when Zane takes a step closer, then brushes a few strands of my hair behind my ear with his free hand. “Ready?”
Clearing my throat, I force a smile that I hope doesn’t scream kiss me. I don’t care if you don’t feel like you have anything to offer me. Your love is all I need. “Yeah. Let’s go have some cake.”
Feeling lighter than I have—in I don’t even know how long—I stand beside Zane as he guides his boat back into its spot in the marina. The tension between us has lessened, though the same love I carried for him all those years ago has returned full force. Something I plan to keep to myself in hopes it’ll simply fade away to friendship.
There’s just too much hurt there. Too much history…right? The idea that he could forgive me—and try again—is a fantasy that I can’t afford to get lost in.
I remain in the pilothouse even after Zane leaves, my attention captivated by a gorgeous sunset. Rays of orange and gold paint a masterpiece in the sky.
And as I sit here staring at it, I reach into my pocket and withdraw the five tiny doves he’d given me.
Who would have thought so much beauty could come out of something broken? Tears burn in my throat, and I take a deep breath. I hadn’t missed what he was trying to tell me; I’m just not sure I can believe it anymore.
Not after everything I’ve done and all that’s happened to me in the course of my thirty-six years on this earth.
“Tessa?” Zane calls out.
Quickly, I shove the doves into my pocket and wipe the tears from my eyes. With a smile on my face, I step down out of the pilothouse. Zane is standing on the boat deck, hands in his pockets, looking nearly as nervous as he was the day he first asked me to dinner.
“What is it?”
“My mom texted. She was wondering if we’d come over there for a late dinner.”
Nerves twist my gut into a million knots. “A birthday dinner?”
“Probably,” he replies, running a hand through his hair. “Look, if you want to say no, you can. Don’t feel obligated.”
I should say no. Should fight to keep these boundaries in place, especially with how desperately I want to see them slip, but the hope on his face is everything. “That sounds great.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I repeat. “Today has already been perfect, which means it can only get better.” I move past him and step off the boat, every step weighing me down with fear.
I’ve been careful to remain hidden. Not just from whoever is trying to kill me but from the people I left behind when I fled this town. The questions they will have for me are too many to answer.
Zane locks up the cabin of his boat, then follows me onto the dock. “How’s the leg?”
“Great,” I reply honestly. “I’m actually surprised it’s not aching after swimming.”
He grins at me, and my heart hammers in response. So gorgeous. “Feel up for another adventure?” Zane pauses near a motorcycle parked on the dock close to his boat.
I arch a brow. “That’s yours?”
“It is.”
“The Safety Monitor, Zane Knox, has a motorcycle?”
His grin spreads. “Like I told you, I’m not the same man I was.”
“Clearly. Tattoos, a motorcycle. You have any piercings I should know about?”
Zane’s laugh tears me up on the inside. “No. I can safely say I have none of those.” He unlocks a slightly rusted metal cabinet and reaches inside, then offers me a black helmet. “Unless the motorcycle is too much for you.”
The challenge is there. Truth is, the motorcycle isn’t what scares me. It’s having my arms wrapped around Zane that has my pulse pounding. “Not at all, Knox. Let’s do it.” I take the helmet and slip it over my head.
He retrieves another one, then locks up the cabinet and climbs onto the bike.
