“Um… that’s my hammock, dude.”
I turned to Ariana, whose brows shot up into her hairline, and then we both burst out laughing.
• • •
An hour later, after having a beer each at Sail Bar, Ariana and I walked the riverwalk from the convention center toward Curtis Hixon Park, our paper bags from the market swinging on either side of us. The sun was setting on the day I’d asked for, and I felt greed swelling in my chest.
I wanted more.
I wanted another day with her. I wanted a night. I wanted a week and a month and a year after that.
It would never be enough, no amount of time I had with her. I could never know all I wanted to know. I could never hear her laugh enough to satiate me. I could never find enough excuses to touch the small of her back or slide my hand into hers.
I knew this day would be a dangerous one even when I asked for it. Still, I couldn’t resist. And it made sense, why I would want to torture myself just for the chance to reconnect with her.
She’d always been it for me.
But what I had struggled to figure out, more and more as the day progressed, was… why hadsheagreed?
She was married. And yes, I’d practically begged her to come, I’d sworn it would be all innocence, and to be fair, it had been.
Still, I was her ex. Even if it was a lifetime ago, we had been in love.
Why had she agreed to spend the day with me when her husband was away?
And had she told him about it?
These questions plagued me to the point that I couldn’t ignore them as we walked the river. The clear-sky day we’d had was now turning gray, clouds rolling in, wind sweeping over us. It wasn’t cold, but the weather was whispering a warning, humidity filling the charged air around us.
I ignored it like the fool I was.
“So… when does Nathan get home?”
Ariana’s steps faltered for just a half-second, barely noticeable unless — like me — you caught every flicker of change in her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes fixed ahead.
“Tomorrow,” she said lightly.
I hummed, pretending like I hadn’t just felt a crack splinter through the day we’d built. “You two doing okay?”
That had a puff of a laugh coming from her nose. “We’ve been dancing around this all day, haven’t we?” she asked softly.
“Maybe.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Maybe I wanted to see how long it would take you to bring him up.”
Her lips curled and fell again. “We’re… fine. Great. I mean, he’s busy with the team and his new position, but I’m busy with getting the house in order, and now with Sweet Dreams, so… yeah. We’re good.”
“Are you answering the question or trying to convince me?”
Her gaze cut to mine, sharp and wounded. “Shane…”
I held her stare. “Are you happy?”
I watched the answer ripple across her face — the real one — before she shoved it down so quickly I almost doubted I’d seen it.
“Of course I’m happy,” she said, a smile sliding into place like a mask she’d worn a thousand times. “How could I not be?”
It landed wrong in my chest, heavy as wet sand.
I told myself to move on, but I couldn’t.
