Page 59 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 11

Wade

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She wasthe first girl he ever fantasized aboutkissing.

At twelve years old Wade had already had his first kiss, but it wasn’t with Chloe. It was a girl named Marcy. He couldn’t remember her surname. What he did remember was that when he kissed her, he imagined himself kissing Chloe and he felt real guilty because, not only was Chloe nine years old, but poor Marcy thought that meant they’d be together forever. She hated him after with a vengeance when he told her it was just akiss.

Years later, the Chloe fantasies continued and he thought that was all they could be, just fantasies of a girl he shouldn’thave.

He remembered occasions when he found himself carelessly staring at her, getting lost in her beauty. From time to time she’d look back all starry eyed that he was looking at her, but he’d always discourage anything further. The last stunt he pulled was turning her away when she went to him when she was eighteen, practically offering herself on that magical plate oftemptation.

Now here she was. Twirling around in the sunlight with her golden hair sparkling against its rays. She wore a dark pink summer dress that stood out against her tanned skin and vibrant autumn-coloredeyes.

They were on Lanikai Beach enjoying their last full day in Hawaii. They’d be leaving in the morning, going back to L.A. Going back to the lair ofdanger.

Maybe they were crazy.Maybe.

He’d told her to go to France again, just until things blew over and settled down. He couldn’t leave his mother and Taylor, and truth be told, he was anxious to see what was going to happen to hisfather.

All things aside, Wade was nervous for a whole other reason right now, and his nerves spiked the more he watchedChloe.

He felt like when he first got back to L.A. and wondered if he should just leave her alone. Each time the thought crossed his mind, he realized he couldn’t do that. His need for her in his life overwhelmed him, and the idea of not having her made him feellike…

Well, that was just it. He couldn’t live withouther.

He’d been sitting in the sand watching her and waiting for the right moment to approach her. The moment was now. He got up and made his way over to her, taking herhand.

“Baby, how much of that ice cream did you have?” he chuckled. He swore she’d eaten two tubs today. She’d started the day with it, too, and ended up eating so much it made her sick. Then like it hadn’t affected her, he saw her reach for the next tub, giving him the excuse that maybe too much of one flavor wasn’t good. Sugar made her hyper and today she was high onit.

“Enough. Wade you can never have too much ice cream.” Shegiggled.

“Okay, baby, but if you don’t stop twirling around like that you’re going to be sickagain.”

“I had too much strawberry ice cream. I told you I normally alternate between chocolate, mint, and minimal strawberry. It’s funny, though, because I can eat as much of the chocolate ice cream as Iwant.”

He just looked at her, wondering how she could think that made sense, but at the same time loving everything that made her her. The quirkiness, the creativity, the warmth, comfort, determination, and so muchmore.

“Okay.” She could think whatever she wanted. It would always be good in his books, because from where he stood, he was looking at one hell of a woman, who’d stood by him during one of the hardest moments of hislife.

“I’m just happy.” She smiled. “I’m just pretending that this is our life. Exactly like this and there isn’t anything to worryabout.”

He reached out and stroked her chin. “Me, too, baby.” He looked into her eyes and nerves filled him again as he thought of what he was about to do. “Can I interrupt your twirling for twoseconds?”

Her sweet smile brightened as she slipped her arms around him. “Yes youmay.”

He kissed the top of her nose and took a step back so he could look at his beautiful girl properly. Wade held onto her hands, both of them, and gazed ather.

“Chloe.” He pulled in a deepbreath.

“Yes,Wade.”

“Do you loveme?”

She started to laugh, which didn’t help his nerves atall.

“Baby what’s funny? I’mserious.”