Page 43 of Rules Of Our Own

There’s no part of me that wants to make her life harder.

Alex shifts, and his grip tightens on her like he’s afraid she’ll disappear, even in his sleep. I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, and a sharp pain pierces below my ribs when she turns into my palm.

A quick glance at the clock tells me there are less than five minutes left, and I nuzzle the curve of her neck, breathing in her lavender vanilla scent for the last time.

For a few days, I had everything I wanted, and it might kill me to let it go.

* * *

Mia doesn’t look away from the rain-streaked window as we head toward the San Francisco airport. She’s been quiet for the almost two-hour drive. Alex and I don’t fly out until tonight, but we insisted on traveling with her. If it gives me another two hours, I’ll take it.

The resort offered a chauffeured car service to the airport, and we chose a large Mercedes SUV so we could all fit in the back. Alex sits directly behind her. He’s pulled a few strands of her hair over the top of her seat and plays with them mindlessly. His unfocused gaze is straight ahead, lost in thought.

Mia shifts, and I fight the urge to turn her to face me. She looks calm while it feels like my body is roiling inside me. Every mile is a mile closer to saying goodbye. Forever…I can’t process that thought, so I let it slip from my mind to keep me up later.

Was she this collected back when she ghosted us in university? I understand what happened. I know it was my fault for being a jealous asshole. Hell, I’m surprised Alex still speaks to me.

I never thought it was easy for her. She’s just selfless by nature. Was I wrong? An uncomfortable churning fills my gut at the idea that none of this mattered to her.

Is this easy for her? Because I think it might kill me.

Words bubble up in my chest. I want to demand she acknowledge that this is something more, even if it was just a few days. Her cool demeanor is killing me.

She sniffs and turns further away from me as the blood drains from me. I’m such a fucking asshole. If I thought her indifference was bad, this is a million times worse.

I reach out and catch her jaw with my knuckle, directing her to face me, but she shakes off my touch and raises a hand to wipe under her eye.

“Mia, look at me,” I say with a hint of too much command, but I need to see her.

The green of her irises is brilliant against her red-rimmed lids. She gives me a watery smile. “I’m sorry.” She sniffs and rubs her face. “I’m being silly.”

She looks so unsure of herself, and the flush of embarrassment takes over her cheeks. How can she possibly not know how we feel about her? “I’m going to miss you, Mia. You know that, right?”

Her shoulders raise, and I fucking hate the insecure look that crosses her face.

Alex leans over the seat and kisses her temple. “Hey, Kitten. Where’s your claws?”

She rolls her eyes. “How long is it going to take to convince you to not call me that?”

He grins with his dimples in full view. “Forever.”

A soft chuckle tumbles from her lips, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for him. I’ve never been good at levity. Always a little too serious. Intense.

But that’s where Alex levels me out, and within seconds, her tears have dried, and there’s a small smile curving her lips. Fucking magic.

* * *

We pull up to the drop-off zone of the airport entirely too soon. It’s like the seconds melted away without feeling them. I pull her small carry-on from the trunk and hold on to the handle as she tries to take it from me. Fuck.

She gives it a little tug, and I know I have to let it go, but I just grip it harder.

Alex slides up beside me and puts his hand on my upper back. He rubs it back and forth over my shoulder blades, and the tension leaves my muscles. I let go of her bag and shove my hands in my pockets to stop myself from doing anything stupid. The thought of kidnapping isn’t out of the realm of my fantasies.

She pulls it toward her, the drizzle of rain dampening her hair as she stares up at us with round, glassy eyes. “So that was fun, right?”

Her tone doesn’t match her words, and I have to take a deep breath before speaking. “Right.”

A shiver visibly runs through her, and Alex reaches behind his head, pulling off his deep blue hoodie in one move, and drops it over her head. The heavy fabric engulfs her to mid-thigh. He adjusts the strings near her neck, fiddling with them longer than necessary, and says, “Don’t want you catching a cold.”

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