“Well, let me tell you, it’s certainly not worth the effort. You’ve been smart to save your time.”
He winced at my pessimistic words. “Maybe it’s good that you put yourself out there so much.”
I bit my lip and studied his earnest expression. This guy standing before me was like a completely different person than the one I got on the plane with a few days ago.
“Lately, I’ve been wondering if maybe I spent too much time with my ex,” I said. “What if I was supposed to meet my soulmate in high school, and I just picked the wrong guy? Or what if it was that lab partner I was a little too flirtatious with in college? Or maybe I was supposed to end up with the guy at the coffee shop who asked for my number, but I turned him down because I had a boyfriend.”
A group of dancers got too close to Harrison and he had to lean in closer to me to get space. “I don’t think it works like that, Lila.”
“I’m starting to think I’ll have to settle for some guy who lives out of a van and will insist on waiting five years before proposing to me,” I said bitterly.
Harrison chuckled. I wasn’t used to the sound, and it made me feel drunker than any of the alcohol I’d had earlier.
“Please do me a favor and don’t settle.”
We stared at each other for a second. My mouth went dry.
“You want to get out of here?” I asked.
“More than anything,” he said, his voice thick with relief.
We pushed our way through the crowd until we finally stepped outside. The heart of the town thrummed with activity, bars blasting music, though many tourists had already drifted away for the night. We began our trek down the long, winding pedestrian street back to our hotel.
The silence was almost blaring and after our conversation at the bar, I felt the need to defend myself.
“I know I should be more secure,” I started. “You know? Content with everything I’ve achieved. Knowing I’ve built a successful business and a good life all on my own. But it still feels empty. I still crave something more, something deeper. I guess you could say I’m still ‘desperate for a man,’ as you’ve so eloquently pointed out in the past.”
Movement to my right caught my attention, and suddenly a hard chest blocked my path. I looked up in surprise to find Harrison standing in front of me.
“You’re not desperate,” he said. His eyes were filled with regret.
“It’s fine.” I waved him off. “I kind of am, actually.”
“You’re not.” His eyes were hard, but not in their usual intimidating way. “I should have never said that. That’s one of my gifts, unfortunately—figuring out what will get a rise out of someone and using it to my advantage. I should have never used it against you, though.”
“I’m no one to you. I shouldn’t be affected by it.”
He blew out a sharp breath and looked pained. “Lila, I don’t know who you are to me, but you’re sure as hell not no one. Not anymore.”
Now I knew what people meant when they said they felt faint.
“Oh,” was my only response before he nodded gruffly and we resumed our walk.
This day felt like it had stretched into an entire year. How was I supposed to survive the rest of the trip with him looking at me like that? Like I actually meant something to him.
SIXTEEN
Harrison
“Are you sure about this?”Lila eyed me warily as a man came around and tightened her helmet. I resisted the urge to shoulder him out of the way and do it myself.
“Maria did say it was the best way to see the island,” I pointed out.
“But every blog in existence talks about how unsafe it is,” she whispered.
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” the man renting us the four-wheeler boomed with a thick Greek accent. “The ones worried about safety are never the ones that crash.”
“See?” I said.
