Page 43 of Heal You
Morgan held Jan’s jaw gently and drew her into a kiss.“Fuck, Ihateit when you have to go.I don’twantyou to go.”
Jan grinned as she took the pizza boxes and headed for the couch.“Maybe I won’t.Who knows.”
Morgan rushed behind her with the box of wedges and various dips.“Wait, you’re serious?You might stay over tonight?”
Jan had no reason to go back to the hotel.She had left a few items of clothing here for future ‘the morning after’ situations, and she had brought over a spare washbag.“Would you like me to stay over?”
“Can’t believe you even think you have to ask that,” Morgan snorted as she flopped down onto the couch.“But yes, Iwouldlike you to stay over.”
“Then I will.”Jan leaned over the couch and kissed Morgan.And then she smiled against her lips.“God, I’m going to get myself into a lot of trouble here.”
“Trouble is the fun part, babe.”
“Mm.Trouble is sexy.”
Chapter17
Jan stoodout on the terrace of the ground-floor apartment Morgan had surprised her with, the sun setting in the distance.They’d landed some five hours ago—Meloneras was a beautiful area from what Jan had seen so far—and now Morgan was taking them out to dinner.They’d decided on a quiet, slower evening, reserving the fun and excitement for the rest of the week.Morgan had sat yawning repeatedly as they’d lounged around at the pool bar a couple of hours ago, so something simple and relaxed was the focus for the rest of the night.
As she continued to watch the fading daylight over the ocean, Jan felt saddened by the thought of Morgan usually being out here alone.She spent enough time stuck at the bar or up in her flat.Gran Canaria—or Meloneras, to be specific—seemed like a place couples would holiday, and if Jan had things her way, this wouldn’t be the last time they visited the island together.For Jan, this was, without a doubt, the start of something truly special for her.Forget what was going on back at home.Forget the fact that she hadn’t told Gillian and Finn about Morgan yet.The only thing she cared about for the next seven days was being here, sitting in the peacefulness of a Spanish island, with Morgan by her side.
Jan had spent the mid-haul flight out here taking stock of everything that had happened since she’d walked into her office the day Gareth came by.Her marriage was over—there were no two ways about that—but her life wasn’t.She had meant it when she told Gillian she had the world at her feet, and Jan was going to make every last second of it count.If that meant cutting everyone off until they came to terms with her decisions moving forward, then so be it.If it meant hearing the opinions of not only those she cared about but those she didn’t, so be it.
In this moment, Jan was happy and fulfilled.She was content with whatever direction her life took, so long as Morgan was firmly planted in it.Yes, it may have only been five weeks since she’d left Phil, and yes, being with Morgan so quickly after the end of her marriage was quite startling, but Jan struggled to care.How could she step back from what was happening here?How could she even consider a world without the happiness Morgan had given her so far?
The answer was simple: she couldn’t.
From a very young age, Jan had always known what she wanted.Love, a stable home, and to feel accomplished every night when she climbed into bed.While she didn’t have the stable home right now, that would return in one form or another.As for love… Well, she felt that in some capacity from Morgan, regardless of the fact they weren’t exclusive.And lately, shedidfeel accomplished.Whether that was as she climbed into astillunfamiliar hotel bed or Morgan’s was beside the point.She felt it, and that was what mattered.
She heard Morgan approaching from behind.Before Jan had time to turn around, Morgan wrapped her arms around Jan’s waist, kissed her neck, and then rested her chin on her shoulder.“You look stunning.”
“Thank you.”Jan had only gone for a pair of white linen pants and a white tank top this evening.The humidity was still in the air, and if they were walking for a while, she wanted to be comfortable.“How was your shower?”
“Amazing.It’s woken me up a bit.”Morgan sighed as she looked out at the ocean with Jan.“Gorgeous here, isn’t it?”
“It is.It makes me wonder why Gillian said that Gran Canaria wasn’t really my kind of place.”Jan frowned at the reminder of that comment.Ifthiswasn’t Jan’s kind of place, then she had no idea what was.“Remind me to ask her about that.”
“I know why she said it.”Morgan lifted her phone in front of them, brought her lips to Jan’s cheek again, and snapped a selfie of them.“It can be a bit of a party island depending on where you stay, and just down the road from us is a huge outdoor space that’s considered to mostly cater towards the LGBTQ+ community.”
“O-oh.”Jan’s brows lifted.
“But once you tell her the area you’re actually staying in, I’m sure she’ll realise that this is the perfect place for you to unwind.”
It suddenly dawned on Jan that people could put two and two together.“Out of interest, where did you tell your friends and family you were going for the week?”
Morgan tensed at that.“Friends away from the bar know I’m here.Ben and Tyler also know, but they’re not stupid and realise that we’re keeping this under wraps.If Finn asks, I’m elsewhere in the country.”
“And your family?”Jan asked, sensing there was something to be discussed when it came to Morgan’s blood relatives.
“They don’t get to know anything about me or my life.They lost that right when they cut me off at nineteen.”
Another realisation dawned on Jan.She had no idea how old Morgan was.“And that was…how many years ago now?”
“I’m thirty-two, if that’s what you’re asking.”Morgan unravelled herself from Jan and stood beside her instead.“If that’s an issue for you, please tell me that when we get home.Not while we’re out here watching the sunset with one another.”
Jan took Morgan’s hand and entwined their fingers.“It’s not an issue for me.Not in the slightest.”
Morgan regarded Jan with a small smile as she glanced in her direction.“That’s what they all say.”
