Chapter 37
E WAN
Monday evening
Florida
Things were all right last night despite the little awkward moment we had yesterday afternoon.
Scarlett did her best to look unaffected, but even if she wasn’t, I was for sure.
I knew I didn’t pick this place for nothing.
I hadn’t just come up with this idea to fly her to my brother’s house.
He hadn’t lived here in a while. This place used to be his vacation home, and he couldn’t part ways with it, not even after the tragedy happened.
He couldn’t rent it out, either.
Too many memories to be tarnished by the presence of some strangers in his house.
He repeatedly told me I could come down here and use it whenever I felt like it, but I didn’t want to do it as well.
I’d spent a couple of Christmases here before with him and his family, so it wasn’t like the walls carried no memories for me.
He renovated it twice. Changed the interior and furniture, and redid the kitchen and the pool.
The interior looks different than before.
Even so, I’ve always booked a hotel room, rented a house, or used our property in Miami when I traveled here.
It felt like a sacrilege to walk into this house.
But somehow, traveling here with Scarlett was the only thing that popped into my head after dropping her off at her place on Saturday morning.
I didn’t have grand plans for Christmas, but I knew I wanted to spend it with her without making it look too formal and raise a bunch of questions.
Seeing the surprise on her face made my day. I hadn’t seen a woman so happy in a while.
I knew she’d like the place. And I also knew I’d face her questions.
The questions came, and I told her what I could. What I thought would not make her run for the hills.
Is it fair to her that I can’t say everything about my life?
Definitely not.
But telling her everything and seeing her flee because she sees no way out would break my heart.
I’m sure that moment will come.
It just won’t happen tonight.
“How do I look?”
Her voice rings behind me.
I shift in my seat and glance at her dress.
Her sun-kissed skin glows darker against her white dress. She looks amazing, her long hair brushing her shoulders and her back.
Her lips are lusciously painted red.
“Something is missing,” I say, dragging my gaze down.
She wears heels, crimson like her dress.
Her eyes follow mine before she looks at me, baffled.
“What’s missing?” she asks, running a hand over her flare skirt and then placing it at her waist.
My eyes hover over her wrist and fingers before I push out of my seat.
I wear a pair of white linen pants and a loosely fit matching shirt. We didn’t even talk about what we were going to wear, and here we are. Both dressed in white.
I close the distance between us with a smile.
Her grin mirrors mine, although hers is intrigued and hesitant.
Holding her eyes, I take her hand and pull a bracelet out of my pocket. She doesn’t realize I’m sliding it over her hand when she finally catches on to what I’m doing and looks down.
“What is this?” she asks, smiling.
“A Christmas gift.”
She admires the work that went into this piece of jewelry––the tiny gemstones and delicate clasp.
Her eyes come to me. Her gaze is soft, glinting with emotion.
“This is a very expensive gift,” she says.
“So?”
“Are you sure you want to give this to me?”
I laugh.
“Why are you asking me that? I just gave it to you.”
She looks down.
“What if I lose it?”
“You think I’ll ask for money in return?”
“No. I think you might be mad if I did.”
“You won’t lose it,” I say, bringing my hand to her head and threading my fingers through her hair before pressing my lips against her temple and looping my arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about the money. Money is not a problem.”
She tips her eyes up while I look down, and she hesitates for a moment before wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me with passion.
“Thank you,” she says, and my heart swells.
Her happiness always makes mine soar.
SCARLETT
It’s cold and snowy when we land in New York. What a difference a three-hour flight can make?
I’ll miss the warm weather we left behind, along with so many other things. The time we spent together. The memories we created.
After gifting me that bracelet, I saw Ewan in a different light.
He did all the right things to make a great impression on me, which got me thinking.
Not in a bad ‘I’m suspicious of him’ kind of way.
It was more like looking at him with different eyes.
And it wasn’t only the bracelet.
It was how he talked to me and paid attention to my needs, wanting to make our stay memorable.
He was a different man.
He never talked on the phone and never checked it, either. He was no longer tense, on the lookout, or ready to break someone’s neck.
It was a nice break from the hectic life we led in New York.
I was sad when I realized we’d leave it all behind.
The sunny rooms, having breakfast by the pool, skin dipping in the middle of the day, walking on the beach, and snorkeling.
That night, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant, where we felt like we belonged.
That night, we had sex that felt more emotional and tender than ever, and the next day, we spent hours in town looking for souvenirs and little things to take home.
That was then.
And here we are now.
A cold gust of wind sweeps my cheeks, sending a shudder through my bones and putting things in perspective.
It’s like ice flows through my veins at the thought that a week from now, I’ll be in class, and Ewan and I will be where exactly?
Who knows what will happen to us?
He shows me to his truck, and we both climb in. He turns the engine on and looks in the rearview mirror while I study him.
Are we going to my place? His place? Or will he drop me off, and we’ll each see about our business?
The topic of spending the next few days together has never come up. Let alone making plans for celebrating the new year together.
He sets the truck in motion, and I tear my eyes away from him and lean back in my seat.
“It’s so different here, isn’t it?” he says as he steers his ride toward Long Island.
His nostalgic voice makes me think I’m not the only one thinking about the last few days.
“It certainly is,” I murmur, looking out the window.
There isn’t much to see.
Thick fog clings to the trees, and lights dot both sides of the road, the small towns looking frozen in the lingering magic of past Christmas.
Something different nags at my awareness.
Even if Ewan and I will never last, I’m grateful for the time we spent together.
“Are you all right?” he asks.
“Yes. Everything’s fine,” I say, putting on a cheerful face.
Our eyes meet as we wait for the lights to turn green at at intersection before he breaks his stare away from mine and steers right onto a secondary road.
At first, I’m convinced he’s made a mistake.
I look over my shoulder, the intersection lights fading into the background.
“Where are we going?” I ask, flicking my eyes back to him.
“Home,” he says curtly, dipping his eyes to the dashboard.
Questions rush to my lips, but I push them all back.
It won’t make much of a difference if we spend another night together.
“Do you have any food at your place?”
“We’ll stop by at the store and pick something up. Or we can order food from a restaurant. What would you like?”
I ponder.
He glances at me.
“I’d like to cook something if you don’t mind.”
“You don’t have to cook.”
“I know. I just feel like doing it. Do you have a kitchen and stuff at your house?” I joke.
He laughs.
I imagine him living in a bachelor fuck pad with only a couple of bottles of water in the refrigeration, condoms everywhere, and a big bottle of hard liquor in the pantry.
I had to ask.
What if his place looks like the sex place he had taken me to.
Not much cooking was taking place over there.
“Why do you feel like cooking?” he asks, and I look away to avoid his eyes.
“It relaxes me and helps me get out of my head,” I say monotonously, and a short pause follows before his hand finds mine and his fingers thread to mine.
Surprise blossoms in my chest.
His tender gesture makes me think I’m also not the only one thinking about the future.
But I could be wrong.
It wouldn’t be the first time.