Page 59 of Her Greatest Adventure

I look at Addie again and frown. She’s no longer on the phone. It lies limp in her hand, her stare far away. Clearing my throat, I push away from the balcony.

“I’m not sure. I need to talk to her.”

“Alright. I love you, even when you don’t use that big brain of yours and do things you shouldn’t.”

I bite back a laugh. “I love you too. Thanks for not hating me.”

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Keep me updated.”

“Will do.”

We hang up, and I walk back inside. Addie glances up at me when I round the couch and sit on the empty seat beside her. As soon as I rest my arm on the couch back, she comes close and tucks herself beneath it. Something settles inside of me at her closeness, making it all too easy to lower my arm to her shoulder and pull her into my body.

“How’s your dad?” she asks gently.

“As mischievous as ever. But not angry like I expected. How’s yours?”

Her laugh sounds shaky, pained. “Mad, hurt, frustrated.”

“We can’t blame him. Even if that would make it easier.”

“I knew there would be consequences for our actions. I guess I just expected them to come when I was ready for them to. If that time ever came. He’s more hurt than mad, I think.”

“When it comes to you, maybe. He probably wants to kill me.”

It would be worth it, that annoying voice in my head sings before I shut it up.

“Oh, he does. Preferably after torturing you for a few hours first,” she states.

“There’s no beating around the bush with you, is there?”

She shifts her body, and those blue eyes blink up at me, giving me a look that saysyou’re joking, right?“I don’t see the point in giving you false comfort when it will be so short-lived.”

I blow out a breath, tipping my head back to stare at the ceiling. “What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t want to go home yet,” she whispers, snuggling into my chest. She drapes her arm across my abdomen, squeezing tight, as if she’s scared I’m going to get up and walk out if she doesn’t hold on to me.

“Then we won’t go home yet.”

“But I think we have to. I couldn’t pretend my family isn’t at home hurt and upset while I continue having the time of my life with you. That’s not fair, is it?”

“No, it’s not,” I relent.

Disappointment is heavy in the air. What was supposed to be a two-month trip has been cut to two weeks. This was Addie’s chance to branch out and explore the world, and I feel a bit responsible for it coming to such a quick end. It may take more than one person to get married, but I’m the older one. The one who was supposed to have his shit together enough not to allow something like this to happen.

I failed my only job.

“I’ll pay for your new tickets and refund you the money you lost on your current ones. This was my trip, after all,” she says.

“You’re not doing either of those things. This is on me.”

“It’s onus, but you wouldn’t have even come along if I hadn’t convinced you to. So let me make it right.”

“Not happening,” I grunt.

“You’re stubborn.”

“So are you.”

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