22 CONNOR
After my shower, I joined Samantha. She was already dressed when I got back to the room, and I thanked God for that. Some of my intrusive thoughts seemed on the verge of winning the war while starting another one entirely. And that one would be far more problematic than anything.
“I’m stuck,” she grumbled, tossing the notebook away and flopping onto the bed where Lynx, the weird cat, was playing with several crumpled paper balls—a clear sign her elephant memory wasn’t working.
“Maybe you’ve lost your powers,” I teased, hoping it would help. “The magic’s gone.”
“You’re right.” She sat up suddenly. “You’re completely right!”
“Not that it’s unusual, but it’s weird hearing you say that. Twice.” I looked at her curiously.
“I need to recharge!” She jumped off the bed and grabbed the keys. “I’ll be right back!”
Before she reached the door, I caught up with her, pulling her back by the waist. Her body collided with mine.
“Easy there, girl.” My voice came out lower and deeper than I’d planned. Samantha didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to—her eyes spoke volumes.
I always got lost in them. They were a shade of gold I’d never seen anywhere else. The edges of her irises were dark, with small irregular black rivers deepening toward the pupils.
“What?” she whispered, and my gaze dropped to her lips as she softly moistened them, drawing a sound from my throat.
“You’re not going anywhere alone,” I replied, still holding Samantha in my arms. “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”
“I need inspiration.” Samantha settled in a bit, not like someone who wanted to leave.
“We could try some… stimulation around here,” I suggested, and her eyes left mine for a few seconds, drifting to my lips.
Samantha, Samantha… don’t look at me like that.
“Okay. Bad idea,” I said—to her, or to myself.
Samantha didn’t help at all when she looked back at me, her golden eyes slightly warmer, her lips slightly parted, her warm breath heating my chest.
My hands pressed a little harder on her waist, and she shifted her weight, which made her body brush against mine, sending an electric current through me. Samantha must have felt it too—some kind of static that made us immediately pull apart.
“Some air… maybe getting some air would help,” she whispered, and I agreed without moving from where I stood.
“Let me grab my knife.” I turned and went to the bed, cutting the connection that seemed to linger even after we’d moved apart.
Before leaving, I gathered the papers we had left over and stuffed them in the board game compartment inside the oven, just as a precaution. If anyone broke into the house to finish what they started, no one would think to look there.
I walked right past Samantha, keeping a safe distance between us. When we reached the alley, we headed down toward Old Cairo, walking through the winding streets on this side of the city.
We walked to what looked like a massive park. I hadn’t seen it in person yet, but I remembered it from one of the airline’s promotional videos.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Samantha stopped in front of the entrance. We’d been at a comfortable distance until now, when she grabbed my hand. “Come on!”
“I’m pretty sure it’s closed.”
“It is.” She kept pulling me along the sidewalk, skirting the park. “Closes at ten.”
“Where are we going then?” I asked, letting her guide me.
“We’re going in… by other means.” She looked at me, smiling.
After a few yards, she let go of me and leaned against the large mossy wall. The leaves swallowed her easily, as if she’d been pulled in against her will.
“Sam!” I shouted, startled, but she jumped back out to cover my mouth.
“Be quiet!” She pulled me with her into the complex. The place was gigantic and seemed completely empty, except for lights that looked like small electric vehicles patrolling the park.
“Can you stay out of trouble for more than two hours?” I scolded.
“I can… if I’m trying.” She shrugged, walking calmly along the palm-lined avenue. “Besides, we’re just walking. It’s not like we’re committing a crime.”
“Well, trespassing is a crime in my country,” I countered, and she seemed to ignore me. Samantha really did seem to be recharging as she walked through the park.
She walked slowly, smiling when a gentle breeze brushed her face. The night was surprisingly pleasant considering the unbearable heat here.
“You seem pretty familiar with the park. Do you come here often?” I asked when I caught up with her.
“Not as much as I’d like.” She sat on the grass, right under a tree. I followed, but gave us some space. “I came here a few times when I first got to the city. Didn’t even know if that passage still worked.”
“I don’t even want to know how you discovered that.”
“It’s a pretty wild story.” A breeze caught us from the side, messing up Samantha’s hair and loosening the strands that had been held by a hair tie. Her bangs had grown out and fell over her eyelashes. She closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly back.
