Her eyes soften, and she nods, stepping into me.
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I pull her in tighter than I should. Her body fits perfectly against mine, exactly how it’s meant to be. I bury my face in her neck and breathe her in, holding on just a few seconds too long. But she doesn’t pull away. Neither of us does. Too afraid of what awaits us once the elevator opens and I leave.
But goddamn, does she feel good.
This right here, her in my arms, is what dreams are made of.
Time ticks by, the moment stretches, one I never want to end, and when I grudgingly shift, taking just a small step back, her hands shoot up to steady herself, and that’s when she feels it.
Her head jerks up, eyes locking on mine.
She lifts her fingers to the necklace under my shirt, tracing the familiar shape beneath the fabric.
The glass bead with the ornate anchor. The one she made me when I was seventeen.
I’ve worn it every day since.
Her chest rises sharply. If I leaned forward, even an inch, our lips would touch, and I know it with every fiber of my being, she wouldn’t resist.
She wants this as much as I do.
But instead, I brush the shell of her ear. “Not when you’re engaged to another man.”
I press a kiss to her cheek and step back. Not waiting to see what I know will be shock washed over her face.
When the elevator dings, I stop short, still turned away. “Don’t marry him, Mads.”
“Nate.” Her voice breaks.
I step in the elevator and turn just before the door closes, holding her gaze. “Please don’t marry him.”
Maddie
I didn’t sleep a wink. I tossed and turned, suffocated by the weight of it all, wanting to scream out to the world in agony.
The tears have been constant, burning trails down my cheeks, right there with the waves of nausea brought on by replaying Nate’s vivid childhood memories.
There were bouts of anger so raw that I had to clench my fists and physically restrain myself from leaving and burning his parents’ house down.
Anger had never fueled me in that way, and I’ve felt out of control ever since.
Eventually, by five in the morning, only a few short hours after Nate left, I gave up on sleep entirely, and I now find myself standing outside in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, knocking on a door that I haven’t been to in many years.
The outside light flickers on, and I hear my name behind the door.
The door is wrenched open, and I don’t wait a second until I fling my sodden body into Rosa’s waiting arms. She holds me tight as the floodgates crash open, bawling my eyes out, trying to catch my breath as I begin to hyperventilate.
Her soothing strokes along my spine begin to give me life again. “Thank you,” I mumble. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Eventually, when I calm down, she grips my shoulders and gets a good look at my face. When our eyes connect, I whisper, “Thank you.” My voice is barely audible.
“He told you?” She cups my cheek, swiping my wet bangs with her thumb.
I nod, my lips quiver as I fight off another wave of emotions.
“Come on, let’s get you some hot tea and warm clothes.” She turns toward Javier, silently giving him an order, and he walks off, pausing only to kiss me on the forehead as he goes.
“Rosa…” My voice wavered, unsure of what to say other than thank you again.
