Page 61 of Begin Again
“Guess I’d better kiss you as much as I can now then, right?” I ask.
She laughs. “I’m all yours this morning.”
When we finally get out of bed—hours later—I have a single text waiting for me from Chiara.
Chiara
Just wanted to give an update about the Mitch case. They have enough to at least put him up for trial, possibly more to put him away for good. Along with new charges of money laundering. Annie won’t have to testify unless she wants to.
Thanks for the update. I’ll let Annie know, I’m with her in Maui.
Go take care of our girl.
Always.
I slide my phone back into my pocket as Annie comes back to the bed. I will tell her the news, eventually. Not today, probably not even in the next little bit. She deserves to know, but she also deserves to have some peace on this vacation.
After I tell her my feelings, we can have a conversation about everything that happened and she can decide if she wants to testify against Mitch or not. I’m happy to do it if I need to. But it should be up to her if she wants to or not.
“Hi.” Annie slides into my arms and kisses my cheek.
“Hi.” I love you is on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t say it. I want to, but I don’t want to rush her.
“Ready for all of this?” I assume she means her brother’s wedding and all the parties that come with it.
“I am. It’s about time Noah got his happy ending.”
She gives me a hug before stepping out of my embrace. “It really is.”
33
ANNIE
After everyone gets some rest, we spend the rest of the day with Noah and Tally and Tally’s family. By late-afternoon, I’m feeling peopled out.
“Want to head upstairs for a little break before the bachelor and bachelorette parties?” Sam asks quietly as we’re coming back from the pool. I don’t know what Sam, Noah, Drew (Holly’s fiancé), and Tally’s dad are going to do, but it already feels like too much to hangout with Tally, Gran, Holly, and Beth, even though they are all pretty great. Plus, my mom will be there.
“Yes,” I say even though I know it isn’t possible. The party starts in less than an hour, that’s hardly enough time to get a breather.
“Let’s go,” he says. He murmurs something to Noah then leads me to the elevator. I’m silent on the ride up to our room, too exhausted to even think.
When we get to the room, Sam guides me to the bed. “I’m really not—” I start to say that I’m not in the mood for anything but he cuts me off.
“I didn’t bring you up here to try to pull a move on you,” he says as he stands behind me. His hands fall lightly on myshoulders as his thumbs start to rub the knots in my neck. “Is this okay? I promise to only touch you here. You’ve seemed so tense, and I just want to help you relax if I can.”
I'm moved to tears by his promise. I want to say that this is hard for me, letting him in like this, trusting a man to touch me, but I don't even have to say the words because Sam already knows.
His hands stop and leave my neck. “I need a verbal yes before I do any more.”
“Yes,” I say, hoping he can’t hear the emotion in my voice.
If he does, he doesn’t say anything about it as he lays his hands back on me and begins to knead out the knots in my neck. I feel myself relax as he does so.
I’ve always been introverted, preferring my books to people. Or a kitchen to people. My brother knows this. Sam knows this. But I promised myself I would put on my best show and do anything that Noah asked, because he’s my brother and he’s getting married. And knowing him, he’ll only ever get married once. It’s still all exhausting though.
“I am not excited to spend two hours with my mother,” I finally admit. Mom’s flight got in this afternoon, and she and her new boyfriend have been ‘resting’ so they could be ready for the parties tonight and wedding ceremony tomorrow.
“Is she still mad about everything that happened in New York?” Sam asks as his thumb works on a particularly tight spot.
