Page 75 of Love Like Lightning

“Hey, did you want to go somewhere else? You look cold.” I take a step toward her.

“No, I don’t mind. Unless you do. I thought walking would be nice.” She manages a slight smile but looks away out to the lake before I can respond.

“A walk would be nice,” I agree, and we both step onto the little trail and start going down a quieter path. “How was your trip?”

“Oh. It was really nice. I brought back some cannoli if you want to try my Nonna’s special recipe.” One of her real smiles breaks through, and it’s like the sun breaking on a dark rainy day. It lifts my heart from where it’s been laying limp in my chest and gives me hope that this might go better than I think.

“Yeah? I’d love to. I’m sure they’re fantastic if your accolades mean anything.” I’d be lying if I said that the good feeling that fills me isn’t at least partially about the cannoli. She seriously talks up her Nonna’s cooking, and I don’t think she’s one to exaggerate.

“Great.”

We continue down the path around a bend that brings us to the place I showed her a few weeks ago. The little gazebo comes into sight, and her hand finds mine as she pulls me toward it. Her hand is cold, and I take it in both of mine to try to warm it.

We take the two steps up to the gazebo and walk right to the other side to look at the water. I keep her hand in mine as I lean my hip against the low wall and finally look at her.

Working up the courage to say what needs to be said, I take a deep breath before diving in.

“Listen, I wanted to apologize. Well, I don’t know—no, yes. I’m sorry.” Gia beats me to the punch, inching toward me so our fronts brush. “I felt sick for weeks about not telling you that I was working with your parents. It’s my job, and they were explicit about not telling their kids. And then…that’s why—”

“You found out the day after we slept together for the second time.” I fill in the blanks that I’ve been working on since I found out.

“Yeah, I did. And it threw me for a loop. I was so…” She looks to her right, out at the lake for a beat. “I was really happy after we met again.” She whispers this part, emotion coating her words. “And then I thought it was all over. It had to be over. Ethically, I couldn’t even consider continuing on what we were doing. I wanted to get to know you better. Maybe even date. Definitely sleep with you again.”

When she meets my eyes again, her cheeks turn pink, and tears pool in her eyes. “No matter how good it was. But then…” She trails off, pulling her lip between her teeth.

“I totally bombarded you trying to be your friend, didn’t I?” I think back to how cautious she seemed when I approached her about hanging out.

“Yes. But I was glad. Really.” Smiling, she removes her hand from mine and settles it onto my hip. “I thought I could have it all. Minus the sex. And the kissing.”

“Friends don’t kiss,” I repeat back what she told me weeks ago.

“Friends don’t kiss.” She nods, looking down at her feet.

“But then we did.”

Looking up, she gives me a wry smile and tips her head to the side. A tear breaks free, and I brush it away with my thumb before it can go anywhere.

“Then we did,” she echoes. “And I was going to tell you that very next day after I stopped having an existential crisis. You were busy, though.”

“I had to be at the lodge for family dinner.”

“And then…”

Sighing, I drop my forehead to hers and breathe in the clean scent of the air around us. “And then everything happened.”

“Right. So to say the least, I’m sorry. For everything. I’ll understand if the lying is a deal-breaker for you, but if you can give me a second chance, I promise not to ever lie to you again.”

I pull back and watch her eyes flutter closed as she lets out a sad sigh. “I’m not sorry for a lot of it, Gia, I’ll be honest.”

Her eyes fly open, and her lips part.

“Okay, I’m sorry about how things went the other night. That—no question—I overreacted. I was surprised, and not the fun kind. I was hurt when I thought you were keeping this from me. I assumed maybe you thought I wasn’t mature enough to handle the truth of the situation at the lodge. I don’t know. It was a lot all at once, and my siblings did not make it any easier. Jesus, Mack was on a rampage.”

She laughs softly, and her lips quirk into a half smile. “She was. She was not giving Cam an inch.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Oh, no. Mack could use a little push back. I love her to death, but she can be a lot sometimes.”

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