Jes woke with the sun. Her ankle pulsed with a dull pain whenever she moved too quickly, but she refused to let that stop her. She pulled on a coral sundress which brought out her tan while flowing over her curves to create an hourglass figure. She slid her feet into gold gladiator sandals, careful not to tighten the straps too much over her injury. A few swipes of makeup and a little hairspray later, she was a beauty in beachy waves ready to win her man.
If she could find him.
Unsure where to begin, Jes decided to make her way to the reception desk. She shut her door quietly, unwilling to pull fellow patrons out of sleep, or sex, at this early hour. She crept to the elevator as fast as her ankle would allow, sighing with relief as the elevator dinged, doors whooshing open to let her on.
Zain stood inside.
Jes blinked. Zain looked back at her. He looked tired. A scruff hung to his chin, stubble from a few days of not shaving. His mouth was turned down, with exhaustion or disappointment? Still, his yellow-green cat eyes lit up when he saw her.
"You're up early," was all Jes could think to say.
"Early flight," Zain said.
Jes looked at him again, this time registering the suitcase sitting on the floor. She looked back up at him.
"Flight?"
"I'm checking out," he said, voice hollow.
The doors moved to closed. Without thinking, Jes shot her hand out to stop them. The doors slid into her hand before retreating.
"What the fuck?" She asked.
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm checking out and I don't think that is your business."
"Two days ago you loved me," Jes said. "Now you're checking out?"
The doors moved to close again. This time, Jes grabbed the edge of the door and shoved it back into the crevice. She kept her hand there to stop it from further attempts at foiling her plan of winning back Zain. A plan, unfortunately, which was not going well.
"You're going to break the elevator," Zain said.
"You're going to break my heart," Jes said. She could feel the hot tears from last night lining up to get ready to pour down her face. "Don't just leave."
Zain sighed and ran a hand over his face. Jes felt guilt for making him look this tired, this confused. All she wanted to do for the rest of her life was make it up to him, kiss away any worries, build a family with him.
"Why should I stay?" Zain asked.
Jes gripped the edge of the door. "For me," she said.
Zain stared at her, eyes piercing deep into her soul. Jes stared back, unafraid.
"You're the kind of woman I can only see myself with forever," Zain said. "But you're not looking for forever."
"I wasn't looking for anything," Jes said, "but I found you. I want to try."
Zain shook his head. "That's not good enough."
The doors dinged and tried to escape Jes's clutches. Zain reached out and put his hand next to hers, willing the doors to stay put.
"Other people need the elevator," Zain said, his face dangerously close to Jes's. She could smell his shampoo, like soap and cedar. She wanted to breathe him in. "You need to give me a reason to stay here or you have to let me go."
Jes looked at Zain and breathed. She focused on the way she felt with Zain. The way her heartbeat slowed when he stood next to her. The way everything seemed like it made a little more sense. The way it felt like something clicked into place when he smiled at her. If they clicked forever, well, maybe that was something to which she could commit.
"I," Jes hesitated. "I think I could-"
"I'm only interested in what you know," said Zain.
She breathed again and closed her eyes. She had to do what Nazanin said, find the words inside her. She knew.
"I love you," Jes said.
When she opened her eyes, Zain was smiling. He stepped out of the elevator, suitcase forgotten, and grabbed Jes's face between his hands. He pulled her mouth to meet his in a passionate kiss. Jes sighed into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and standing on her toes. Their bodies molded together, meeting in every curve and every crevice. They were a perfect fit.
They broke for air and Jes said, "Well?"
"Well, what?" Zain said.
"Do you love me too?"
He laughed and reached down. In one smooth motion, Zain lifted Jes off her injured ankle and walked toward her room. She squealed and giggled, no longer caring about the other residents.
"I've loved you since the moment I watched you walk across the lobby," Zain said. "I loved you when I watched you eat your dinner. I loved you when you refused to listen to reason on the trail, and when you were soaking wet from the river, and in the light of the fire, and skinny dipping, and braving danger to protect your own. I loved you every moment I knew you existed, every moment before, and every moment from now on. You are my mate."
Jes kissed him again as they walked to her hotel room. When they got to the door, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the key, and let them inside. Zain moved quickly once they were in the confines of her room, slamming the door behind them and moving straight for the bed. Jes laughed as he tossed her lightly on the bed and crawled in after her. She reached up and ran her fingers against his cheek.
"I didn't believe in soul mates," she said, "until I met you."