Chapter 21
DEX
Icouldn’t stop looking at her.
Leigh was curled up on my couch, bare feet tucked under her, wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of sleep shorts. Her hair was down, still damp from the shower we’d taken together an hour ago. She had her phone in her hands, scrolling through something, occasionally smiling at the screen.
And I was completely gone for her.
“You’re staring again,” she said without looking up.
“Can’t help it.”
“You’ve been staring for twenty minutes. I’m not that interesting to look at.”
“Wrong.” I shifted on the couch, pulling her legs across my lap. My hands settled on her calves, thumbs rubbing gentle circles. “You’re the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen.”
She finally looked up, eyebrow raised. “That’s a pretty low bar. You spend most of your time looking at engines.”
“Exactly. And you’re infinitely more fascinating than a V8.”
She laughed, that sound I’d come to crave, and set her phone aside. “Well, that’s a relief. I’d hate to lose out to car parts.”
“Never.”
We fell into comfortable silence, and I marveled at how natural this felt. How right. Leigh in my space, in my clothes, in my life. Like she’d always been here and always would be.
Except she wouldn’t.
The thought hit me like it always did now, sharp and unwelcome. Four weeks. We had four weeks left before reality came crashing back in. Before she went back to her life in Blue Point Bay and I stayed here in Willowbrook and we both tried to move on.
As if that were possible now.
As if I could ever move on from her.
“You’re thinking about it,” Leigh said softly.
I looked at her. “What?”
“The ending. I can see it on your face.” She pulled her legs up, shifting to face me fully. “You get this look. Like you’re bracing for impact.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I do it too.” She picked at the hem of my shirt. “Every time something feels perfect, I remember that I’m leaving. That this ends.”
We fell into comfortable silence, and I marveled at how natural this felt. How right. Leigh in my space, in my clothes, in my life. Like she’d always been here and always would be.
Except she wouldn’t.
The thought hit me like it always did now, sharp and unwelcome. Four weeks. We had four weeks left before reality came crashing back in. Before she went back to her life in Blue Point Bay and I stayed here in Willowbrook and we both tried to move on.
As if that were possible now.
As if I could ever move on from her.
“You’re thinking about it,” Leigh said softly.
I looked at her. “What?”
