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It doesn’t right now.
Blowing out a breath, I force myself to stand to my full height, lifting my chin. I try and brace myself as I make my way down the beach to join him.
Nolan’s gaze remains unflinching as it tracks my approach.
Coming to a stand next to him, I stare down at those dark, swirling green orbs streaked with gold from the fading sun. So distracted by the beauty that is this man, I can almost ignore the expression on his face.
“Sk—”
“Y-you didn’t show for dinner,” I stutter out. Blinking rapidly, I turn my head toward the water, staring unseeingly into the far distance. My chest aches, making it hard to breathe.
I’m vaguely aware of my fingers tapping together a split-second before a familiar calloused hand encases mine, stilling them.
“I know,” he says in a gentle tone I don’t like. “I’m sorry. I…I got a phone call. At the front desk.”
I frown, not understanding. “Then why…” My mouth dries, voice crackling, before fading completely.
Nolan tugs my hand, and I take a peek at his face. He smiles sadly up at me. “Have a seat, sweetheart.”
Emotion floods my throat, bringing a searing ache to my nose and eyes. Still, I can’t look away. It hurts, but I refuse to look away.
No. No I don’t want to,I think, but my voice won’t work.
With another gentle tug of my hand, I find myself doing as he says, hardly aware of my body moving. Like someone else is in control, and I’m trapped inside, frozen, led only by his sad, knowing green eyes and grounding touch.
“It was Mel who called,” he tells me slowly after a long moment, as if he’s measuring each word.
And for whatever reason, those five words have my brain switching gears, everything else—every other worry—momentarily fading into the background.
“Is everything okay?” I blurt. “Is Abby—” My breath hitches. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. I just know it’d kill me if something happened to his little girl, if only because of how much I know it would killhim.
“She’s fine,” he says deeply, a crease forming between his brows. He studies me closely, sweeping his gaze all over my face.
I force a swallow, and chew on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from fidgeting, or turning away.
Another small, sad smile creeps up his face, half hidden by his beard. “Actually, she’s the one who called me,” he says, a sad, choked laugh erupting from him. He shakes his head like he can’t believe it. “Well Mel dialed I’m sure, but still—I…I got to talk to her. I finally got to hear her voice.”
My eyes widen and for a second the pain in my chest is replaced by a whole other ache. A good ache, I think. My lip curves up. “Really?”
He nods, that little furrow between his eyes deepening. “Yeah…” he says faintly, his voice fading off. His gaze drops to my lips, a troubled look pinching his features. “Yeah.”
My grin starts to slip, that icky feeling rising to the surface once more, coating all the good feelings with a thick, black, tar-like substance. “Then…why do you look so sad?”
Shiny green eyes snap up to mine, holding me hostage. His jaw tightens, and he gives a little shake of his head, and I suck in a slow, measured breath that does little to tamper my anxiety. My heart’s racing, so loud and so fast he has to be able to hear it. Has to be able to see the way my pulse hammers against my neck.
“Nolan,” I whisper. “What is it?”
His throat bobs with his swallow. Then—
“I’m leaving.”
All I can do is stare at him.
“Mel said I could come home,” he says in a rush. “She…wants me to come home.” Whatever he must see on my face has him squeezing my hand in a bone-crushing vice, and he quickly shakes his head. “Not like that. For Abby, I mean. She said I can see her. That I don’t have to finish out—”
“When?” I say through numb lips.
His eyes tighten at the corners. “There’s a flight to the States in the morning. They said there’s a boat going out at first light to take me to the mainland so I can catch it in time.”
