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ASH

“ C an we just…?” I snap and immediately pause. I’m frustrated as hell, and I don’t want to take it out on Olivia. “Can we please wait on lunch and talk about what I just shared?”

I can tell she’s annoyed at me for forcing the conversation, but I don’t want to keep tiptoeing around it. Who knows when everyone’s going to be back, and I want the two of us to be open and honest and on the same page about what’s going to happen after I leave.

She puts the lunch stuff away and sighs. “Do you want to go sit inside?”

Nodding, I get up and follow her into the living room, where we sit at opposite ends of the couch.

I’m not taking it as a good sign.

“We’re in an unusual situation,” I begin slowly.

“Most of the time when people start dating—and yes, I consider what you and I are doing the same as dating—they’re in the same place.

Geographically, at least. You and I don’t have that luxury.

But we do have a connection. A damn strong one, and I don’t want to give that up. Do you?”

Even from the other end of the couch, I can see her eyes well with tears even as she shakes her head.

Relief washes over me. “There is a lot we need to figure out, but we don’t have to figure it all out today. I really just need to know that you feel the same.”

“How do you feel?” she whispers.

“I’m crazy about you, Olivia. Like…so crazy about you, it overwhelms me. You are this beautiful, vibrant woman, and I still can’t believe you’re interested in me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? You are this amazing and brilliant man, and…

do you even realize how sexy you are? I told you on that first day here that you have the whole Superman and Clark Kent thing going on, and that is the truth.

I love how you have seen me at my absolute worst time and time again in a really short time, and you never judged me for it. ”

“To be fair, all of those situations weren’t your fault. And the woman on the flight seriously provoked you.”

“It wasn’t just the flight or even the funeral,” she tells me.

“It’s…it’s everything. You talk through things.

So when you have a powerful reaction to something, I am confident that you’ve thought about it before hitting that point.

You take your time and always come up with these brilliant solutions to everyone’s problems.”

“Not all of them. I still haven’t found the perfect plot for your book.”

She gives me a watery smile. “Can you be serious? Please?”

“You’re right. You’re right. Go on.”

“I’ve been afraid to let myself think about what was going to happen at the end of this trip because I can’t see a scenario where this continues. And it breaks my heart because I have been happier in this last week with you than I think I’ve ever been.”

She lets out a shuddery sigh, and I brace myself for whatever she’s going to admit next.

“When I saw you at Matt’s funeral, I was wildly confused. I thought maybe you were in the wrong place or maybe I had conjured you up because I really wanted to see you again.”

“But…?”

“But when I found out you were actually a friend of Matt’s, it kind of…it freaked me out.”

“Liv, we’ve talked about this. I’m nothing like him, I swear.”

“I know. I know that now,” she says firmly. “And the more I get to know you, the more embarrassed I am that I ever thought…you know…that.”

That’s a huge admission from her and it makes me feel good.

Part of me still struggles with admitting that I knew anything about her from Matt years ago, and I want to put that chapter behind us. We don’t need his ghost to be part of this relationship. We’ve got enough obstacles ahead of us already.

“To be clear,” I state, “I don’t want to focus on the past. I know it’s weird that we had a common acquaintance, but that’s not who we are.”

“It is a little. I mean…he’s the reason we’re here. I wouldn’t be here in North Carolina, and we wouldn’t be at this beach house if it weren’t for him.”

“O-kay…but we’re here like this—me and you, right here, right now—because of us.

No one else. It doesn’t matter to me how we found each other; I’m just freaking thankful that we did.

” I hold out my hand to her and when she reaches for it, I gently haul her into my arms. “I know this has been fast, but I’m looking forward to things slowing down and us getting to know each other without so many people hovering. ”

“Me too. Although…”

“What?”

“The pace here on this vacation has been relatively slow overall. Things between us just escalated quickly.” The smug smile she gives me is everything.

“Yeah, well…that just means that this is meant to be.”

Whispering my name, Olivia’s hand cups around my nape and slowly pulls me close until she touches my lips with hers. It’s slow and sweet and I feel like a giant weight has been lifted now that we’ve at least opened the dialogue about how we feel.

When we break apart, I rest my forehead against hers. “How about lunch?”

“Mmm…that’s sounds good.”

So we get up and make sandwiches.

