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I swallow the lump in my throat, deciding to rip off the band-aid.
“Because you have a flight to catch,” I mutter under my breath. She slowly, so slowly, turns her head towards me before peeling open her eyes.
“What?” She rasps.
“Your flight to Dallas leaves in an hour and a half,” I say more confidently.
Her eyes widen as she sits straight up, crossing her arms over her chest. Her shoulders rise and fall with hurried breaths as her panicked eyes flicker between mine, searching for an answer.
“What do you mean I have a flight to catch?” She asks in a low, deadly tone as her pulse drums against her delicate neck.
“It means that I booked you a flight last night while you were sleeping,” I exhale, holding her stare. “It means you’ll be home in a few hours instead of twelve.”
Her eyes narrow to little slits as she shakes her head. She lets out a scoff as water threatens to spill from her eyes.
“So this is payback, huh?” She whispers, her voice barely audible.
My brows pinch together in confusion.
“Sky, what do you mean?” I reach for her hand, but she yanks it away before I touch her.
“Everything you said in that cabin was a lie,” she croaks. “You wanted to humiliate me like I humiliated you. You wanted me to know what it feels like to be abandoned like I did to you. Well congratulations, Everett. Mission accomplished.” Her hand flies to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. I shake my head frantically, hurt and confused that she thinks I’m here to leave her.
“No, that’s not—”
“Save it, Everett,” she clips, stopping me mid-sentence. “I’m leaving.”
She reaches for the door handle, but I’m quicker. I wrap my hand around her wrist, leaning across the console to stare directly into her eyes, my face less than an inch away from hers.
“Donotopen that door,” I warn.
“Let me out,” she commands through clenched teeth. She yanks on the handle again, testing me.
“Dammit, Skylar,” I snap, cupping her face between my palms. “Look at me.”
Her nostrils flare as she darts her eyes away, looking anywhere but at me.
“Look. At. Me,” I repeat, my lips brushing against hers with each word.
“Stop jumping to whatever bullshit conclusion you made up in your mind, and look at me,” I clip. “I’m not about to let you storm out of this truck before you listen to what I have to say. I’m not going to let you walk away again.Over my dead fucking body will I let you go.”
Finally, her ocean eyes snap to mine.
“What, Everett?” She blows out an annoyed breath. “Let’s hear it.”
“I love you, Skylar,” I rasp, brushing away a tear sliding down her cheek.
“I love you, and I want you to be safe. There’s a winter weather warning in effect for New Mexico, and I’m not putting you through that again. I don’t want you to sleep in a freezing motel, or worse, get stuck on the side of the road if there’s no vacancy. I’m not going to risk putting you in a dangerous situation. Not when you can be home,safe, in less than three hours. And when I get home tonight, I’m picking you up from your sister's house no matter how late it is. Because after that drive, I’m going to need you in my bed. When I get home, I’m coming straight toyou. Okay, angel?”
My heart cracks as she lets out a relieved sigh that sounds like a whimper.
My God, she really thought I was planning to leave her.
“What?” She mutters under her breath. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this first?”
“Because you would have never agreed to it.”
“Because it’s a stupid fucking idea,” she retorts, shaking her head. “You’re okay with putting yourself in danger but not me?”
