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“Here.” I toss the silk and gauze across the room.
“Stop being an ass.”
“Oh, I’m the ass?” I snatch her discarded phone from the bed, holding it out. “Read his messages out loud, Nova. Tell me what your heartbroken fiancé said when he found out you were gone. Was he worried about you, want to make sure you were safe? Did he tell you he loved you and beg you to return so he could make this right? So the two of you could work out whatever is bothering you?”
It pains me to ignore the trembling of her bottom lip, but I can’t let this go on. “Tell me how Claire reacted when she saw him criticize you for wearing a low-cut top and ‘showing off the goods to his friends before he gets to see them.’ Tell me what your parents, uncles, and cousins would say if they knew the real Anders Danielson. That wasn’t a dream wedding, baby. That was a nightmare.”
Black rivers stream down her cheeks, her makeup running. And I can’t watch her crumble without my arms around her. Breaching the space between us, I tug her close, my heart aching.
“Nov, sweetheart.” My lips brush her temple. “This is about you and you alone. Who gives a rat’s ass about what anyone else thinks or how they feel? You answer to you. That jackass doesn’t deserve your tears or your remorse.”
“That’s not completely fair, Dev.”
“It’s fair enough.”
“I feel so stupid. I-I cared about him. I really did, but he…”
I cinch my hold on her. “Hey, we’ll talk about it later, okay?”
With a sniffle, she nods. “So what happens after I get out of that shower?”
“How many days are you offering me?”
Her stare clings. “How many days do you want?”
I can’t answer that the way I’d like, so I consider our options. I should give her tonight, and then take her to her parents in the morning, but I want more.
“Three?” I take a shot.
“You can have the week for all I care.”
“A full week, huh? I like it.” I kiss her forehead.
Nova inhales deeply and whispers, “You still smell like cinnamon.”
I mentally tie my hands behind my back. “Take a shower, and we’ll figure things out after.”
With her bag in hand on her way to the bathroom, I stop her with a question, “Hey, have you seen all fifty states yet?”
A watery smile blesses me with hints of those dimples I’ve missed. “Almost. Alaska, Louisiana, and New Mexico are my last three.”
twenty-two | nova
A long,hot shower does wonders for the psyche. With a weight off my chest, I come out of the bathroom in a cute and comfy loungewear outfit I bought for the honeymoon. Devin studies me, and I find solace that while the outfit is white, at least it doesn’t have the wordMrs.embroidered over my heart like Claire wanted.
He pushes his thick hair back, the waves on top longer than before and highlighted with shades of light brown like the Florida sun left a permanent mark. “What else do you have packed in that bag of yours? It’s not all lingerie and swimsuits, is it?”
“Lingerie and basic fall clothing.” I shrug. “We weren’t having our official honeymoon until December. We were just heading up to Montreal for a few nights.”
“Okay. I’ve got a plan.”
Why does this scare me?
My fear must not be hidden well because Devin’s mouth curves into a subtle smile. “Do you trust me?”
I just jumped in his car and disregarded everyone else in my life. I would say I trust him.
When I nod, he says, “Then we have a plane to catch.”