We go out for a walk on the beach and discuss potential book plots, but I literally have no idea what I’m talking about, and she just laughs at every suggestion I offer.

Back at the house, we go for another swim and lazily discuss dinner plans.

“I wish we knew if Mike and Loren were coming back,” she comments wearily. “I don’t mind ordering in again. Hell, I wouldn’t mind ordering a ride so we can go into town and eat.”

“Let’s do that,” I say, liking the thought of taking her out on an actual date, and even consider finding a car rental place and just getting a car so we don’t feel like we’re stuck here.

“Really? Do you want to check with them and see if they want to meet us?”

“No. I would really like to take you out. Just the two of us.”

“Aww…”

We’ve had Mexican, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, but we ultimately decide that we’d like to go out and have seafood again. And why wouldn’t we? We’re at the beach.

“We should probably see if we can even get a reservation on such short notice. I get that Cape Breeze isn’t a big, touristy town, but that doesn’t mean people don’t travel from other places to eat here.

I watch as she gently tips over her tube and swims over to the ladder to climb out.

I, however, opt to stay and float.

Olivia gets comfortable in one of the lounges and starts looking up places. When she finds something she thinks I like, she calls out the details, but after four different options and no available reservations, I’m losing hope.

“Okay, how fancy do you feel like being?” she asks.

“Um…I don’t think I brought anything fancy to wear with me. This was supposed to be a casual trip.” If we were back in Raleigh, there are several upscale restaurants I’d take her to in a heartbeat. I hate that we’re essentially being relegated to some uninspired dining options.

“Yeah, I’m kind of the same. I have another dress with me, but it’s almost identical to the one I wore last night. Drats.”

I float over to the ladder and climb out of the pool, opting to stand beside her as I dry off. “We don’t have to stay in Cape Breeze either. If there are options within, say…thirty minutes of here, I’d be open to that. What about you?”

“I guess so. I was just going for convenience.”

Gently, I nudge her before I sit down on the edge of the lounge beside her, and we scroll for what feels like hours, trying to find a place with a good menu and reservations.

Eventually, we settle on a little seafood place about forty minutes away.

The only problem? The only available times are super early.

Still, Olivia makes the reservation, and we head inside to get ready.

She goes to her room to shower, and I head up to mine to do the same.

And I’m just about to strip off my bathing suit when my phone dings.

Shit.

Please don’t be Mike. Please don’t be Mike. Please don’t be Mike.

But naturally, that’s who it is.

Mike: Hey! What’s going on over there? Any word from Roxie?

I want to ignore it and pretend I didn’t see the text, but that’s not who I am.

Besides, it’s not like I’m mad at anyone.

I just really wanted tonight for me and Olivia with no one horning in on it.

And I have a feeling if I respond, it’s going to open the door for Mike and Loren to invite themselves to join us.

So, I make the conscious decision to put the phone down and take my shower.

But fifteen minutes later, I’m drying off and I end up casually picking up my phone—you know, in case anyone else texted—and I find three more messages from Mike.

Mike: Loren and I are going to stay at the hotel for one more night.

Mike: I wish I had packed up some of my own stuff. We had to go shopping because she didn’t want to risk coming to the house and seeing Roxie.

Mike: Is it just me or is all this drama freaking exhausting?

“Not just you,” I murmur, and can’t help but reply.

Ash: Hey! Vanessa’s driving back with Roxie tomorrow. No idea of an ETA yet.

Mike: What about Zayne??

Ash: He’s following them in his car.

Mike: So, are you and Olivia living large with the house all to yourselves? Lol

Ugh…why did I engage?

Mike: I’m not asking for specifics…just curious what it’s like to have such a baller house for just the two of you!

Ash: It’s been kind of nice. We’ve had time to talk and get to know each other. Time we wouldn’t have had with everyone here.

Ash: Although, we still wish things hadn’t turned into such a shitshow with everyone.

Then I hold my breath because I’m dying to know how he’s going to respond and if he’s going to put any of the blame on Loren.

Naturally, he doesn’t respond, so I pad back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I’m brushing my teeth when my phone starts blowing up with rapid-fire texts and I’m pretty sure I’m about to get a lecture.

Mike: Yeah, the whole thing got out of hand, but it wasn’t just one person’s fault.