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I smile. Knowing he trusts me this much is reassuring to my trust issues.
“My real name is Alex Stone.”
Alex. The name actually fits him.
I smile and put my hand out toward him. “Hi, Alex. It’s nice to meet you.”
He laughs as he shakes my hand. “Are you weirded out now?”
“No, I can see you as an Alex. It seems to fit you.”
“Well, that’s good.”
Still holding my hand, he gently pulls me down to lie with him again.
A thought comes to mind, and I decide I should ask him. “Should I still call you Stone? Or Alex?”
“It’s up to you,” he replies as I get settled with my head on his chest again. His arm is around me, holding me close just like before. “Obviously, in public, you should call me Stone. But when we’re alone, you can call me what you want.”
“How did you choose your pen name?” I ask, wondering where Ryder came from.
“Well, my last name works as a first name, so I thought that was an easy swap. Back in high school when I played sports, my coaches and teammates would refer to me as Stone, so I was already somewhat used to it. I chose Ryder because it was my mom’s maiden name. I thought it sounded good with Stone, and I liked the idea of honoring my mom and her side of the family, so that’s what I picked.”
“I love that,” I tell him, and it’s true. “I love that your name has meaning behind it, and it’s not just some random thing you came up with. That’s awesome.”
Stone––err, Alex––pulls me a bit closer and kisses the top of my head. “Thank you,” he says.
We fall asleep like this, in each other’s arms. I’ve never felt a closeness quite like this before in my life. Alex is something special.
Stone
I’m falling. Hard. I haven’t had as much fun as I’ve had with Olivia in… I don’t even know how long. These past few days have been nothing but magnificent. I simply enjoy Olivia’s company and feel good when I’m around her. Not only that, but the chemistry between us is on fire! Her body feels amazing, and our connection is like nothing I’ve experienced before. I wish I didn’t have to go back home to Tacoma tomorrow.
We spend all day together again. Olivia and I drive down the coast to Cannon Beach, then hike around Ecola State Park. It’s a beautiful day, and the perfect way for Olivia and me to spend our last day together. Our last day, for a while, at least. I don’t plan on staying away from her for long.
After exploring the beauty of the state park, then having dinner with a view of the famous Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, we return to the B&B and decide to share a bottle of wine while sitting at the campfire table on the back deck.
“When does your flight leave on Thursday?” Olivia asks, settling into my side on the outdoor couch.
“Early afternoon sometime,” I reply. “I’ll be back Sunday night.”
Olivia nods her head and takes a sip of her wine. I have a feeling she wants to ask me the one thing we haven’t actually discussed yet––when we will see each other again––but she doesn’t say a word.
“The sunset is gorgeous,” she says, and she’s right. The view playing out in front of us makes this the most romantic setting I could’ve imagined.
“It is,” I reply. I want to bring up the topic she seems to be avoiding. “I love seeing the sun set on the ocean. I hope it won’t be too long before I can see it again.”
She turns her head to look at me. “Do you think you’ll come back again soon?”
I smile. “I’d like to… if you want me to.”
Olivia sits up and sets her wine glass on the table. She shifts so her whole body faces me, her left leg bent on the seat cushion almost like a barrier between us. “Of course, I want you to come back soon,” she says before looking down at her hands. I can tell she’s thinking through what she wants to say, and suddenly, I’m nervous about what that might be.
Maybe Olivia’s feelings aren’t as strong as mine. Maybe I’ve been just a fling for her, and nothing more. Maybe this is the last night I’ll ever get to see Olivia.
With my heart pounding harder, I can’t wait for her response.
She finally looks up at me and says, “I’m just not sure how this is going to work. I mean, you live in Tacoma, and I live here. How often will we get to see one another?”
