Page 53 of Jameson: Mayhem Makers

The day I was dreading.

I walked Lucia to the door. Elise was waiting in their SUV in the driveway. “Where are you off to now?”

A teasing smile curved her lips. “I thought you knew?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t really pay much attention to where you were going after Vegas.”

“I still can’t believe you kidnapped me,” she teased, a playful look in her eyes.

“I still can’t believe you stayed after I let you go,” I fired back.

“I guess we’re just two crazy peas in a pod,” she replied with a giggle.

I cupped her cheek. “I’m going to miss you.”

Her smile fell, and she swallowed deeply. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

I wasn’t sure what was in store for us, but we had exchanged numbers to keep in touch. “Maybe we can meet halfway on the weekends or something,” I suggested.

“I looked at how far you are from me. Nine hours is halfway,” she commented. “That’s a long drive.”

I nodded. “It is.”

“I’ll consider it as long as you promise to bring your bike. I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”

I chuckled. “Deal. We can always take turns flying too. It can’t be more than a three-hour flight.”

“That sounds way better than driving nine hours.”

I chuckled. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll do.”

A small smile curved her lips, then she sighed, searching my eyes. “I’ll see you later?”

“Definitely,” I replied.

Her eyes started to get glassy, and my chest tightened. I didn’t want her to go, but I wouldn’t keep her from her dreams.

I wasn’t going to tie her down when she just found freedom.

Instead of saying goodbye, I kissed her long and hard. I parted her lips with my tongue, wanting to commit her taste to memory. We talked about seeing each other again, but that wasn’t guaranteed.

When we broke apart, we were both panting for breath. I pressed my forehead against hers and said, “Let me know when you get there.”

She nodded. “I will.”

I pulled back and kissed her forehead. “Be safe.”

She wiped some tears from her cheeks as she walked out the door. I didn’t want to, but I forced myself to watch Elise drive her away.

And it was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

Two Months Later

“Holy shit!” I yelled, my heart pounding and my hands trembling.

“Luz, are you okay?” Elise called out. The sound of her footsteps racing down the hall got louder as she got closer.

She burst into the bathroom, making me jump. “Fuck,” I cursed.

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