Page 119 of Keep My Heart
She laughs and reaches across me to the nightstand to get it. She takes a sip, then offers me some.
‘I was kidding, but okay.’ I sit up and take the glass from her. I down what’s left of it and set the glass aside.
‘Thirsty?’ she jokes.
‘I was.’ I pull her into my arms. ‘This was a great idea, getting a room for the night.’ I kiss her forehead. ‘I love being here with you.’
‘I wish we didn’t have to leave tomorrow.’ She rests her headon my shoulder and runs her hand over my chest. ‘When will we see each other again?’
‘I don’t know. We need to talk about that.’
‘My lease isn’t up until September, but I could try to sublet my place for the rest of the summer.’ She looks up at me. ‘What do you think I should do?’
‘I can’t tell you that. You need to decide. I want you to be with me, but I also want to make sure you’re ready to leave your old life behind. You’ve been in LA a long time. Leaving there means leaving your job, your friends.’
She frowns. ‘Why do I keep getting the feeling you don’t want me to move to New York? Are you having second thoughts?’
‘No, of course not. But this is moving really fast. We just started dating. We might need more time before you decide to move your entire life across the country.’
‘I don’t need more time. I know what I want. I thinkyoumight be the one who needs more time.’
‘Lyndsay, I want us to be together. I just don’t want you having any regrets.’
She lays her head back on my shoulder and gets quiet.
I feel like we should talk more, but I don’t know what to say. I want to be with her, but I admit I’m worried we’re moving too fast. I don’t want her moving to New York, then saying I work too much and wanting to leave. My job is a major concern when it comes to us. I don’t want to be one of those couples that doesn’t spend time together, but how do I make time for her when my job keeps piling work on me?
She falls asleep in my arms. I watch her sleep until I fall asleep myself. In the middle of the night, I wake up to her kissing me, which leads to us making love again. Afterward, we fall asleep and don’t wake up until morning.
‘It’s after nine,’ Lyndsay says, racing out of bed. ‘I’m going to be late!’
‘Your plane doesn’t leave until noon. You have plenty of time.’
‘If I was going straight to the airport, yes, but I still have to go home and pack.’ She hurries to get dressed.
‘What can I do to help?’ I ask, yanking my pants on.
‘Can you check the bathroom? See if I left anything?’
I go in there and look around. ‘I don’t see anything.’ I return to the bedroom and finish getting dressed. ‘I guess we should’ve got up earlier. I was hoping we could have breakfast in bed.’
‘Maybe next time.’ She smiles at me as she tugs her dress into place. ‘Ready to go?’
‘Not really, but if we have to.’ I gather up my keys and wallet and we head downstairs to check out.
On the drive to her house, I already miss her, even though she’s sitting right next to me.
‘Let’s talk when you get back to LA,’ I say, reaching over to hold her hand. ‘Continue our conversation from last night.’
She nods. ‘What time are you back in New York?’
‘I think around four. I’ll have to check.’ I pull into the driveway at her mom’s house, feeling a sense of panic at having to say goodbye. It’s too rushed, and something feels off. We should’ve kept talking last night. We should’ve figured out what to do next, but because we didn’t, things feel awkward between us, and unfinished. I feel like Lyndsay is angry at me, or frustrated. I was just trying to do what’s best for her, but I think I screwed up.
‘Bye, Nick,’ she says, stopping me at the door. She gives me a kiss, but it’s quick.
‘Hey, are you okay?’ I ask, holding her arm as she turns to the door.
‘I’m fine. I just need to hurry or I’ll miss my flight.’
