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Caitlyn twisted her fingers. “I just dunno how I’m gonna get through my day without talking to you. I’ve never had a guy who I could talk to like you.”
“Well, I’ll have to call you. And email.” He took her fidgeting hands into his and squeezed her fingers. “You’ll hear so much of my voice that you’ll be sick of me!”
“We can use Skype!” Her voice rose into an inappropriately cheerful squeak, and he chuckled. “And I’ll get my Emrys-fix from the WiFi! Until we can see each other in person again, anyway.”
Emrys flashed her a wide grin. It was the one that had initially disarmed her during her class trip to Nice. She loved his smile, especially the way it transformed his sullen face and made him almost seem like a different person.
“It’ll have to do.” Emrys shrugged. “Unless I kidnap you and take you back to my lair.”
“You could…” Caitlyn took his hands and swung him from side to side. “But then I’d have to mount a daring escape plan. It could get messy.” She wrinkled her nose when he pulled her close for another kiss. “I don’t wanna leave you, but I can’t abandon my life right now.”
“I get it.”
They didn’t make it to the Arc that night. Instead they stayed by the water, holding hands and kissing and talking until it was dark. Then Emrys walked her back to her dorm room. Caitlyn hopped onto his lap, determined to enjoy him until the moment the car came to pick her up. She would remember that night for the rest of her life.
At the Charles de Gaulle airport, they repeated their promises and goodbye kisses until Caitlyn had to go through security. Even then, she kept looking back at him as she went through the line, and each time, he gave her a wave, or blew a kiss. Finally, Emrys placed both of his hands over his heart, gazing back at her wistfully, and turned to leave.
Caitlyn watched as Emrys walked away, her heart full of sadness to see him go, as well as excitement for the moment they’d meet again.
Chapter One
Five Years Later
The chug of boats on the Hudson River filled Caitlyn’s ears, along with the sound of her own rhythmic breathing and the morning traffic on the other side. She smiled, picking up the pace of her run and feeling beads of sweat trickling down the back of her neck. She was glad she’d remembered the sweatband that now held back her strawberry blonde hair. The autumn air was cool against her skin. There was nothing like that first rush of endorphins in the morning. Though she didn’t usually experience it quite this early.
“Hurry up!” Melinda called back to her.
Caitlyn looked up and saw her friend laughing several steps ahead of her.
“Sorry.” Caitlyn picked up the pace. “If you keep sprinting off like that, how are we supposed to talk? And then what’s the point of being awake, or even alive, at five in the morning?”
Melinda wiped her brow. “Exercise, I’d guess?”
Caitlyn made a noise.
“It’s good for you.”
“But at what cost, Mel? What cost?!” Caitlyn pleaded.
Melinda laughed and looked over Caitlyn. “You sure complain a lot. I’m not sure I believe you run back home.”
“I like the trails better in Cincinnati. And not this early.”
“Pfft. New York is better than Cincinnati. Can you get a tattoo and a hooker at 3am in Cincinnati?”
“I wouldn’t want to do either of those things at any hour!”
Melinda laughed wickedly. Caitlyn fought her nature so she could speed up and leave Melinda in her dust. She loved Mel, she did, but they were two very different people. Caitlyn was really only out there with her this morning because Caitlyn was staying at Melinda’s apartment while visiting the city. After four days of being shaken awake at the ass crack of dawn, she’d finally given in.
But Caitlyn was a night owl by nature and preferred to work and exercise and anything else much later in the day. It wouldn’t kill her to come out with Melinda in the mornings while she was here, though.
Probably.
When they’d finished the trail, the two of them settled into a seat outside at a juice bar. Melinda would have to get back to the apartment and shower so she could go to work, but Caitlyn could do her work for the day back at the apartment ensconced with a latte and Melinda’s cats.
“So are you really not liking the city?” Melinda asked.
“I like it okay. I like visiting with you. It’s a bit crowded for my tastes.”
“I’m off tomorrow. We’ll find some better things for you to do. Oh! And I have tickets to that movie screening on Friday, and there’s an after party.” Melinda held her hands up. “Just a small one at a lounge, my little antisocial butterfly. We do have to dress up, but it won’t be loud and crowded like a club.”
