I lace my fingers through his, leaning my head against his shoulder. Love criminals pretty much fits the bill. Ugh, if only I didn’t make it friends-with-benefits criminals.
Past Tally was a fucking coward. In her defense, she didn’t know how easy Rust would be to love. How much he’d care for me and never fail to show it.
“I gotta make a playlist with our songs,” he muses happily. “I could use Caleb’s computer to burn you a CD.”
“Very old school, Big Guy. But I don’t think computers nowadays still have CD drives.”
“Fuck. I’ll find a damn way, if it’s the last thing I do.”
I let out a laugh. “You know what? I’d love that. Thank you.”
With the helpof my all-knowing maps app, I find a secluded spot in nature where we decide to make camp. The weather is supposed to get a little chilly, but no rain.
After we arrive, Rust moves our luggage from the truck bed and sets up the air mattress. In an attempt to ignore the knot of feelings in my chest, I busy myself with making a campfire, stealing glances at the veins on Rust’s forearms popping as he works the hand air pump.
The man just can’t stop being handsome. His sex appeal has no off button.
The setting sun paints the world gold and a cool breeze sweeps in while we light the fire, sitting on camping chairs. Soon, I’ll trade sundresses for colorful scarves and sip pumpkin spice lattes. Fall’s always been my favorite season, but with Rust I wish summer could last forever.
I want an endless road and a million warm nights to play guitar and write music together. The sunshine, the heat, the music and him—I need it all.
The wind picks up. Goosebumps rush over my bare arms. Rust gets the furry blanket from the truck and wraps it around my shoulders. In comfortable silence, we roastmarshmallows on metal sticks. Rust packed those, too. It feels like he anticipated this moment and every other on our journey.
“I can’t believe you didn’t warn me what you were up to in the diner!” I playfully smack his stick with mine like it’s a sword.
“Wouldn’t’ve been a surprise if I told you and I got you all figured out.” He taps his temple.
My heart stops. Fuck, what does he mean? Does he know I’m a goner for him? I’m not ready for this conversation.IfI’ll ever be ready.Giganticif. Right now, I need to distract him.
I snicker. “You’ve got figured me out? Oh, please…” I snatch the marshmallow from his stick, stuffing it into my mouth. “Ha, did you seethatcoming? I think not!” I mumble through the sticky sweetness.
His smile is devastatingly soft. “You think I’m gonna be mad about a stolen marshmallow? Trouble, you could steal the breath from my lungs or the blood from my veins and I’d thank you for it. Shit, you already stole my heart when we were kids and I never wanted it back. It makes a lot more sense being yours, anyway. The damn thing only beats for you.”
Suddenly the heat of the fire is nothing compared to the flush on my face. Damn him and his romance-novel approved, swoon-worthy lines!
Must. Not. Confess. Love. And. Destroy. Our. Friendship.
Quickly, I pluck the marshmallow from my own stick, neglecting the small fact that it’s literally on fire cause I forgot it in the flames. I stuff the gooey, hot, burned mess into my mouth.
Oh, shit. God, that stings!
My mouth falls open as I inhale and exhale quickly,trying to cool down the lava-like marshmallow from the depths of hell burning my tongue.
“Hashafashasha!” I groan.
Rust holds back a laugh. With the weird noises I’m making it sounds like I’m possessed by a demon, but that’s far better than actual words coming out.
Words admitting that I’m truly and hopelessly in love with my ex-husband. It’s the last plot twist I’d ever expected for my life. I spent more than a decade trying to get over him, just to fall back into his arms in a single week.
It feels as if we were always meant to be and I finally stopped fighting fate.
Or like a romantic comedy—if second chance romcoms started with accidental murder instead of a meet cute. Talk about a meet macabre. Is that a thing? If not, it’s a thing now.
Call Hollywood, I’m about to redefine the romcom genre!
Rust winces. “That looked like it hurt.” He reaches into our cooler by his chair, taking out a cold bottle of water. “Here, drink some of this.”
I grab it and take a deep gulp, swishing the cool liquid around in my mouth before I swallow. “Thank you.”
