"Everything, Sabrina. I want everything. Eventually. But right now? I’d like for you to stop running from me."
"I—I don't know if I can do that," I whisper.
He smiles faintly. "You can't be friends with me?"
I shake my head. "Jordan… you don’t want to be friends."
He exhales once. "You're right, I don’t. But I'm willing to start with whatever you’re comfortable with. Dinner, maybe? Or lunch. Or a quick coffee on a Sunday morning. We'll only talk."
"I’m seventeen."
His laugh is low, warm, sinful. "Oh, Sabrina, I'm well aware of that. Then tilting the head back as if in supplication, whispers to the stars, "Christ, I’d love to hear her new excuse after she turns eighteen."
My mouth goes dry. He has no right to sound that confident. Like he's certain he'll be around at that time.
He steps back. "Thanks for letting me walk you home. I will miss you, though."
I blink. "Miss me? Why?"
"I’m leaving town tomorrow."
"But… Madeline…she said you told her you'd be back to see her tomorrow?"
He arches a brow and I want to crawl into a hole for even bringing her up.
Thankfully he doesn’t call me out. He just gives me a look that says,I know why you asked. And I like that you asked.
Instead, he explains, "I'm doing an internship. Grooming, if you like, for the CEO position. I have to rotate between multiple sites. Right now, it's the Henderson and Bakersfield rigs. I do two weeks at each, so I head to the Bakersfield rig tomorrow."
"Oh."Two weeks.
"I’ll be back before you miss me."
Two weeks of silence. Two weeks of wondering if he meant any of what he said tonight.
He studies me. "We'll talk when I get back… unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless you want me to call you."
Yes. Yes. God, yes."It’s… yeah. Fine. Whatever," I say, masking the stupid joy flooding my entire body.
He holds out his phone to me. My hand shakes as I type my number slowly, pretending not to be eager.
When I hand it back, he shoots me a smile. "Thank you, Sabrina Wells."
"You’re welcome, Jordan Farrington."
His eyes drop to my mouth. My tongue darts out to wet my suddenly parched lips.
He takes a step forward. Encircles my arms in his strong hands. His breath brushes mine.
My lids fall closed as my knees dissolve. My lips part—
He inhales sharply and mutters a curse. Then he steps back like one more second near me might destroy something important.
"Go inside, Sabrina," he says, voice rough as sandpaper. "Now."
