Page 14 of Neverland

I bury my face into his neck, wanting even for just a moment to have that feeling again. That’s what I tell myself anyway. But deep down, I know the truth. I can’t help but be drawn to him. I was never good at resisting him. It’s the last thing I should be doing, but being this close to him has me losing my mind. His familiar warm smell fills my lungs, and I can’t bring myself to fight him any longer. I cling to him, letting myself have this moment. I push everything else out. All the hurt, the sadness, and the lost time.

Easton’s hands rub up and down my back. The familiarity takes me back to a time that seems so long ago. I still can’t believe he’s here. I never thought I’d see him again. To be honest, I never wanted to see him again because I couldn’t bear the thought of him rejecting me because of what my father had done.

I don’t know if I’m overcome with emotion, but when I lift my head I’m no longer in Easton’s lap. I’m lying on a sofa. A low humming sound fills my ears. My eyes lock with Easton’s, who is sitting across from me. He has no tables or laptop in front of him. He’s only watching me. I can tell from the nice leather seat he’s in that we’re on an airplane. He’s even got a new suit on. This one is not soaked with coffee.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my mind and body feeling exhausted.

“I told you what was going to happen, Neverland,” Easton states as though earlier we were both in agreement with whatever plan he’d thrown out. This is insane.

“You did not seriously put me on a plane. You can’t just do whatever you want.” I swear that small smirk forms on his face again, making me wish I had another coffee to dump on him. “Where are you taking me? I at least should be privy to that.” I cross my arms over my chest.

Inside, there’s a war waging between me being mad that he strong-armed me and me loving the fact that he wants me so much that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to have me. Even if it means kinda kidnapping me in a sense.

“I did, and I will continue to do what it takes until you come to your senses.” I scowl at him, but it only makes his smirk grow. I feel the plane touch down on the ground. “And to answer your other question, I’m taking you home. The place I’ve built and dreamed of living a life with you.”

I’ve waited for this moment for a long time. To take her to our very own Neverland.

12

EASTON

She tries hard to mask her reaction to my words, but I see it in her eyes. I don’t care how many years it’s been since I’ve seen her, I know my girl. She’s curious. She wants to let those walls down so badly, but she doesn’t trust me.

Not the way she used to, at least. My girl used to tell me everything and never doubted what I said. There were a few times early on she’d be wary, but whenever I felt that from her, I was quick to shut it down any way that I needed to. Now it’s all gone. I earned it before; I can surely do it again.

I have to remind myself to be patient. It’s hard when I’ve waited so long for her. When she gave me a taste of her being in my arms again. But I can take baby steps. At least that’s what I told myself while I watched her sleep.

We’ll see how long that lasts. She hasn’t thrown anything at me since the car ride, so I’ll take that as a move in the right direction.

“What are you talking about? Are you on drugs or something?” God I’ve missed that smart mouth of hers. Been missing out on all the things I was going to do with it before she was taken from me.

“Which part of what I said earlier didn’t you catch?” I ask. I know I sound like an asshole. The anger inside of me still simmers. I never spoke to her this way before. Melody always got my softer side, but she’s been gone so long that softness has vanished from inside me. Only she can bring it back.

I try to reach out to lead her off the plane, but she bats my hand away.

“We can sit here forever if you want or you can get off the plane and see what awaits you.”

I would pick her up and carry her to the waiting SUV, but I want her to come with me. I don’t say another word, wanting her to make the choice to follow me. I make my way toward the open exit door.

“You’re talking crazy. This whole thing is insane,” she mutters, but I can tell she’s right behind me. I can’t help but smile as I go down the stairs. “We don’t even know each other. We’re basically strangers.” Those words stop me in my tracks and cause me to turn to face her. She looks surprised as though she hadn’t meant to say them out loud.

“You could never be a stranger to me.” Her face softens. “We may have gone down different paths in life due to circumstances we couldn’t control, but I know you still have feelings for me, and I’ve never stopped loving you. You’ll see.”

I reach out and open the door to the SUV, motioning for her to get in. I brace myself for the fight she’s going to put up, but to my surprise, she simply gets in and scoots all the way across the seat to the window.

My fingers itch to reach out, grab her, and pull her to me, but I don’t. Instead, I let the silence fill the space between us. She keeps her focus out the window, and I can’t help but stare at her.

I know we are only a short distance from the main house now, and I don’t want to miss her reaction when she first lays eyes on it. I’ve waited so long for this moment. To share in this dream she once had for us.

Little does she know that it’s about to become reality. That I listened intently to all of her ideas all those years ago as though my next breath depended on it. And this place is only the start. I just had no idea that we would need this place so soon, and I’m damn glad I didn’t wait to build it.

The moment the property comes into view, I see and hear her sharp inhale of breath. A feeling of satisfaction fills me at her reaction. But nothing could have prepared me for the look that is in her eyes when she turns to face me.

“How?” The one word slips past her lips, tears brimming in her eyes. She turns back to look out the window again. The car comes to a stop, and before I can answer her, she hops out. I follow closely behind, not wanting to miss a second of this. “This isn’t possible. I must be dreaming.”

I wrap my arms around her from behind, pulling her into me. There were many nights we’d lie under the stars and talk about life. About how it killed her father when he lost his wife. You never know how much time you have with people. Her father worked obsessively. He always felt he had to give them the best of everything.

All that work he put in to make money couldn’t buy back all the time he could have had with her mom. She made me promise that would never be us. That we could one day have a place that was only ours, and the rest of the world could fall away.

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