She laughed, the sound settling deep within my chest. “I didn’t…go downstairs.” Her head rolled on her shoulders to look at me. “You would…panic…if I left.”
I held her gaze, making sure she didn’t look away. “You’re more than capable. I won’t be that asshole, but don’t disappear on me.” She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, and that fucking pissed me off. “The woman I’m looking at now is pretty independent.” She gave me a sad smile. “Don’t sell yourself short.” I watched as her lips tipped up. It wasn’t a full smile, but it was something.
The sky was a fiery shade of orange with some pink and red mixed in. “Pretty,” she mumbled.
“Sure is.” I was looking at her.
***
Elizabeth
I sat on the bed, waiting for him to finish getting dressed before we went exploring. The muscles in his legs flexed as he leaned over, reaching into his suitcase for a change of clothes.
We grabbed coffee at the hotel’s stand in the lobby, and I tried not to notice his long fingers as he grabbed his wallet and paid.
Walking along the boardwalk, we stopped to watch a few street performers, and when he went to tip them, I pretended to study the shop awnings further down the street as I waited for him.
You could have said no at any time. No to the marriage. No to him. He would still have stood next to you. How many more times are you going to hide behind “friends”?I shut that thought down.
He let me hold onto his arm as we wandered down the boardwalk, popping into the local shops to meander. I was steady on my feet, but the sidewalk was uneven, and he’d wrapped my hand around his bicep to lend me his strength.
“Bob…by.” I pointed towards the trinket shop. “Let’s go.” I grabbed his hand, thinking nothing of it, but a shot of lightning raced up my arm. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and when I turned back to ask him if he’d felt it, his expression was so intense that I let it go.
We roamed around the store with other tourists, but I stopped to look at the jewelry counter in the middle. There were gemstones of all shapes and sizes, and the light reflected off the glass, making them sparkle. I was a sucker for anything shiny.
“I have a confession,” he whispered in my ear as I leaned over the counter. The hair on the back of my neck stood up at his closeness. It wasn’t fear but excitement, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. “I hate that string of pearls you wear, and every time I see them, I want to rip them from your neck.”
I stood straight, bumping into Thunder’s chest. He wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me until I righted myself. “My mother’s…p...p...pearls.”
“Don’t care. They’re a choker around your neck, and if that’s what you’re into, I’ll find something else for you to wear.”
My cheeks heated, and I scanned the rest of the people in the shop, wondering who’d heard him. I’d heard the brothers make raunchy comments at each other, to the club girls, and anyone who was within earshot, but this was the first time someone had ever said something directly to me.
“I…I…”
He kissed my temple and let go of me, sidling off to somewhere else in the store. It didn’t matter. He’d planted the seed, although I desperately tried to shut it down. As I stared at the string of pearls in the glass display, my body felt feverish, my mind became frazzled, and I didn’t know how to forget it.
“Those pearls would look pretty on you,” one saleswoman said, standing on the other side of the counter.
I stared at her in horror, replaying Thunder’s comment. “Oh… Oh. No.”
“Is something wrong? Not every woman can wear pearls, but you have one of those necks.” I stood there, frozen, but it gave the saleswoman the wrong impression. She quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She started tripping over her words.
“You’re fine.” Thunder appeared again at my side. “My wife already has a pair of pearls, but maybe you can show her something blue. That’s her favorite.”
“I can do that.” The woman took over, pulling my attention this way and that. Thunder’s laughter followed us around. It wasn’t until she landed on a simple sapphire necklace that I stopped. It had two diamonds at the top, hanging from a silver chain. I didn’t know why I was so drawn to it.
“That…one.” The saleswoman pulled it out of the case for me to look at. “Yes.” I smiled at her. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her, but Thunder had pushed me, causing a chain reaction. Now, I could breathe, making my own decisions, even though I ignored where he stood watching. “I’ll…take…it.”
Thunder paid for my purchase, handed me the bag, and we slowly exited the store. I wrapped my arm around his again. “Thank—“
“Don’t say it.” He leaned over, pretending we were the only two people around. “I wanted to.”
“Thank…you.” I smiled. “Hungry?”
“I could eat.” There was a little cafe a few blocks down, and we grabbed sandwiches before sitting at one of the outdoor tables. “I don’t want to go back.”
I set my sandwich down, wiping my lips with a napkin. My brow furrowed, and I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I wasn’t ready to go back either. I’d had such a good time. I didn’t want it to end, but I wondered if we’d do this again.
