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“Do you just drive around with a blanket in the back of your truck?” I playfully ask.
Pulling me close with his arm around my shoulder, he says, “Well, you never know when you may need to curl up and watch a sunset over the Smokey Mountains.”
Inhaling a deep breath, I take in the view in front of us. The vast expanse of the mountain landscape is enough to take your breath away.
The sky is streaked with bright oranges and pinks as the big, glowing sun begins to set behind the mountains.
“Beautiful,” I say in barely more than a whisper.
“Yeah, you are,” he quips, kissing me on the cheek.
“Oh, you’re smooth,” I giggle.
We sit there, watching the sun go down, neither of us feeling the need to fill the silence. I’ll be forever grateful that Shane doesn’t bombard me with questions about what Jessie said.
I know I have my own personal battles with depression, and I don’t need someone else pointing them out to the man I’m dating.
I’ll tell Shane about my demons when I’m damn good and ready.
But not tonight.
Not right now.
This moment is far too perfect to ruin.
Chapter Thirty-three
Shane
Later that evening, Jenna and I lie in bed together, all cuddled up after another steamy romp in the sheets.
Her head lies on my chest while I play with her hair, pushing away a few strands that are stuck to her forehead.
After this crazy night, it’s nice to just be here with her. I haven’t asked her about everything that Jessie said. To be honest, none of it matters. Everyone has their baggage, and I don’t care what Jenna’s is. I’m not going anywhere.
Breaking the silence, Jenna says, “Thank you.”
I look down at her. “For what?”
“For not bombarding me with questions about what Jessie said, and even more so for not running in the opposite direction.”
I lean us both up, so I can see her face. “Sunshine, I have to ask why you are so convinced that I’m going to run away.”
She thinks for a moment before answering. “Men in my life haven’t had a great record at following through.”
“Boyfriends?”
Her shoulders shrug. “Sometimes. I mean, Justin was a liar and a Grade-A jerk. He said he’d be there for me through everything, and he ran at the first bump in the road. But you know what?”
“What?”
“I wasn’t surprised. It’s not like it came as some big shock. It’s as if I was just expecting it to happen the entire time.”
I’m not sure if I’m about to overstep any boundaries with my next question, but I will ask it anyway.
“Do you think it has anything to do with your dad?”
I brace for impact, but it never comes.
