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“Well, I’m going to spoil the crap out of you in every gift shop we go in, and when I get back, we’ll still do those swimming lessons if you want to.”
“I don’t know if I want to now.”
“Sweetie, I know the water kicked your butt today, but I’m going to show you how to do it right back. We’ll talk when I get back. Maybe you’ll feel better then, okay?”
“Okay,” Luna gives Mel a genuine smile, and they lean in for a loving hug.
Chapter Six
Ben
Matt and Melaniepull their luggage out of the trunk of their car and take an Uber to the airport so that we can have something to drive back to the resort in.
“Will you still be here when we get back?” Melanie asks hopefully, as their car pulls up.
“I don’t know,” I respond with a heavy sigh and look away, not wanting to see her damn disappointed puppy look.
“Here,” she says, putting on her no bullshit game face as she reaches into her handbag and pulls out a key, thrusting it at my chest. “This is the key to our house in the city. Please go there, just for a few days, and think about it? You bought a one way ticket, right?”
I did. Another complication of getting here was being unable to find any return flights within a one week time span. In a hurry to get here, I bought the one-way flight and decided to try again when I got here to find a flight back to Bali.
“Ben?” she prods, when I don’t answer. “Just take a few days and think about it, please? And if you decide to go back, please send me a long heartfelt text about how it was an unbearably hard decision, but you just had no choice or some shit like that?”
“Fine,” I appease her with an exasperated sigh.
“Thank you,” she says, walking into me for a hug which I’m used to from her by now.
“Just get the fuck out of here and go on your honeymoon before I change my mind,” I grumble as I give her a friendly squeeze and release her.
Once back at the resort, Kasey puts Luna in bed as Caroline dotes over her.
“Luna’s CT was flawless, but the doctor wants me to keep a close eye on her,” Kasey tells me as she walks with me out into the hallway. I nod, not a bit surprised.
“He probably just wants to be on the safe side.”
She hesitates, looking everywhere but at me for a second before taking a breath and swallowing. She’s nervous, and I don’t know why.
“I… there’s no adequate way for me to thank you.”
“I know it probably feels that way,” I sigh, “but believe me, I know, and it’s okay.”
“I know this seems like the lamest thank you in the world, and it’s probably awkward as hell, but… can I hug you? Please?” she asks, looking both uncertain and hopeful.
I can’t tell her no. After what she just went through, I know this is more for her than it is for me, and the fact that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about dancing with her last night, I know I can manage this, even if I don’t do it much.
“Yeah,” I whisper, leaning in as she wraps her arms around my shoulders and mine go around her waist. She rests her head on my shoulder, and I go ahead and rest my chin on hers. She squeezes tight and I brace myself for the discomfort I’m expecting, surprised when it doesn’t come. Instead, I feel a certain warmth, and a flutter deep in my solar plexus as I hold her small frame in my arms. It’s even better than dancing with her last night. She smells like roses. I hear her sniff, as if she’s trying to hold it together and not cry. It’s as if that’s her cue to pull away. She backs away, wipes a tear from under her eye and takes a deep breath while I, once again, feel awkward and don’t know what to do with my hands now that they’re empty, so I stuff them in my pockets.
“You saved Luna’s life today, but you saved mine too, you know?”
I can’t relate on the exact same level since I’ve never had a kid. Jamie and I were in the talking stages about it, but hadn’t taken any steps yet. But I can definitely imagine. And it leads me to wonder something.
“What about her dad? Should he be called?”
A dark shadow falls over her face, but I can see her try to dismiss it. This woman is all about being strong and dignified. It looks as if she doesn’t dare let herself slip out of fear of the consequences being dire.
“Um… it’s just me. Her fa-” she catches herself and pauses to rephrase. “He’s not in the picture.”
I nod, not having anything intelligent to say to that. Other than their adoring family, Kasey and Luna are it for each other. I’m trying like hell not to be awkward here. I should probably extract myself from the situation, yet for some reason, I find myself not wanting to be done with Kasey.
