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“And...you’re happy?” he asked.
That was an entirely different story. “I’m not unhappy. Well, a little right now, but that will pass.”
“Is it something I did?” he questioned.
“I have another question,” I said, before replying.
“What is it?”
“If I hadn’t shown up at the resort early to pick up Draven, would you have let me know you were here?” I needed to know if anything had changed or had he hoped to stay hidden in the shadows like before.
He reached out and touched my hand. “Venus, I didn’t lie to you then, and I won’t now. I had no intention of letting you see me. I thought if you did, it would open wounds from the past. I knew you were coming to meet Draven and show him around town. That’s why I invited him for a beer. To see what I could learn about you, through him. But when you showed up early, I wasn’t prepared. There was no hiding. It was time for me to be honest. And here we are. Finally talking.”
Not because you wanted to, but because I was impatient and showed up early.
“I won’t lie to you either. I’ve thought of you many times. Even just the other day, for that matter. But I...we...can’t undo what has been done. I know you're here. Now what?” I asked.
He squeezed my hand and said, “I guess that all depends on you. I know what I want.”
“And that is?” I asked.
“To spend as much time with you as I can.”
And then what? Do we pretend like we never saw each other? I am not that good of an actress.I hated it. It wasn’t whether or not I would get hurt, but when. This wasn’t my little daydream coming true. He wasn’t here to sweep me off my feet. He was here because of some crazy obligation he still felt. Yet I couldn’t walk away.
Pulling my hand away from his, I said, “The sun will be setting soon. I should get you back to the resort.”
“Venus, I...”
“I need time to think, Declan. You owe me that much. This isn’t something new to you, but it is to me. I have my answer and so do you. I’m not in danger.”At least not the kind anyone had thought I was.
I started the car and pulled back onto the road heading for the resort. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t either. The ride felt as though it was taking forever, when in fact we were back at the resort in ten minutes.
Declan didn’t get out of the car right away. Instead, he sat there just looking at me. Before he opened the door he asked, “May I see you tomorrow?”
I wanted to say hell yes. But the truth was, Declan wasn’t the same person he was at nineteen any more than I was. We’d both changed so much, and I was not talking about looks. He was only going to be here for a short time, and I wasn’t staying in Tabiq much longer myself. So, what was the point of us seeing each other again? Besides, given our past and my attraction to him, it would be like starting all over again. That took time. Not something we had on our side.We should just part ways now.
But my lips wouldn’t utter those words because it wasn’t reflecting what was in my heart. I needed to know how I felt about him now. And there was only one way to do that.Get to know Declan, the man.
“I’ll...I’ll tell you in the morning. Right now, I just need to get back to the cottage.” It was his cue to open the door and get out of the car, but he still didn’t move. “Is there something else?” I asked.
“Yes. I want to see you tomorrow.”
“Declan, I already told you.”
“No. You said you’d tell me tomorrow. But I don’t want to wait. Hell, Venus, I don’t want to stop seeing you now. It’s been so long since you and I have spoken. And...”
“Whose fault is that?” I snapped.
He raised a hand and said, “One hundred percent, mine. I take full blame.”
“Good. Because if I had seen you even just by accident, I sure in hell would’ve at least said hello and not let all this time slip away.”Now it’s too late.
“I can’t make up for lost time, but I don’t want to lose now. This is a second chance for us to get to know each other. I know I haven’t earned the right, but I’m asking if you’ll give me a chance.”
A chance for what? That was what he wasn’t saying.Not sure I want to know either. I was a strong and confident woman but thinking of where this could go scared me. It was one thing to daydream of what it could be like if he came looking for me because he wanted me too. It was another thing that he had actually turned up and for that very reason. That’s what I needed time to think about, and for some damn reason, Declan wasn’t getting it.Probably because I’m not voicing it.
“Declan, I...I wasn’t expecting any of this.” Hoped for something like this, but definitely not this. In my dreams, we were still nineteen. Nothing had changed. It was as though we were frozen in time.But this is reality. Nothing is the same.
