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Even before I’d found the note in my room, I knew something was bothering William, but before he could say anything after we were done with the conference call, Nora called me. Then Evelyn offered a glass of prosecco.
Then.
Then.
Then.
It never stopped, and I ended up back in my room and saw the note.
‘You’re a sight for sore eyes,’ I heard William say from behind me, and I peered over my shoulder to watch as he stepped out of the house. He was wearing black jeans with a thin light grey sweater and he looked amazing. Cosy.
And unattainable. Not mine.
‘Hey stranger.’ I smiled at him. Freely. Widely.
His eyes stayed fixed on my smile.
‘Stranger?’
‘I barely talked to you today outside work stuff.’
‘Yeah? Do you want me to tell you how many times I tried to catch you alone today? I haven’t succeeded even once.’
My grin got bigger. ‘I’ve had an amazing time.’
‘I know.’
‘Come look.’ I tipped my chin back up to the sky and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath of the sea-salty breeze as it danced through my hair. ‘It’s beautiful here,’ I whispered into the night.
‘More than beautiful. Yes.’
‘So, did you want to see me to apologize about not finding a bike?’
He sighed. ‘That’s on Nico. He was supposed to call his friend.’
‘Uh-huh. If you say so. I could’ve gone to the beach with Elijah. Which would’ve been a very short ride since it’s only two streets away.’
He grunted in response. We were both quiet for a moment.
‘Honesty?’ I probed without looking at him.
‘Always.’
I licked my lips, still tasting the prosecco and chocolate. ‘You have an amazing voice. Low, husky, strong, deep and a whole bunch of other adjectives. It’s a good voice and it was the first thing I noticed about you back then.’
‘Thank you, Charlie,’ he said softly, causing me to glance at him with one eye open as his voice touched some deep part within me and something melted just a little.
He was studying me, so I stared up at the sky again, because that was easier to handle.
‘Where is Pepp?’ he asked softly.
‘Tuckered out, sleeping in the room.’
‘Do you have anyone else hiding around?’
That made me look. ‘What?’
‘I can’t seem to catch you alone even for a minute, so I thought I’d check before someone jumps out of nowhere and takes you away from me.’
Takes you away.
Staying quiet, I shook my head.
He raised an eyebrow then inclined his head. ‘Good.’
‘I really really love your family,’ I admitted.
‘And they love you.’
Still holding onto the wooden rail, I turned to William. ‘You think so?’
A smile tugged at his lips. ‘Yeah.’
‘You’re so lucky. They are amazing.’
‘I know.’
‘Can I have them?’
‘They’re yours if you want them.’
They’re yours if you want them.
We stayed quiet for a moment and listened to the waves we could hear coming from afar. He was the one who wanted to talk to me, but for some reason I was afraid to ask what was on his mind. And he wasn’t saying anything.
‘Tell me something happy, William,’ I challenged instead.
He didn’t even take a moment to think. ‘I couldn’t even put into words how good it feels to look up from my desk and see you across the room at the office,’ he shared, stealing my breath. ‘It’s my favourite thing at my new job.’
Whoosh – breath gone, just like that.
My heart slowly picked up speed as we studied each other in silence for a while. I waited. I waited because it seemed like I’d always waited for him. When the silence stretched, I couldn’t stand it. I turned halfway towards him, resting my hip against the porch rail, my fingers gripping the wood tightly.
I slid him a guarded look. ‘I think I’m gonna move sooner than expected. Nora said around a month, so I have to tell my dad, and everyone else, this week.’
‘Are you going to meet with Elijah when you’re there?’
‘What?’
He moved closer, his arm touching mine.
‘You heard me.’
I did my best to hold back my grin and gave him the honest answer. ‘No. I’m not interested in Elijah. Although I’m pretty sure he was just being friendly anyway.’ I paused. ‘Do you think we were always meant to say goodbye? That first time we met and now?’
He moved, making my heart skip a beat and my breath rush out. One second he was right next to me, the next he had my back against the wooden rail, his hands gripping the wood right next to where my hands were.
His jaw was tight, eyes burning with intensity. I felt his hands tighten around the wood while his arms flexed with power, shoulders tense and unmoving.
‘First of all, he was interested. Trust me, he was. And the fact that you don’t see yourself the way I see you… everybody sees you… it blows my mind that you’re not aware of yourself and the effect you have on people. Also, goodbyes are not what’s on my mind right now, Charlie.’
