Later, I microwaved the takeout, and we ate while watching a sitcom on TV.
Jason’s eyes barely left my face. “I had the impression that after letting you go for a whole weekend, you’d be spending most of this week at my place.”
I popped a piece of spicy chicken in my mouth. “I still live here.”
“Only because you’re stubborn.”
“Maybe I just like it better here.”
He shook his head. “That’s not possible. You like my place far better.” He smiled. “I live there.”
I laughed softly. “You’re so full of yourself.”
He gazed at me, his expression solemn. “Whatever is going on, promise me it doesn’t matter. Promise me it can’t change this.” He took my hand and wrapped his fingers around mine. “Promise me.”
“Nothing can change this,” I said, my voice sounding almost fervent.
“I hate to leave knowing there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I whispered. It was true. It didn’t matter to me. Nothing mattered more than the fact that I loved him with every fiber of my being. “I’ll come over after work tomorrow.”
He grimaced. “I’m working late, so you’ll probably be asleep when I get home.” He thought for a moment. “And I have a trip Wednesday through Friday.”
“Amy and Colin are leaving on Friday.”
“I’ll be here for that,” he said. “And afterward, I’m all yours.”
“We could go to the beach house,” I suggested. The memories from the time we’d spent there were like a constant source of warmth in my chest, and if I needed anything right then, it was warmth, good memories, and him.
Jason smiled. “Perfect.” He leaned down and kissed me. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
Soon after he left, I went to bed. Outside my window, I could hear the faint sounds from outside, the sound of a car on the street, a slamming door, the occasional whistle of the wind as it whipped past the concrete buildings. I gazed at the painting on my wall that Jason had given me all those months ago. It seemed like such a long time ago, almost as if lifetimes had passed.
When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed I was drowning under the weight of a secret, and I was helpless to save myself.
“Now I know how Colin felt when he was coming to meet my parents.” Amy sighed and secured the lid on the box she’d just finished packing. I’d brought a half-bottle of wine from the fridge, and I poured a glass then offered it to her.
She took it gratefully, taking a long sip before climbing onto the bed and resting her back on the headboard.
“You don’t have to look so tense,” I said, almost amused. “You’ve already met them, and they love you.”
“Skype isn’t the same as meeting them.”
“Don’t let their advertising department hear you say that,” I quipped, joining her on the bed. “It’ll be fine, Amy. You don’t have anything to worry about. I’m worried you’ll like it too much over there, fall in love with—”
“A British hunk?” She gave me an impish smile. “I already have, and luckily, he loves it here, close to everyone I know and love.”
“What if he changes his mind? What if your camera falls in love with England?”
“That won’t happen,” she assured me, giving me a quick hug. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. What kind of friend would abandon you with an ogre like Jason?”
I laughed. “Jason is not an ogre.”
“He’s not.” Amy smiled sadly. “You know there’s a chance he’s not affected right? It’s carried in a dominant gene, and if he’s not affected, he won’t be a carrier either.”
“And if he is affected, then his mother is right—he will break my heart, and if we ever decide to have children…” I sighed. “You know, I don’t even want to think about it at all. I know it’s not very mature of me, but I keep hoping it’ll all go away.”
Amy nodded. “Me too. Sometimes I wish we’d never gone.”
I was silent. “I don’t care about what might happen decades from now,” I said heatedly. “I don’t.”
“And if he’s going to get sick in a few years, ten, fifteen…what then? What happens when he doesn’t even recognize you anymore?” Amy stopped talking, and her eyes grew misty.
My eyes filled with tears. “He will always be Jason to me, always, no matter what.”
“I know that.” She sniffed. “Jason is lucky to have you.”
I sighed. “He knows there’s something wrong.”
“Of course he does. You two are, like, on the same wavelength. I’m sure he can read your thoughts and moods.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, and he knows there’s something wrong when his little sister runs off as soon as she sees him.”
“Oh!” Her mouth opened. “I just…I’ve never been able to lie to Jason. I was scared I would blurt everything out.”
“I get it.” I drained my wine then lay back on the bed, resting my head on Amy’s soft pillows. “I don’t know what to tell him.”
“Whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll do the right thing, and everything will turn out fine.”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice tight. I wished I could share her optimism, but I wasn’t sure just how everything was going to work out fine.
The next day, we said our goodbyes to Amy and Colin at the airport.
“Don’t worry, I’ll bring her back,” Colin said.
“You’d better,” Jason joked. He gave Amy a fond look. “She still has a lot to answer for.”
“Just say you’ll miss me,” Amy teased.
Jason shrugged. “Maybe a little.”
She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder, and he pulled her in for a hug. She held him tightly, her hands barely going around him. When she stepped back, there were tears in her eyes. “You’re the best,” she said.
