Page 44 of Rules Of Our Own

She digs her hands into the center pouch, and her shoulders rise. “I won’t be able to return it.”

Alex runs his thumb over her cheek before dropping his hands to his sides and giving her a cocky smile. “Keep it. I’ll get it back the next time I see you.”

“Oh yeah? When’s that?” she asks, and her eyes shine.

Alex’s smile grows, and he chuckles. “When we come up there and kick Jax’s ass in a few months.”

“You wish.” She laughs, but it breaks at the end.

Alex wraps her in a bear hug, pulling her off her feet, and kisses her slowly for several moments before returning her to the ground. I’m so fucking jealous because I know I can’t handle doing the same.

She looks at me from where she stands, Alex’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. “What, no hug goodbye?”

Fuck. I want to so badly, but I dig my hands further into my pockets and shake my head. “You’re going to be late.”

She flinches, and her chin trembles at my brush-off, and I lose all restraint, pulling her into my arms and smashing my mouth to hers. She folds into me instantly, grasping my shirt and tugging me closer. I deepen the kiss, tasting Alex’s mint gum, and groan. All thoughts of what’s right to do or sane dissolve; all I care about is staying in this moment.

She’s the one to pull away. Her fingers play with the top button of my pressed white oxford shirt. “At least we had the weekend.”

Alex’s face crumples before he hides it in the curve of her neck. He takes an audible breath before letting it out and backing up, giving us both a wide smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “We’ll always have Napa.”

It’s such a cliché thing to say, but it breaks some of the tension. Both of us step away from her as she takes a few steps toward the airport entrance before glancing back. “Always have Napa.”

This weekend had been a dream, a bubble of time where we could forget the real world and just be together. But now, reality is crashing back in. Mia’s eyes meet mine, and I see the pain there, the same pain no doubt visible in mine. It’s like we’re both treading water, trying to keep our heads above the surface but knowing that eventually, we’ll drown.

“I’ll text you both when I land,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I just nod, unable to speak, afraid my voice will betray me, that she will hear the desperation in my words.

Alex chimes in. “Dirty text, I hope.”

“You’re disgusting.” She huffs. “Just for that, you’ll have to wait for River to tell you when I land.”

“Oh, come on,” Alex says playfully.

She laughs before she gives us a final, sad smile and then turns to walk away, her carry-on bag rolling behind her.

She disappears into the airport, her small figure swallowed by the throngs of people, and I feel like a part of me is being ripped away.

It takes everything in me not to chase after her. I channel that energy and punch the departure sign to my right. Blood drips from the split in my knuckles, but it doesn’t matter. I need the pain as a distraction.

Alex grips my shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go get wasted.”

That’s an absolutely perfect idea.

We stumble into the nearest bar and find a booth hidden in the back. The low lighting, combined with the smell of alcohol, hit me in the face like a brick. I don’t even bother with the menu and just order a whiskey neat. Alex orders four shots of tequila and places them in front of each of us.

He throws back his shot and slams the glass on the table. “Fuck, that was intense.”

I nod in agreement and take a sip of my drink. “It’s fucked.”

Alex leans back in the booth, his eyes unfocused as he traces the rim of his shot glass. “It feels like getting hit by a train.”

“Yeah,” I say, finishing my whiskey and gesturing for another.

We just let the best thing that ever happened to us walk away.Again.

CHAPTER22

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