My powerwalk doesn’t seem to be fast enough because when I’m upstairs pulling a key out of my pocket to unlock the door, I feel him near even if I don’t see him.
“Go away, Nash,” I request, although I know that it falls on deaf ears.
He steps closer. “I don’t think I can. I think that you are avoiding the obvious.”
I refuse to meet his gaze. “Humor me,” I tell him dryly.
“The shift between us since the other day, it’s changed things. Neither one of us has figured out what.”
Fumbling with the key, I choose not to answer.
“Summer, it’s impossible. Always has been between us. Except now it’s anything but and that scares the hell out of me, which means it scares the hell out of you. Tell me I’m wrong.” He reaches out to grab my arm when I get the door open.
My heart flips, my throat tightens, and a turmoil of emotion barrels up inside of me. I can’t face him, I shouldn’t face him.
But I do.
A mere glance and then I do it.
My hands plunge forward and grip his shoulders as I slam my lips onto his, a world of memories hitting me like a drug.
Instantly, he wraps his arm around me with pure reverence. Our lips don’t need to explore, because they are meeting again in a fierce return. Hard, crushing, and tender, yet fast all the same.
We tumble into the room, our mouths not parting, instead tilting to get more. Our tongues greet one another in a reunion. I swear my body reacts as if no time has passed between Nash and me.
It's so fierce and desperate. I’m not sure who is murmuring and who is leading. The air I breathe is Nash’s again. No thoughts of the time between us interfering. He kisses me just as he did when I was his.
Why aren’t our mouths more hesitant? Why is my entire body easing into Nash just as a piece fits into a puzzle?
Then we slow, with his hands sliding up to cradle my face. Our lips soften, they chase, they part, they return. Westop. Our foreheads touching and our bodies still connected, I soak in this moment.
Wondering if this is the circle that leads back to a starting point.
Nash. Oh, Nash.
You came back wanting to fulfill a promise, caring for me. That was the request. I’m not sure taking my heart back was part of that.
It’s simple. I want to stay. But something still inside me is enough to cause me to flee.
“Nash, this can’t or can or, I don’t know… just, I have to go.”
I begin to escape, but he pulls me back. “Summer.”
My eyes strike up to meet his that are full of devotion to his new plan. Still, I need to breathe in air that isn’t drenched in Nash’s presence. “Nash,” I plead.
He nods subtly in understanding and quickly gives me a kiss on my forehead as a parting gift right before I leave.
Because I’m running away from the inevitable.
11
SUMMER
Irush through the hotel until I’m outside in the crisp autumn air. It’s nearly a march that gets me to the dock. Hearing my name being called causes me to groan and look up, with my hand cradling my neck as if a gentle massage will do something in this moment.
“Summer, wait!”
Of course, Nash would follow me. How could I think that I would get off so lucky? A moment to process isn’t in the books today.
