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Absently, I reached for the flowers, which she put in my hands.
“Still prettier every time I see you,” Stone mused, almost as if he couldn’t get used to it.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you for the flowers.” My voice was so soft, I could barely hear myself, but Stone’s smile told me I’d been loud and clear.
“You’re most welcome. Ready to go?” He offered his arm to me. I breathed in deeply and exhaled, wrapping my fingers just above the crook. Had it really only been a month since the first time we’d done this?
“Don’t forget this.” Vivian hooked my purse over my arm and layered my coat on top of that. Then she shoved me out the door, causing me to stumble into Stone, who caught me, his arm automatically circling my waist.
“That’s much better,” he whispered against my hair, holding me for a long second before releasing me. I was dazed from being so close to him, his fresh outdoor scent infusing my senses. It took me a second to get my bearings, but somehow I managed to get my feet to move toward the elevator.
“Love y’all,” Vivian called.
I looked back at her, a glass sheen blurring my vision. “Love you too,” I whispered, barely choking out the words.
This moment felt final. My chest constricted, the air flow to my lungs cut off. Stone gently tugged me into the elevator. “You okay?”
“Not really,” I returned, clutching the bouquet of bluebonnets. They were a bright spot, standing tall in my fingers, not a trace of wilting like I was. They were happy. I was miserable. It gave me no joy to know that in a few hours they’d begin to lose their luster. I wanted to keep them forever exactly as they were right now, because they were from Stone.
“Stars”by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals played as we climbed into the back seat of a black Escalade. I clamped my lips together and looked out the window.
“Tell me.” His voice was gentle, ever patient.
I wanted so badly to open up, spill everything, even though I didn’t have the words. I desperately wanted him to understand the reasons I had for what I was doing, for him to tell me he didn’t hate me for it, that one day he’d forgive me. But I didn’t need the words because I could see hate was not at all what he felt toward me. Behind the concern in his eyes was a warmth I didn’t deserve.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. My nose tingled. The waterworks would soon follow.
“This date?” I nodded. “If this is my last chance to spend time with you, I’m not going to waste it. This is the first time in four days everything hasn’t hurt.”
I dropped my gaze to his side. “How’s your wound?”
He followed my line of sight and shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Maybe this is me sticking my head in the sand, but I’m going to pretend this is my last day on earth, and I’m lucky enough to spend it with the woman I love.”
A tear escaped before I could stop it. Stone caught it with his thumb.
“It’s just you and me, okay? Just lunch,” he said.
“Okay,” I whispered, his sweet smile encouraging me to return it, but all I could muster was something between a smile and a grimace.
Stone was pleased by my effort. “Okay,” he repeated. “I hope you brought your appetite.”
“I haven’t been able to eat much,” I admitted.
His handsome face fell. “Me neither.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to brighten the mood.
Stone fell right in sync with me, giving me a mischievous grin. “You’ll see when we get there.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Stone
The wind whippedMuriella’s dark hair when we descended the staircase onto a small private runway, a black strip surrounded by red dirt and dotted with a few scrub brushes. She gracefully took the last few steps, holding her dress down with the hand that gripped her bouquet of bluebonnets. They hadn’t been out of her sight since I’d given them to her.
