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“They understand what you’re dealing with. Don’t worry about them.” He grabbed my hand, pulling my eyes to him. “You’ve got really amazing friends. You’re lucky.”
“Funny. They said the same thing about you.” I thought that’d get a smile or a chuckle at least, but Michael seemed to be occupied with whatever else was bothering him. “Okay, what else?” I gently prodded.
He leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed, eyes closed. “Work. But what’s new?”
“Meaning?”
“My father.”
“Ah. Okay, let’s skip that one for now.”
He chuckled, opened one eye. “Agreed.”
The windows were cleared up now. The span of land covered in a blanket of wild grass dotted with scattered trees looked inviting. My eyes danced across the speckles of purple, yellow, and orange wildflowers battered by the rain.
The quiet between us was deafening. Michael and I both exhaled a breath through our lips at the same moment, sounding like Mr. Ed. The laugh rippled through me, remembering Audrey’s mockery. Michael was laughing too, both of us taken over from the ridiculousness of the sound and the situation.
He took my hand, kissed the inside of my wrist, then rested it against his thigh. I looked at him, beaming. His face was alight with a smile that spread to his eyes, but the one thing he hadn’t brought up was still nagging at me. I had to come clean about Tim.
Michael deserved that.
So did I.
“I can’t thank you enough, Michael.” I squeezed his leg. “I just couldn’t deal with everything going on while I was worried about Pops. I know you know about Tim. About him calling and texting me. And I have to be honest with you. He wants me back.”
“I know.” His voice was low, almost inaudible.
I let a quiet breath out, shook my head. “After everything he did, hestillwants me back. I had a lot to think about.”
His jaw tightened. His eyes flashed.
I knew, after what Michael said—want me, need me—this wasn’t easy for him to hear. But I was speaking honestly, trying to help him understand where I was coming from.
“Siena, I won’t play this game with you. I won’t be someone you keep on the side while you figure out if you’re getting back with your ex or not. Despite everything you think you know about me from those goddamned Google searches of yours, I’m just not that fucking shallow.”
His intensity surprised me. “I know that.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, Michael. I do. And I need you to know I didn’t respond to him. There’s nothing he can say or do that would make me change my mind.”
“I see.”
“And”—I peeked up at him—“ever since you and me . . . that night you unselfishly focused onmypleasure . . . Then when I found out about Pops’s heart attack and your only concern wasmeand getting me home . . . I realized that, because of you, I could never be with him again. I haven’t thought about him—he hasn’t even crossed my mind. Until now.” I could feel my cheeks beginning to burn.
“Really?” He cleared his throat.
“Honestly.” I crossed my heart. He turned to me, stared into my eyes for a long moment, then pulled me to him, and kissed me deeply.
Gently pulling away, he kissed my nose, touched his forehead to mine. I could feel his body sigh with relief. “I have to admit. It’s been eating at me. The thought of him having a better hold on you than I do . . . it’s been killing me.”
“Michael—”
“I know it’s all happening so fast. But can you deny this thing between us?”
I bit my lip, trying to fight the emotions welling up in me. To hear these words, to hear these feelings. Were they true?
“Can you?” His words stuttered my heart as he looked into my eyes, beseeching me to deny it. “C’mon, Siena. You know how it is between us. I haven’t ever felt this way before.”
