And I have no idea where she might be. I don’t know her friends or usual spots. She said she’s not much of a party girl, only going out for drinks when her besties leave her no choice.
I pull a packet of cigarettes out of my jacket pocket and sit on the porch, lighting one with a Zippo. She’ll have to come home at some point, and I’m not moving until we talk.
At least that’s my three-minute resolution before I grow impatient. Sitting around doing fucking nothing drives me nuts, so I jump back behind the wheel, setting off toward town. The Challenger rumbles a low, comforting growl that seems out of place.
Ten minutes later, cruising down the main street at a crawl, my head swings left and right, searching,hopingto catch a flash of that bright orange BMW.
Newport’s bustling. It’s a summer vacation Friday night. High school and college kids are out, flooding the streets, loud and cheerful. Music spills out from open club doorways, and lights blink from all directions. I drive past the cocktail bars, the fancy lounges, all the best spots, peering through the windows, but there’s no sign of her amongst the crowds.
An hour ticks away, as relentless as my heartbeat in my ears. Each passing moment amplifies the dull ache in my chest. The city lights seem harsh, the music from the clubs grating. Even my Challenger feels more isolating.
I circle back to Addie’s house, but it’s still dark, silent, and empty. My hands feel heavy on the wheel as I turn back home to grab my cell. I left it on the coffee table when I stormed out, and even though I’d much rather do this in person, I’m out of ideas where Addie might be, so a phone call it is.
That’s if she even replaced her phone since it tumbled into that river in the Bahamas.
I won’t fucking stop until I see her. I don’t know what I’ll say, I don’t know how to put the turmoil inside my head into words, but they’ll come.
Every mile and every red light seems to last an eternity before I reach my driveway. And there it is. The orange BMW I’ve been looking for.
I wouldn’t have guessed she’d be here if I had a million chances, but she is. Sitting with her back to my front door, staring right at me as I throw the Challenger into a parking spot beside her car.
I’m out in a flash, relief surging when her beautiful brown eyes meet mine. A kaleidoscope of emotions paints her face as she scrambles to her feet, descending the few concrete steps.
She’s not in a hurry, every step measured. “Cody came by,” she says like she’s mentioning the weather, not giving anything away. “He dropped off a pen for Jasper.”
I bob my head, standing by the hood of my car, completely fucking paralyzed. She’s so... casual. Not at all what I expected when I saw her sitting outside my door.
A short clip played in my head: an epic, movie-worthy reunion. Her jumping into my arms, our lips connecting. A kiss to rival all fucking kisses among whisperedI love yous.
“He didn’t leave any instructions,” she continues, stopping right before me, the scent of her body hooking me like a potent drug. “I was rather rude about him ditching his wife on Friday evening to bring me the pen, but then he said Blair’s in Milan with Cassidy.”
My eyebrows bunch in the middle at the sudden change of topic. “Yeah, she’s showing off her new clothing line, and Cass is her photographer.”
“They’re all living their dreams, aren’t they?” she muses, taking another step closer, our breaths mingling. “Mia’s writing songs, Thalia’s head chef, Vivienne’s climbing the career ladder...”
I have no idea what she’s getting at, but I nod along, confused beyond reason.
She steps even closer, so close she has to angle her head to look me in the eye. “Do you have any idea what a shock to the system it was when I realized they’re not trophies?”
And it hits me.
Thereisa reason Addie doesn’t want a husband. Why she doesn’t want a family. She doesn’t want to end up like her mother. A trophy wife: pretty, well mannered, well behaved, and caged. Forced to nurture her husband’s aspirations while squandering her own.
She pokes my chest with her long finger. “Do you have any idea how shocked I was when Cody said you were going to bring Jasper home for me? Why would you do that?”
I open my mouth, but she doesn’t let me speak, rising on her toes as she wraps her hands around my neck.
“I’ll tell you why. Because you want me to be happy and you’ll do everything you can to make that happen. Because for you, my dreams are important and you’ll make them come true even though they’re notyours. Am I wrong?”
I shake my head. “One hundred percent right.”
A small smile tugs her lips, growing wider and brighter until she’s beaming, eyes sparkling. She doesn’t say anything else. She’s on me before I can blink, hands on my face, body pressing into me, her warm, plump lips on mine.
I grab her waist, pulling her closer. I’m confused... so fuckingconfused, but never this calm. She gasps, a small sound I swallow as I take over. I delve deeper, lifting her into my arms, my hands full of her sweet ass. She grips the fabric of my tee and melts into me as if we’re two matching pieces of a puzzle.
Our lips move in sync. The kiss deepens, growing hungrier, greedier. The feel of her against me, her taste on my lips, her scent filling my lungs... I’m fucking drunk on her.
It’s intoxicating. Overwhelming.