“I really needed this,” she whispered, eyes still closed. Her golden skin glowed even in the darkness, and her chest rose and fell with deep breaths.
I looked away toward the horizon when I caught myself studying her features too closely.
“It’s been a long day,” I replied. I noticed Samantha’s breathing growing heavier. I turned discreetly to look at her and caught her wiping away a tear rolling down her cheek. I wondered if I should say something, since she clearly didn’t want me to see.
I turned back to the park lights, my chest tight with the anguish of knowing she was about to break down but was holding it together because I was there.
Without looking at her, I scooted backward, moving closer. Slowly, giving her time to stop me if she wanted, but she didn’t. I settled beside her, still hearing her ragged breathing—like someone trying to hold back an avalanche with their bare hands.
Her breathing seemed to unlock the tears, letting them fall while I stayed still beside her. In the quiet, I could hear her breath catch and soft murmurs escape her.
I knew I should give her space, but all I wanted was to pull her close and lift this weight she carried—so heavy for someone so young.
Fuck it.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. Samantha was smaller than me, but in that moment she seemed even smaller, completely vulnerable. When she nestled into my lap, her crying intensified, and it made me want to hold her even tighter.
Samantha didn’t say anything else, and neither did I. We stayed there quietly for a while. I stroked her back as she sobbed softly. I leaned against the tree, giving her room to get comfortable.
I didn’t know exactly what was eating her alive, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Her own journey, her promise to her grandmother, the chaos I’d brought into her life, old Omar’s death. I felt guilty for being part of the problem. Part of the hell in her life.
“Connor?” she murmured, her voice muffled by the nest she’d made against my chest.
“Hey.”
She shifted, letting me see her eyes for the first time in a while. I looked down to meet them—I can never resist them.
“I’m scared.”
“I’d be surprised if you weren’t.” I rested my head against the tree, and she settled back against my chest.
“But that’s not why I was crying,” she said after a brief silence. “I think.”
“It’s been a rough month.”
“Which one?!” I didn’t open my eyes, but I could feel her looking at me. “I don’t remember the last time I slept through the night.”
“Exactly eight days ago,” I joked. “For me, at least.”
I felt her hand smack my chest and caught it before she could land a second.
My fingers wrapped around her wrist as I met her gaze. Her eyes sparkled with amusement at being caught.
“You’re going to miss me when you leave,” she teased.
“I highly doubt that,” I shot back, and she tried to break free to hit me again, but I held her fast.
I brought my lips close to her ear, and the words came out more provocative than I’d intended.
“You’ll have to do better than that if you want to catch me off guard.” The warmth of my breath brushed her skin, and I felt her breathing change.
I breathed in the scent of her hair and had to focus to keep from crossing a line. When she looked at me, there was a flame in her eyes. Something I felt in myself too. Something that had been burning slow for far too long—as if her eyes were mirrors of my own.
“Come on. There’s something we need to do.” She stood up and started walking. I got up and did my best to hide the bulge in my pants.
She walked a bit ahead, glancing back at me with amusement now and then. Like she was up to something. I just hoped I’d be strong enough not to drown in those mischievous eyes.
“Since you won’t remember me when you leave…” She stopped in front of me. I had to take a few deep breaths. “I’ll give you a good story to forget.”
Samantha took my hand and pulled me onto the sidewalk, then into the trees. We walked slowly, the soft grass cushioning our steps. This side of the park was much darker, and the moonlight did its best to guide us.
A few yards ahead, we reached the edge of a small artificial lake—or maybe some kind of giant fountain. The rim was stone, and in the center stood small structures designed to spray water.
Sam let go of my hand and, without thinking twice, started pulling off her shirt and pants.
I froze. Nothing could have prepared me for this.
Even though I’d seen her in a towel once or twice, nothing prepared me to watch her strip down piece by piece until she stood there in nothing but her panties.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, watching her walk toward the edge with her back to me, unable to tear my eyes away from Sam topless. Even if all I could really see was the small black triangle of her panties.
“You’re the detective… what does the evidence tell you?” She glanced back at me for a second before sprinting full speed toward the water.
Heavy drops splashed everywhere, soaking my clothes. Samantha laughed, watching me grumble.
“The water feels amazing, doesn’t it?” she laughed.