Page 22 of Ride By Your Side

“Nope. No take-backs. Now that you love me, there’s no going back. It’s just the rules,” she says coolly, her gaze steady as she looks out toward the water. I shake my head in annoyance and dig into the bag, pulling out another small handful.

“You keep thinking that,” I say before tossing two chips into my mouth.

“They don’t call me the delusional queen for nothing, so believe me, I will,” she says, giggling and clearly enjoying herself.

I’m pretty sure no one calls her that, but luckily, we don’t have to keep fighting about it, as we both get distracted by the gorgeous scene unfolding in front of us. I’ve seen many gorgeous sunsets in my day, especially those with the sun setting behind the mountains, their peaks turning a fiery orange and red, but this view, with the sky ablaze in a riot of color, beats all of them. In fact, I’m not so sure I’ll ever see anything like this again.

A strange urge compels me to look over—as if something inside me aches to see this view through her eyes. As I give in, I see her smiling up at the scene, her expression mirroring my own.

I know how much she loves to point out that I don’t smile enough, but for me, I’ve only cared to smile at things I deem worthy of smiling for. I refuse to fake a smile just to appease someone or make them feel more comfortable. I need a reason to smile, and right now, I have one—especially as my eyes trace and take in her delicate features.

Despite the wind, her short brown hair looks stunning as it frames her adorable face, blowing gently around her. My chest tightens as I take her in, the realization hitting me like a freight train: much like this view, when it comes to Veronica Prescott, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen something so breathtakingly beautiful.

As the thought sinks in, I quickly avert my gaze toward the setting sun as it lowers over the horizon, the glow fading as it leaves behind nothing but a dark-blue expansive ocean.

I’m not blind. I’ve always known that Veronica is a good-looking woman, but now I’m forced to face the terrifying realization that I’m more than simply attracted to her—it runs somuch deeper than that. I’m undeniably drawn to her, and this is just the beginning. We’re only a week into our little adventure, and I have no idea what the rest of this road trip has in store for us. Heaven help me, because I’m going to need all the help I can get if I can’t get these feelings under control.

13

Veronica

AsmuchasIwanted to linger and soak up every last moment at the beach, the sun’s warmth was replaced by the bitter bite of the evening breeze, signaling that it was, unfortunately, time for us to say our final goodbye to the ocean.

“So I’m thinking if we still want to get a good start toward our next stop in Las Vegas, we could stop in Barstow for the night. Although, if you’re not up for the drive, we could stop sooner. I know I’m getting kind of tired, and it is still a few hours away,” I explain, deciding to leave the choice up to him.

“I’m not tired. I can make it to Barstow,” he assures me.

My brow creeps upward. “You sure? I can always pick somewhere closer,” I offer again.

“No, I got this. Believe me, it won’t be a problem,” he confirms, his eyes darting to mine for a split second, as if to emphasize his seriousness, before returning his gaze to the road ahead. “Just put the information on the GPS and I’ll be fine if you want to nod off for a bit.”

“No way. I may be the passenger princess here, but I take my duties seriously. There’s no way I can leave you to drive for a few hours all on your own,” I argue. However, almost as soon as the words leave my mouth a yawn follows.

He shoots me a pointed look, and I shrug sheepishly.

“Okay, so maybe I wasn’t lying earlier when I said that I was getting tired.”

“Seriously, Vee,” he says, using the nickname that only he uses—and one that weirdly has my stomach tying up in knots. “Just go to sleep. You know me; I’ve always loved driving, and it’s not a problem. I don’t mind. I promise,” he reassures, placing a hand on my knee.

However, as soon as I feel the heat of his hand on my skin, the fleeting touch is gone just as quickly, leaving only a lingering warmth as he returns his hand to the steering wheel.

“Fine, but if we end up lost or you fall asleep and crash the car you love more than life itself, I take no responsibility. This is all on you,” I tease, before reaching out to set the coordinates on his GPS.

Wanting to plan ahead—at least a little bit—I pull out my phone and book us two rooms at a hotel, since the last thing we need is to drive all the way there only to find no rooms available. While this car might work for a quick nap, there’s no way we’d both be comfortable if we tried to sleep in it for the night.

With that, I put my phone away, lay my head against the side of the car, and close my eyes as the world quickly fades away.

I hadn’t been lying when I said I was tired and I’d somehow fallen asleep quicker than I’d thought possible. Despite the top being up on Miles’ car, blocking out most of the sound, the gentledrumming of rain against the window and the roof is enough to rouse me from my sleep.

With a gentle groan, I tilt my head from side to side, trying to ease the stiffness in my neck, and squint through the haze of sleepiness as I attempt to make sense of my surroundings.

“Where are we?” I ask, because even with his windshield wipers on high, it’s impossible to see through the rain-streaked glass, let alone read any passing signs.

“We’re almost to Devore,” he explains.

My brows fuse together. “Really? I guess my nap was a lot shorter than I thought.”

“No, you’ve been sleeping for quite a while, but right after you fell asleep, it started to rain, and it’s only gotten worse, so I was forced to take it slow.”

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