Page 10 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

Charlotte

River: Can I see you before you leave?

“I wish you could stay longer.” I look up from my phone when Lyric enters the room.

“Me too.” I give her a smile, quickly tucking the device into my pocket.

Kai and Maisie stayed until Sunday morning, leaving me and Lyric with four additional days alone together. The week went way too fast, and while I’m ready to get back home, I’m going to miss spending all day lounging on the beach with my best friend.

I expected River to stop by. To randomly pop in because he just couldn’t stay away.

He didn’t. In fact, I haven’t heard from him since the night he kissed me.

That is, until this morning. I’m left to assume that Lyric told him I was leaving today, which would explain the text just minutes before I was preparing to leave.

“I can’t convince you to stay a few more days?” She pouts out her bottom lip.

“I would if I could.” I pick up my duffel off the floor, tossing it over my shoulder. “But I’m pretty sure my mother would like her car back.”

It’s partially true. My mom probably would like her car back.

Then again, she’s retired and rarely leaves the house, and if she needs to, she can always use my dad’s car.

They didn’t have me until they were in their early forties, so they’re in the later stages of life than a lot of my friends’ parents.

And because I’m their miracle baby—their words, not mine—there’s very little I don’t get away with.

So really, I could stay. And a part of me really wants to.

The other part of me, however, is tied in knots over River’s text and feels like I can’t get out the door fast enough.

“Okay. You’ll call me as soon as you get home? Let me know you got there safely?”

“I will,” I promise, accepting the hug she so freely gives.

“Love you.” She squeezes me tightly.

“Love you, too.” She releases me after a few seconds.

“Be careful.” She tugs open the door for me.

“Always.” I throw her one last wave before exiting the house.

Climbing into my mom’s Ford Escape, I drop my bag into the passenger seat before firing the engine to life.

Connecting my phone to the charger, I no more than plug the thing in and another message pops up.

River: 4588 West Point Drive, Apartment 6A.

Wait... He wants me to come to his house?

When he said he wanted to see me, I was thinking meeting up for coffee or a quick bite to eat where he would proceed to rehash all the reasons why this is a bad idea, not going to his home , where we will no doubt be alone.

Excitement churns in my stomach.

Typing his address into my GPS, my temptation only grows when I see he lives just eight minutes away. Eight minutes and I could be standing inside the home of the man I’ve been obsessing over for months.

Isn’t this exactly what I’ve been wanting? A chance to be alone with him. So why do I feel so nervous all of a sudden?

Me: On my way.

Without giving myself too much time to overthink it, I hit send and plug my phone into the car charging port before dropping the device into the console. Backing out of the driveway, I follow the directions now displayed on the screen in the center of the dashboard.

My clammy hands grip the steering wheel too tight. The closer I get, the worse my anxiety becomes. By the time I pull up outside of his apartment building in what feels like the blink of an eye, my insides are wound so tight that I’m sure at any moment I’m going to split apart from the tension.

Pulling down the visor, I check myself in the mirror. Having only applied a light layer of mascara and lip gloss before leaving Lyric’s, I look better than I expected. Though some of that might be the natural flush of my skin, my nerves manifesting on the outside as well.

Pulling down a few strands out of my messy bun, I draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly, meeting my green eyes in the reflection of the small mirror.

You got this . I mentally try to hype myself up, but it does little to calm the nervous twitch of my hands.

Another breath in and out, and I close the visor, turning my attention to the eight-story building in front of me as I turn off the engine and force myself out of the car.

I can smell the sea in the air as I cross the parking lot that sits adjacent to the building. Considering I basically drove in a straight line from Lyric’s, I can only assume the beach is nearby. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a view of it from the upper levels of the building.

I talk myself in and out of what I’m doing about twenty times before I reach the front door. And, of course, it’s locked, requiring someone from inside of the building to buzz you in.

Swallowing down the thick knot that has settled at the base of my throat, I press the button to apartment 6A and hold my breath.

River’s voice comes over the intercom within seconds.

“’Bout time you showed up, Red.”

