Page 30 of Fighting With Light

I take it and walk with him out of the sliding doors. The balmy air hits me in the face and I’m glad I changed into a dress.

“You look beautiful, Aelia.”

I smile at my feet.

“Thanks.”

“Did Ben text you back?” Liam asks.

I didn’t even think to look and grab my phone from my purse. There are ten messages and five of them are from Liam.

“Why did you text me if you knew I wouldn’t get it?” I ask him.

He shrugs and clicks his key fob, and the trunk springs open to his Audi. “I don’t know. I figured you had Wi-Fi connected or something.”

“I didn’t because I don’t see the point in paying for it.”

He grins and shakes his head, going to lift my suitcase, grunting with the weight. “What in the world did you pack, woman? Five thousand bikinis?”

I laugh and slide my carry-on over to him, grabbing my purse before he takes it.

“No, I only packed four thousand and a lot of shoes.”

“You’re funny,” he says, glancing at me before he tosses my carry-on in.

“I know,” I quip and lift my shoulder, going to the passenger side. He unlocks the car and I reach for the door, but his large hand beats me to it as he opens it for me. “Such a gentleman,” I murmur, and he dips his head like he’s tipping his hat.

Once he closes the door to the car, he walks around the front in his white t-shirt and shorts that hug his butt. He folds himself into the car and runs a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face.

He drives us out of the parking lot and I take in the city. “Have you been here before?” I ask him because the GPS isn’t on and he’s driving like he’s lived here for ten years.

“Yep, I’ve been here multiple times. I’ve figured my way around.” He glances at me, takes the car around a traffic circle, and veers to the right, cutting someone off.

“Could you maybe not kill us before we get there?” I say, grabbing onto the handle at the roof of the car.

“It would be my honor, princess.”

I roll my eyes and look in front of me. He’s not breaking, but my feet are breaking as if I’m the one driving.

“You said your friend Violet is from here. Is she here now?” Liam asks and takes another right.

“No, I talked to her. She’s still with her man in Miami,” I sigh. We speed up an on-ramp and merge into traffic, and then he relaxes a little.

“Why do you say it like that?” he asks.

“Because we, uh…we come from the same world. Our lives aren’t conducive to normal relationships.”

“That’s interesting,” he says.

My eyes roll again and I wish I grabbed some coffee or something for our drive. I didn’t realize we’d be in the car this long.

“Why is that?” I ask him and open my phone to check the texts. Ben said he would meet me in Lisbon. I didn’t bother texting him back. I open Liam’s texts next.

Unknown: I realized something. Neither of us are good at just saying what’s on our minds.

Unknown: So I’m going to say it here because you’re on the plane with nowhere to go, on your way to me.

Unknown: Since you aren’t responding, I’m assuming you didn’t get the Wi-Fi on the plane, which is laughable, by the way.