Page 279 of When a Soul Cries

I leaned against the doorframe. “It’s a romantic weekend. What you wanted me to book, bunk beds?”

Her mouth fell open before she laughed. “See, this is why I can’t take you nowhere.”

“You ain’t take me. I brought you.”

“Same difference.”

She walked farther into the room, running her fingers over the soft comforter before looking toward the windows.

“It really is beautiful, though.”

“Yeah.”

But I wasn’t looking at the view.

I was watching the way the light caught the side of her face.

Sol caught me staring and shook her head, that little smile appearing again as she walked toward the bathroom.

I let her go without saying anything.

We had the whole weekend.

I wasn’t in a hurry.

---

That evening, we took our drinks onto the deck and settled near the firepit.

The temperature had dropped with the sun, leaving the mountain air cool enough for Sol to pull her sweater tighter around herself. Beyond the railing, darkness had swallowed most of the mountains, leaving only their silhouettes beneath the sky.

The fire cracked between us, throwing soft orange light across her face.

For a while, neither of us said much.

We didn’t need to.

Sol sat back in her chair, one leg tucked beneath her, her hands wrapped around her glass. Every now and then she looked toward the mountains like she was trying to memorize the view.

Then I decided I was done avoiding what had been on my mind all day.

“Sol, I gotta tell you something.”

Her expression immediately changed. Her shoulders stiffened just a little as she looked at me. “What?”

“Nothing bad.”

She studied me for another second before relaxing again.

I leaned forward, forearms against my thighs. “I know I told you I’d take this as slow as you needed, and I meant that. But I think you misunderstood something.”

Her eyebrows pulled together.

“I ain’t waiting to decide whether I want you. I already decided that.”

Her lips parted. “Rome…”

“Nah. Let me finish.”