I glance up, realizing there’s a camera pointed down directly at where I’m standing.

Freaking great.

He doesn’t wait for a response before he hits the buzzer and the door in front of me unlocks.

Without a word, I tug it open and slip inside the cool building, which feels refreshing on my too-hot skin.

I head to the double set of elevators that sit straight across the lobby, cursing when the doors slide open the instant I hit the button.

So much for having a minute to collect myself.

The ride up to the sixth floor feels like an eternity and yet happens so fast I’ve barely processed the movement before the elevator stops and the doors slide open once more.

Confirming it’s the correct floor, I step out into the hallway, taking in the dark-colored tile that perfectly complements the light-colored walls and greenery that decorates the space between apartments. The building is even nicer on the inside than it is on the outside.

Stepping to the right, I follow the hall to the very end where I find the door that has 6A attached to the exterior.

Lifting my hand to knock, I don’t even touch the wood before it swings open, leaving me standing with my hand awkwardly in the air. I drop it the instant River’s face comes into view.

I didn’t think it was possible for River to get better looking, but as he stands in front of me in a plain white shirt and gray lounge pants, so casual and at ease I could die, I’m struck by how beautiful he is all over again.

“Hey.” He opens the door wider, stepping back enough to give me room to enter. “I wasn’t sure you would show,” he says as I step past him into the apartment.

“Neither was I,” I admit, looking around at the sparsely decorated, yet very tidy, space.

It’s an open floor plan, each room bleeding into the other, with very little in the way of separation. Gray wood floors. Cream-colored walls. A large wraparound couch in the center of the living room. A television mounted to the wall in front of it.

It may not have much in the way of decorations, but with windows lining the far wall, you don’t really need many.

As I suspected, you can see the water from up here and the view is spectacular, even from where I stand by the entrance.

We’re at least as far from the beach as Lyric’s parents’ house, but because there is very little around to obstruct the view, it feels much closer.

I take a moment to study it before finally turning toward River when I hear the obvious sound of the door closing behind me.

“Nice view.” I gesture to the windows, feeling a little embarrassed that that’s the best I could come up with.

“Yeah, it’s one of the reasons I picked this place.” He grins, seeming completely at ease, while I’m over here feeling like I might bounce out of my own skin. “You thirsty? Hungry? Anything I can get you?”

“I’m good.” I shake my head, slipping off my shoes by the door, a cardinal rule in my parents’ home. “Why aren’t you at work?” I ask, knowing he should be given that it’s only three in the afternoon. “Isn’t there some emergency that has you working all day every day?”

“There was,” he confirms. “We have locked down the breach and assessed the damage, as well as put additional action into place to prevent it from happening again.” He tries to dumb it down in a way that I will understand, and I appreciate it because I know next to nothing about cybersecurity or what all it entails.

“Given the number of hours I’ve been working, they let me off early and gave me the entire weekend off. ”

“Lucky you.” I knot my hands in front of me.

“How was the rest of your visit with my sister?” he asks, heading into the kitchen.

“It was good.” I try so hard to keep my voice neutral that it ends up coming out strained. “We spent a lot of time on the beach.”

“Not surprising.” He grabs two bottles of water from the stainless steel fridge before heading back toward me. “My sister loves the beach.” He extends me a water even though I said I didn’t want anything.

“Thanks.” I unclasp my hands to accept the bottle.

After twisting off the cap, I take a long pull, for no other reason than to give myself something to do.

It’s so strange to be able to talk so openly with someone, to share some of your darkest fears and deepest desires over the phone, only to have no idea what to say to them when they’re standing right in front of you.

Imagine meeting someone online. Someone you immediately connect with.

Someone who just seems to get you. Imagine spending months getting to know that person.

Sharing almost everything with them. And then imagine standing in front of them for the first time.

Then you might be able to understand just a smidge of where I’m coming from.

And, while no, this isn’t the first time we’re meeting in person, it might as well be because it’s the very first time we’ve ever been truly alone, and this knowledge terrifies me as much as it excites me.

“How many bedrooms do you have here?” I ask, again just trying to ease my own tension with easy conversation.