Page 77 of Give Me a Reason

His hand had wrapped around the door handle again, and he went through the tedious process of forcing himself to release it from his grip. She was probably already asleep.You could wake her up with kisses…She was sharing her room with her sister.You could be very quiet…He banged his forehead against the door with not-negligible force.

He couldn’t talk to her until he knew what he wanted. But he also couldn’t stay in his room a minute longer. He was too wired to sleep. Hadn’t he been drinking some of that delicious Viognier when Anne found him? His mind stuttered to a stop at the thought of Anne, walking up to him at the pool. He shook his head to clear it. The pool. He’d left his bottle on a side table by the…Shit.

Frederick tugged open the door and rushed out to the pool area. Just as he’d feared, the bottle of Viognier lay shattered on the ground. Thankfully, it was far enough away from the pool that no shards had fallen in. Still, people walked barefoot around the pool. He’d better do a thorough job of cleaning up the mess.

He rushed to the kitchen and quietly searched until he found a small handheld broom and dustpan. That would have to do. He grabbed a trash bag on his way out and got to work, carefully sweeping up the fragments of the wine bottle. Then he rinsed away the wine with some water.What a waste of good wine.But it was fucking worth it to have Anne in his arms again. Next time, they should just drink the wine.Wait.What next time?

Once he was satisfied the area was safe again, he righted the lounge chair they’d knocked over and slouched down on it. He would talk to Anne tomorrow. He wasn’t sure what he wanted in the future. His body hungered for Anne, but his heart… He didn’t know.

No, that wasn’t true. Frederick couldn’t hide from the truth anymore. His heart longed for her, too, but he couldn’t let it rule his life. He’d tried that once, and it had hurt too much for him to risk it again. He had to be smart. He had to let his logic guide him.

One thing he knew for certain was that he definitely didnotregret what happened tonight. At the very least, he had to let her know what they’d shared meant something to him. Even if it had only been physical, it made him feel happier and more complete than he had in years.

Frederick pushed off the chair. That was what he would do. He would talk to her in the morning. He couldn’t have her think tonight was a meaningless hookup, because it wasn’t. Not for him.

There was no time to talk to Anne. From the moment Frederick got out of bed, bleary-eyed from a sleepless night, he didn’t have a single moment alone with her.

He was in the kitchen with Pete, puttering around for a cup of coffee, when Anne found him to tell him that the hospital was ready to discharge Bethany. He hoped to speak with Anne on the drive over, but she declined to join him.

“You need to pick up four people,” she said, being frustratingly sensible. “And you should have Bethany lie down in the back seat.”

When he returned from the hospital, Anne helped move the last of Pete and Katie’s belongings out of their room. He kept his gaze glued to her, but she didn’t meet his eyes once.

“Please get Bethany settled in there,” Anne said to Joe and Coraline. “I don’t want her to climb those stairs.”

Once Bethany was settled, everyone headed for the living room. Anne took up post by the picture window and turned her gaze outside. Frederick leaned against the opposite wall and watched her quiet contemplation. What was she thinking? He straightened with every intent to ask her, but he was interrupted before he could take his first step toward her.

“Do you guys mind if we cut our trip short?” Coraline sat on the sofa, wringing her hands, and Joe tucked her into his side. “We should probably take Bethany home today.”

“Of course we don’t mind.” Anne pulled herself out of her thoughts and crossed the living room to the sectional. “But don’t you think it’s too soon for her?”

“Anne’s right. Bethany should rest another day before she makes the four-hour trek back to LA,” Aiden said from the armchair, smothering a yawn. “A long drive too soon might exacerbate her nausea and dizziness.”

“I didn’t think about that.” Coraline’s head drooped. “I just wanted to get her back home.”

“I completely understand.” Anne leaned down to rub her cousin’s back. “You want her safe and sound in her own room. But let’s give her just one more day to recuperate.”

Frederick was awed anew by Anne’s strength and compassion. Everyone felt it. Her presence soothed their jagged nerves like a cool balm.

“Well, that’s settled, then.” Joe scrubbed his face with one hand, his eyelids heavy with fatigue. “We’ll stay one more night as planned.”

“You and Coraline must be exhausted.” Anne pulled her cousin to her feet and steered her toward the hallway, motioning for Joe to follow. “You two should get some sleep.”

“But what if Bethany needs something?” Coraline turned back around.

“Anne could stay with Bethany.” Frederick pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against. “She always knows exactly what to do, so you guys can rest without worrying.”

“I’d be happy to stay with her,” Anne said, offering Frederick a quick smile. It was the first time she’d smiled at him all day, and he felt as though his feet lifted off the floor. He grinned back likea dolt, but she’d already turned back to Coraline. “I’ll make sure she has everything she needs.”

“You’re the best. Thank you.” Coraline squeezed Anne’s hand. “Let me tell Bethany we’re heading up for a nap.”

Coraline and Joe disappeared into the front room, and Pete came up to Frederick. “So I guess we’ll be roommates tonight.”

“Just don’t hog the blanket,” Frederick said, shoving his friend lightly on the shoulder.

“Only if you promise not to snore.” Pete shoved him right back.

“I do not snore.” Frederick flushed, shooting a glance toward Anne. Then he remembered they’d spent plenty of nights together. She already knew he didn’t snore.

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