Page 21 of Her Mountain Man Recluse

10

LILA

A torrentof emotions is whirling around inside me as I fold up my clothes and pack them into my suitcase. The memory of last night is still raw, the soreness between my legs a constant reminder of what Ridge and I did together. It was magical. The best night of my life. But it’s hard to feel any of the happiness from yesterday as I zip up my suitcase.

I knew this would be hard, but it’s worse than I could have imagined. It feels like my heart is being ripped in half, my chest tight with misery.

It doesn’t have to be the end,I tell myself.I can get his number. We can text.

But it’s not the same. Nothing compares to being here with Ridge.

With a heavy heart, I wheel my luggage back into the living room. Middy is curled up in her favorite spot by the fire, and I bend down to pet her, stroking my hand over her soft fur.

“I’ll miss you, kitty,” I whisper.

She purrs, and I press a kiss on her head before straightening up and facing Ridge. He’s standing by the door, and I feel my eyes burning, threatening to overflow as I approach him.

“Well…” I say, trying to hide the tremor in my voice, “I guess this is it.”

My gaze is fixed on the top button of his flannel shirt. I can’t bring myself to look into his face. I don’t want to cry in front of him.

“Lila—”

“I had a great time with you,” I cut in, not ready to hear him say goodbye. “Thanks for everything, Ridge.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

But the tears I’ve been biting back are blurring my vision, and I feel Ridge hook his thumb beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him. I start to apologize, but he cuts me off.

“I’ll go with you.”

His words don’t make sense to me, and I wipe my eyes before saying, “What?”

“I’ll go with you to Colorado Springs.” He reaches out to take my hands in his. “Or Denver. I don’t care where we go, Lila, as long as I’m with you.”

I gawk at him, too shocked to speak.

“I’ll sell my cabin,” Ridge continues. “Then I’ll find a job in the city. It will take some adjusting, but it’s a small price to pay.” He cups my cheek, eyes burning as he says, “I’m serious, Lila. I’ll do it. For you, I’ll do anything.”

“But…but you have a life here,” I stammer, my voice weak. “Cherry Mountain is your home.”

“Not without you it isn’t.” There’s an intense glint in his eyes, and he runs a hand over his face with a groan. “Fuck, I had no idea what I was missing until I met you. You’re perfect, Lila. You’re everything I want.”

It’s getting harder to breathe. My chest is squeezing tight, and I shake my head, overwhelmed by what he’s telling me. “Ridge, I could never ask you to leave this place. You would hate living in a city, and I’d feel so guilty.”

“I wouldn’t hate it,” he insists, his voice urgent. “Not with you there.”

I don’t know what to say. All I can do is shake my head, trying to order my thoughts.

“Okay,” Ridge says eventually, “if you don’t want me to move to the city, then stay here with me. My cabin will be ready for us later today, and there’s plenty of room for two people. Anything you want, anything you need to feel at home, I’ll get it for you.”

My heart is pounding. It’s not the first time I’ve imagined staying here forever, making a home on Cherry Mountain with Ridge. Instead of two nights, we could have every night. I wouldn’t need to live with my parents or rebuild my life in the city. It’s the perfect escape from all my problems, but somehow, that’s exactly what’s holding me back.

“I’d love to stay with you, Ridge. More than anything. But I’ve spent so long running away, hiding from my problems. Heck, that’s why I’m here right now. That’s what this whole trip was about.” I shake my head, breathing hard. “All my life, I’ve hidden from things, trying to escape from it all. But I don’t want to be that person anymore. I need to rebuild my life, not run away from it again, and if I stay, that’s exactly what I’d be doing. Running.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then he nods. “I get it. Really, I do. But running isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes you have to leave behind the shit that’s holding you back.” His face is filled with emotion, his signature scowl replaced with pure affection as he says, “You’re not running away, Lila. You’re running toward something better.”

There’s a battle raging in my mind, but as I look into those deep blue eyes, I know which side is winning. Even if I spent years rebuilding my life in the city, I’d never feel as happy as I did last night with Ridge. He stole my heart from the moment Imet him, and I can’t bear to leave him. If this is running away, then it’s worth it.

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