‘What about her?’
‘Aren’t you guys together?’
‘No.’ He pauses. ‘She wanted to be. She came back to DC to try to win me back over. But it’s too late. Too much water under the bridge. And, well. You.’
Lexi can feel a grin overtaking her face. ‘Is it bad that I’m not sorry?’
Sam laughs into her hair. ‘No.’
‘And is it also bad that I’m not sorry I spilled wine on her that time?’
‘Not at all,’ he says. ‘I couldn’t look at you, or I knew I’d laugh.’
Lexi flashes back to his stony face; she’d read it entirely wrong. She needs to learn not to make assumptions. But for now, it’s time to focus on the task in hand.
‘It seems unfair that you’re the only one who’s topless.’ Sam says.
‘I couldn’t agree more.’
As he deftly unbuttoned her blouse, the air between them cracked with anticipation. The lingering touch of his fingers sent shivers down her spine, and she found herself lost in the moment.
* * *
Later, with his arm wrapped around her, she nestled closer, the warmth of his embrace enveloping her like a comforting blanket. ‘I could stay here like this forever,’ she whispered as his face turned towards her.
‘Then do.’ His eyes say,I mean it.
‘I can’t. The bookshop...’
‘We’ll figure it out.’
‘I’m leaving, Sam.’
He freezes for a second, like Netflix buffering in the middle of a key scene. ‘I’m sorry– you’rewhat?’
‘I’m going back to England. Everything is too difficult here. I miss home. I miss my sister.’
‘You weren’t going to ask me what I thought first?’ There’s no mistaking the shock in his voice. ‘If I wanted to try to make this work?’
‘You’re the reason I’m leaving,’ she blurts out, defensive, trapped. And doing a very bad job of explaining her thoughts, much less her feelings.
‘I see,’ he says, sitting up, fumbling for his shirt. ‘Then leave, I guess.’
‘Wait,’ she says, a pathetic note of pleading in her voice. ‘No. That’s not what I mean. This is all so confusing.’
‘It’s confusing for me too,’ he says. ‘I miss you when we’re not together. Our bodies feel like they were made for each other. But I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep thinking I might love you, only for it to turn out that you’re just using me. So leave. Give us both the chance to get over this.’
Lexi feels slapped. Shocked.
He loves her?
Her body is still sending her pleasure signals. Her mind is struggling to make sense of what’s happening.
‘Seriously,’ he says. ‘This is all a game to you, and my heart can’t take it. So go. Drink all the iceless water England has to offer. And have a nice life.’
The finality of his tone leaves no room for doubt.
There’s nothing for Lexi to do now but get dressed and leave.
