10. Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Wylie
The morning air is sharp, mountain-crisp, as the helicopter glides over the trees. Bella sits beside me, her hair pulled back, wrapped in one of my jackets. She’s staring out the window, but every few seconds, I catch her glancing over at me with that soft little smile that does dangerous things to my heart.
I can still feel her in my arms from last night. Her breath on my neck. The way she looked at me after.
Like I wasn’t just Wylie Cole, the actor. Like I was just a man— her man.
And maybe it’s insane—we’ve barely gotten to know each other—but something in me has already made up its mind.
I want her.
Not just for a night.
I want her walking beside me in this strange, beautiful life I’ve built. I want Scout curled at her feet while we drink coffee in the morning. I want her laughter in my house. Her body in my bed. Her heart in my hands.
I want forever.
When we reach my home, I land the helicopter smoothly. I kill the engine, and for a second, I sit there, hands still on the controls, breath held as I try to gather every shred of courage I have.
Bella climbs out and stretches, her smile bright and unguarded. I follow her down the path toward her car.
The sun is warm on my back, the scent of pine and fall leaves thick in the air. It should be the perfect ending to a perfect night.
Instead, I feel my chest tightening.
I stop just short of her car. “Bella.”
She turns, brows raised, jacket still wrapped tight around her. “Yeah?”
“Can I ask you something?”
Her smile falters slightly, like she already knows where this is going.
“I know this has all moved fast,” I begin. “But I’ve never felt this way. Not even close. I don’t want this to be just one night.”
Her eyes widen. I press on.
“I want to see where this goes. I want to be with you. Exclusively.”
Silence. Then she looks away, biting her lip.
“Wylie…”
My stomach drops. Please don’t say no…
“I can’t.”
The two words hit harder than I expect. “I just thought… after last night…”
She won’t meet my eyes. “It’s not you. I mean—obviously, it’s you , but not in the way you think. You’re amazing. This night was… God, it was perfect.”
“Then why—?”
“Because that’s exactly the problem.” Her voice cracks. “You’re you . This—” she gestures toward the house, the helicopter, the world I live in “—it’s all a fairytale. And I’m not a fairytale girl. I can’t be. Not again.”
Her ex. The ring. The betrayal. I can see it all flashing behind her eyes.
“But—” My voice is strangled, desperate. What can I say to make her stay?
“I just… I’m not interested in a relationship right now,” she finishes quietly. “But thank you for everything.”
Then she opens her car door, climbs in, and drives away.
I stand there long after the dust settles, the wind rustling through the trees, the scent of her still clinging to my jacket.