“Hey.” Jason looked puzzled. “It’s just a couple of days.
“I know.” She sniffed then hugged me as well. “See you guys when we get back.”
We watched them go, and when they were out of sight, Jason turned to me, a look of concern on his handsome face. “You think she’s okay?”
“Yeah,” I replied. I knew exactly why Amy had been teary, but I couldn’t tell him. “I’ll miss her.”
“You’ve got me,” he said, giving me a cute grin as we started to walk to where the car was waiting. “And I have plans for you.”
“Oh, do tell me about them.”
“I will,” he said mysteriously.
Our things were already in the car, packed for a short trip. Once we were settled in, Leonard started the long drive to the beach house.
“Don’t worry about Amy,” I told Jason. “She’s happy.”
He was quiet. “How about you?”
“Am I happy?”
He nodded, his eyes searching mine, dark with an emotion that looked like uncertainty.
“Jason,” I whispered. “I’ve never been happier in my life.”
He cradled me in his arms, and as the car sped through the city and out onto the highway, I fell asleep in his arms.
I loved the sound the waves made when they rolled into the beach. It soothed me. I breathed in the scent of the sea on the breeze as the porch swing swayed with my weight. I was wearing a thin robe as it wasn’t cold enough to require much else, but there was enough of a breeze that I had to keep rubbing my feet together to keep them warm.
Jason appeared at the door, and I craned my neck so I could follow him with my eyes as he came to join me. He was wearing sweatpants only, and they were low enough on his hips that I could stare at his exquisite abs and the hard muscles that tapered down toward his hips.
His hair was mussed—by my fingers—but he somehow managed to look many kinds of edible. He was carrying two tall glasses with pieces of fruit floating in the chilled drinks inside.
“Sangria?” He raised a wicked brow at me.
I grinned. “Yes, please.”
He handed me a glass and sat at the edge of the swing.
I took a sip and sighed. “This is good.”
His fingers moved idly over my back. “I have many skills.”
“Believe me, I know.”
He laughed, and his fingers drifted to my lower back. I closed my eyes.
“I’m really beginning to love this place,” I said quietly.
“Really?” He looked at me. “How much?”
I shrugged. “Very much.”
“That’s good,” he said. “Because I just bought it.”
My eyes widened. “You did what?”
“It seems like an essential part of our history, don’t you think?” He grinned at me. “I want us to be able to come here whenever we want.”
I placed my glass on the floor then rose to my knees. I cupped his face in my hands and covered his lips with mine. His mouth was cool and tasted of sangria. I stroked his tongue with mine, heat and desire spreading through me. His hand tightened at my back.
“I love you,” I whispered when I stopped to breathe.
He placed his glass on the floor next to mine and eased me down to my back, covering my body with his. He started to kiss me again, but then his phone rang, interrupting us.
He groaned and pulled the offending device from his pocket.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I shook my head. “No biggie. We have all day, and all night.”
His eyes flared. He placed a kiss on my bare belly then got up and accepted the call, walking off toward the water as he spoke into the phone. I lay admiring his body for a moment before rolling off the swing. I took my glass of sangria and went into the house, imagining all the time Jason and I would spend there. I imagined inviting guests over to share idyllic weekends of sea and sand.
In the bedroom, I pulled off my robe and replaced it with a light sundress. I wanted to go for a walk while Jason was on the phone. If it was a work call, it could last for a while. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and decided against sandals. Going barefoot on the sand did wonders for my feet.
I started to leave the room then stopped to grab a sweater. I had one among my things, but I wanted to wear one of Jason’s instead. Apart from the size and coziness, they smelled of him, which was a bonus for my senses.
He’d put some of his things in a drawer in the dresser, and I opened it and found what I was looking for. I pulled out the blue-gray sweater, and just under it was a tiny black box.
I froze for a moment, my heart pounding like a waterfall as blood rushed through my veins, dizzying me. I reached for the box, hands shaking.
Don’t open it, a voice warned in my head, but I ignored it.
I flipped the top open and tears filled my eyes.
Inside was a beautiful ring, a square-cut diamond surrounded by a cluster of smaller stones set into a filigreed platinum base. It was a modern design, but it looked incredibly classic and beautiful…the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.
I heard Jason’s footsteps and quickly placed the ring and the sweater back in the drawer, pushing it closed just as he came into the room.
I frowned, surprised at the shuttered expression on his face.
“I have to leave,” he said.
I took a step toward him, mentally shelving the ring for the moment. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve called for a car to take me to the local airport. Leonard is on his way to pick you up and take you home.”
Just like that, our weekend was over. I stared at him, sure—almost with a sixth sense—that there was more he was keeping from me. He walked past me and started to gather his things.
Still reeling and puzzled, I did the same.