Page 30 of Heart Strings
“Maybe the branch kept the ring box from bobbing along under the surface.” Reluctant to trust me with something precious again, she holds it in a viselike grip.
“Come on, let’s get you inside and warm.” I gesture toward the castle.
We wade to the marshy embankment, pushing aside the reeds. I reach out, unsure if Lo will accept my meager assistance. She pauses for the briefest moment before her freezing fingers grip my palm. It’s not an embrace, not even a hug. It’s a utilitarian arrangement of our bodies for the sake of balance on a squishypatch of waterlogged earth, but the proximity has my heart beating faster. I tell myself it’s the residual panic of losing the ring, but no. It’s all Lo. She’s always had that effect on me.
“Wait.” There’s so much to say, but I settle on, “Thank you for helping me. I’d never have found it on my own.”
Lo’s eyes dart between mine, searching. Water droplets still coat her eyelashes. She hasn’t yet pulled away and I’m grateful for every moment our skin touches. Every inch of contact. “I think you would have…if you didn’t give up so fast.”
Was Lo now saying that she believed we’d have found a way to stay together, had I just fought harder?
Did she want me to fight for us now?
The sadness in her voice pulls the breath from my chest. I want to say something, but for a songwriter, I can be awful at coming up with the right words. When they’re set to music and not uttered face-to-face, it’s completely different.
“Aidan…” She says my name like a dare. An invitation. A plea. Two years of pent-up desire crackles between us.
Before I realize, I’m leaning in close. Cielo’s hand slides up my arm and sends a jolt of adrenaline through me. Tentatively, I hover a breath away from her mouth, terrified to close the gap. Her eyes flutter closed. Cupping her chin, I bring our lips together. Momentary cold melts into warmth as Lo returns it eagerly. How I’ve missed this. Kissing her again after two years apart feels more vivid than I remembered, like a digital remaster of an old demo. My body recalls the sweet melody, and my heart races to its pulsing beat. When I skim my tongue along the seam of her lips, she opens to me beautifully. My hands drift across her chilled skin, from her chin down her neck. A delicious little moan is my reward.
Lo steps forward, close enough to brush the front of my pants. I nip at her bottom lip in retaliation instead of giving her the friction she wants. She kisses me hard and hot. Can Lo feel my hands tremble?
Her eyes snap open. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Too far. I took things way too far. What is wrong with me?
Although my arms ache to hold her, I drop them to my sides. “Sorry.”
With a suction sound, Cielo extracts her foot from the mud and plops into the grass. The intimacy of the moment vanishes. Her sandals are toast, but she wipes them on the grass anyway while I try to process the abrupt change in mood.
“We’d better go tell Lark’s mam we’re not coming.” Although they’re providing dry athletic clothes, our hair and undergarments would still be soaked.
“Yeah,” Lo agrees. “Her heart would be broken if she thought we just blew off her sun salutations or whatever.”
My lips buzz from where they touched hers. My brain is replaying that kiss, again and again.
Chapter 14
Lo
I do everythingI can to avoid Aidan’s eyes as we enter the castle.
“I’m gonna get changed for the rehearsal dinner.”
Falling into his arms had felt amazing; his soft lips and firm touch almost made me forget what went wrong between us. But I refuse to fall into old patterns for the sake of comfort.
I’d underestimated the power of his presence, but he’s bound to leave me behind. Alone. It’s his job to tour and travel. He thrives on it. Life is no less complicated for us now than it was two years ago, no matter how good it feels to be with him.
“Lo…” Aidan pauses in the foyer. “Can we talk later?”
“After the rehearsal.”
Does he want closure or to try again? Because this feels like picking a scab, and I can’t reopen that wound.
Luckily, I broughtseveral nice outfits—I like to be prepared. After drying off, I change into a sleek maxi dress andre-do my hair and makeup. In an attempt to distract myself, I decide to check if Lark is back from yoga and if she needs any help before the wedding rehearsal. She and Callum are sleeping separately until they tie the knot.
I knock on the door and she pulls me inside. Workout clothes lie in piles on the floor, hairspray cans and contour palettes strewn across the bed.
“It looks like a Sephora exploded.”
