He’d had my heart in my throat when we were upstairs, his hand pressing into mine like he was trying to communicate something different than the words he’d been saying. Sully’s normally crystal-clear blue eyes had been clouded, hazing over as he watched me, his attention rapt—like a sky before a summer storm as it hummed with electricity. His proximity was an intoxicating thing, and even though I knew it was a terrible idea, I wanted more of it. Icravedmore of it.
“The garage?” I questioned, following him with my eyes. Only my eyes.
“Check on the sprinkler system.”
“Is it still acting up?” Theo asked. “You’ve been messing with that thing all summer.”
“It’s working, but it keeps missing the rose bushes,” Sully answered, that stormy gaze skirting to me and then darting away. “I just want to make sure they’re getting watered.”
And then he was out the door.
“Hey, El?”
I turned to Theo, realizing that while I’d been staring after Sully, he’d been staring at me.
Shit.
“Yeah?”
“Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”
He was repeating my words back to me, words I’d said but clearly not fully believed.
I gave him a shaky smile. “Are you sure?”
“Totally okay,” Cooper insisted.
I hugged my arms around myself. “How do you know?”
Theo nodded toward the front door. “Because he could have let those rosebushes die five years ago, but he’s out here every week, making sure they don’t.”
twelve years ago
ELLIE
“Hey, Eleanor?”
It was after midnight, and Sully and I had been sitting on the steps of his front porch for almost an hour, not ready to let the night end. Above us, the stars twinkled. Around us, the air was cool. I wore Sully’s suit jacket around my shoulders.
“Sawyer?”
His look was contemplative. “Did you have fun tonight?”
My cheeks hurt from smiling, but I let another one take over my face anyway. “So much fun.”
“Yeah?”
He looked so suddenly hopeful, I wondered if I hadn’tactedlike I’d been having fun. Or maybehehadn’t had fun.
“Yeah, of course. Did you?”
He nodded, and it was enthusiastic enough to soothe my worries. “Yeah. I was sort of hoping?—”
When he hesitated, I nudged his foot. “What?”
He shook his head. “It’s kind of silly.”
“Tell me.”
