Page 67 of The Love Interest

I shrug like it’s no big deal. “He offered to drive me, but I didn’t want him to.” I pull my phone out from my coat pocket. “I should check the train schedule.”

“Don’t bother,” he says as he pulls out into the street. “You’re coming with me.”

“Where?”

“To my cabin.”

I need a moment to let this sink in. “You’re taking me to your cabin?”

“Did you have any other plans?”

“I was planning to write and be mad at you.”

“Good. You’ll be able to do both of those things at my cabin.” He shakes his head again. “I can’t believe that little prick. Did he try anything?”

“No. I mean, other than squeezing my arm like he usually does.”

I can see from looking at the back of Emmett’s ear that he’s clenching his jaw, and it makes me obscenely happy. “What a little shit.”

I look out the window, trying to hold my tongue. I manage to do that for about thirty seconds. “I didn’t want to see you.”

“I know.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I can’t believeyou’rehere.”

“This doesn’t change anything,” I state very convincingly, even though I’m pretty sure this means Emmett and I are soul mates and the universe clearly wants us to be together.

“I know.”

“Are there two beds at this cabin of yours?”

“Yes. Two bedrooms. Two and a half bathrooms. A study. A deck. Wood-burning fireplace. Plenty of space. Good water pressure. High-speed internet. Very private.”

I can’t help but think of that chapter he sent me, fromThe Departure. Jack and Catalina went to a cabin and finally made love there. I inhale and accidentally release a loud sigh.

Butthatwas fiction.

The reality is that Emmett doesn’t want to risk being with me until May, and I can’t risk getting my heart broken every single time I see him until then. I need to make that clear to him.

What I say is: “I’m hungry.”

“Good thing I bought a lot of food.”

“I’ll pay you for what I eat.”

“No, you won’t.”

“I’ll make dinner, then.”

“Okay.” He turns down a side street. “I can’t believe you went to Beowulf’s place.”

“I needed to keep busy, okay? I couldn’t get any shifts at work and my roommates were gone, and I needed to…”I needed to keep busy so I wouldn’t think about you all the time.“I needed to work on my novel, and I wanted to see upstate New York.”

“Where’s his house?”

“In the other direction from the one you’re driving in right now.”