“We were technically long-distance coworkers, and we got a lot of work done. Instead of scheduling a bunch of meetings to discuss reports, upcoming sprints, and spreadsheets, we can schedule video chats to dirty talk about spreading my sheets if he were here—” I groan into my pillow again.
Pie makes another meow, this time swatting at my forehead.
Releasing a sigh, I look up at the ceiling. “It’s so selfish of me, Pie, but I wish he were here.InCalifornia. Even if?—”
My phone goes off, and my cat startles as I reach for it to see who’s calling me at five-twelve in the morning.
The research center’sparking lot is nearly empty when my car slows to a complete stop.
My hands are shaking. No. My body’s shaking. Everything is shaky and jittery—even my heart—as if I just chugged ten cups of coffee and topped it off with six cans of energy drinks.
There’s a white crossover SUV parked a few yards across from me. Oregon license plate. Bumper stickers of various national parks. A driver who’s super dorky and has been the object of my intense pining getting out of the vehicle.
I climb out of my car—then double back to make sure the parking brakes are on—before I break off into a sprint and slam into him as he tries to meet me halfway. We nearly stagger, buthe steadies us at the last moment because his body is so solid and sturdy and rugged like a tree.
“You’re here.” My arms loop around his chest, squeezing him tightly. “You’re here.”
“Yeah,” he chuckles. “I’m here.”
“Why are you—” My throat goes tight with tears. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think?”
“You want to tackle all the hiking trails in Southern California in the next forty-eight hours for some obscure weekend warrior badge,” I say, screwing my eyes shut when he draws me in even tighter into his arms and chuckles against my hairline.
“I drove almost a thousand miles to see you, and you have to be a smartass about it.”
“Oh my God,” I gasp. “You’re here.”
“Yeah. I’m here.” His lips brush against my temple. “I thought about surprising you at seven-fifteen, but honestly? I just wanted to see you.” Hot tears blur the edges of my vision as he continues. “And I didn’t realize the place didn’t open until nine—Barbie?”
His head pulls back, and I cling to him tighter.
“Are you crying?” He releases me, scanning me with genuine worry. “Shit, you’re hyperventilating.”
“I’m sorry. I am just so happy to see you,” I confess, fanning my face and flushed cheeks with my hands. “I don’t understand why you’re here. I feel like I should go play the lottery because this morning, I wished you were here—Why are you here?”
“I’m here because I miss you,” he says. My lips wobble as I tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “Because I had to see you again. Because you’re all I think about. Because I want to be with you.”
“I want to be with you, too,” I whisper. “So badly. But you live in Oregon?—”
“Just for now,” he says. My face scrunches with confusion. “It’s a long story. As much as I’d love to explain everything, I drove for almost twenty hours straight and haven’t gotten any sleep.” He pauses. “And technically, I have to clock in for work in less than an hour. The perks of working remotely.”
My eyes widen in alarm. “Wait, did you bring your work laptop with you?”
He lets out a wry chuckle. “I did. And thankfully, this one didn’t get dropkicked while I was traveling.” When he sees the look on my face, he snorts. “It’s another long story.”
“You can tell me later,” I say, fighting the tears that are gathering on my lower lashes. “Back at my place.” And then, before he can respond, I tackle him with another hug, just to make sure this is real, he’s actually here, I’m not imagining it. “Promise me you’re actually here, Ethyl Alcohol.”
“I’m here, Barbie,” he murmurs into the crown of my head. “Or, to speak your language,one-zero-zero-one?—”
“Shut up!” I laugh, and I twine my fingers into his hair and pull him down quickly to crush my lips to his.
He’s still herewhen I return to my apartment from my internship and soul-sucking LA traffic. He’s asleep on my bed with Pie sprawled out across his chest. I almost freeze in the doorway when Ethan stirs slightly, flashing me a sleepy, crooked grin, and sending my heart on a loop-de-loop ride.
“Don’t let your cat fool you. He spent hours hissing at me and sat on my keyboard so many times.”
“He probably knows you’re the sheets guy, too.”
