Reid and I stand with just our feet in the ice-cold water. There’s wet sand between my toes and a man I can’t help dreaming about by my side.
It feels nice against the warmth of the slowly rising sun. Besides, the heat from Reid’s hand is stopping me from truly freezing.
“It’s funny; I know a lot about you… what you read, your job, your favourite food and drink, and your routine…” I say.
“What else do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Everything, huh? We might be here a while.”
“I could be here forever.”
He pulls me closer and drops his hand to wrap his arm around my back. With a thudding heart, I sink against his side. This is probably the closest we’ve been besides play fighting in the river. Why do we only seem to get close when there’s water involved?
I smile into the distance, my heart content.
“What did you want to be when you were younger?” I ask, laying my head against his chest.
“There was the obligatory astronaut and vet phase. After I turned ten, I knew I wanted to do something within the publishing industry.”
Right, he only started reading then. There was some event that made that happen. The way he avoided my previous question about it shows that there’s more to the story. I’m dying to ask. I would usually come right out and demand that he tells me.
“What about you?” he asks softly, staring at sunrise. His eyes glow, the orange of the sun turning his usually dark eyes a shade closer to mine.
“Stripper.”
His lips curl and his body shakes with gentle laughter.
“I was going to be a pilot,” I tell him. “My parents took me to Gran Canaria when I was five. I was fascinated with the plane.”
They took me abroad a lot while growing up. I’ve seen all of the mainstream, touristy parts of every place we’ve ever been to.
“Interesting. Most kids would say the air steward.”
“Hell no, I wanted to fly the thing.”
“You would probably paint it yellow.”
I nudge him, but I’m too comfortable to really move. The sun rises higher, leaving the sea behind.
“That was worth getting up for,” I whisper.
We’ve pretty much been awake most of the night, though. Reid’s sofa is my new favourite place to sleep.
“Yeah, it was.” He looks down into my eyes, and my heart stills.
I wish I could frame this moment and see that look of pure peace whenever I want.
“Do you have any big regrets?” I ask.
“One.”
“Can I know it?”
I feel him shake his head against mine, and his body stiffens.
“I should get you home,” he says.
“That doesn’t sound fun.”
“Breakfast?”
“Is anywhere open?” I ask.
“Does McDonalds ever close?”
He wants to take me for a Maccies early breakfast. He’s definitely not real.
“You need to promise not to judge me for ordering pancakes on the side of my bagel.”
“So long as you don’t judge me for ordering a bacon melt on the side of my muffin,” he counters, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, all right.”
I pull out of his embrace, which is now my most hated thing to do, and I tug his hand. Reid follows me out of the water, and we carry our shoes with us.
I can’t believe Reid has only been in my life for a little under a month. In that time, I’ve grown rather… obsessed. Yeah, I can admit it. He’s the person I look forward to seeing the most. The one I think about as soon as my eyes open in the morning.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind. Will you share?” he asks as we reach his car.
“Absolutely not.” I get inside as soon as he unlocks it.
Reid climbs in and starts the engine. “You once accused me of being evasive.”
“And I was right. If you can do it, I can, too.”
“Ah, that’s how it is.”
I nod. “Totally equal.” I’m never going to accept anything less again.
“All right,” he replies, smirking.
For fuck’s sake, he’s really not going to tell me his thing. I bet I was totally transparent anyway. He probably guessed that I was thinking about him. It’s all that’s in my head at the moment.
“Do you have plans this weekend?” I ask.
“Actually, I do.”
My heart drops.
He’s busy. For how long? I could go see the girls, but I don’t think I can go a whole weekend without spending time with him.
Let’s all say hi to the Reid junkie.
“Cool. Anything nice?” I try so very hard to sound casual, but one glance at his unmoving smirk and I know I’m being anything but that.
“Phoebe is coming over for the day tomorrow.”
Okay, his sister’s visiting. I can work with this. He said Sunday, too, so I can spend all of today with him. “Well, that’s definitely nice. Are her husband and baby coming?”
“No, just her. Callum is taking Lexie to see his parents for the day to give Phoebe some time to herself.”
“Huh. She chooses to come and visit you on her free day.”
He glances at me quickly. “You visit me all the time.”
“I’m not judging the woman, but I would totally head to a spa or take a book and sit in a beer garden. Morning in the spa, and then the pub thing, actually.”
“You know you don’t have a child so could do that any weekend you like, right?”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
“Thanks,” he mutters dryly.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun catching up with your sister.”
“Want to come over, too?”
“I’m sure she just wants to see you alone.”
His grip tightens around the steering wheel. “Mila.”
“Okay, fine. Yeah, I want to come over. I never really spoke to Phoebe.”
“You never really spoke to me, either.”
I grin at him. “But aren’t I making up for that now?”
“You sure are,” he replies with humour in his voice and light in his eyes.