Page 94 of Not Over You

Ricky opened the back seat to the limo and knocked on the driver’s window. He rolled it down. “Can you take us to the Spruce Gardens Inn?” The driver looked unsure. “It’s just up the road and you can come back and get Roman.”

Ricky pulled some cash out of his pocket and gave it to the driver. He nodded and started the car.

Ricky climbed in the back with me.

“I think an Uber would have been cheaper.” I hugged my legs to my chest.

“Seat belt.” Ricky reached across me and secured me in the seat. I didn’t point out his own safety when he didn’t do the same for himself. I shook my head, but he had his eyes on the passing countryside. He rolled down the window. “Spruce always smells the same.”

“How does it smell?” I asked.

“Like pine.” He chuckled and strummed his fingers on the armrest. “No place smells like this.”

“Where you just came from, what did it smell like?” I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. I inhaled him. Nothing smelled like him.

“Did you just smell me?” He nudged me with his shoulder.

I sat straight up.

“No.” I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back. He reached over and pulled me back to rest on him.

“It’s smells like sweat and dead animals.”

I looked up at him.

“Not pleasant, most of the time, but it has its moments.” He continued to stare out the window. “There was one place that I enjoyed. All lush green with water as blue as the sky.“

“Sounds nice.” I nuzzled in closer. “Tell me more.”

“During the day, you’d think it would be hot, but a breeze comes off the ocean and its perfect. At around twelve o’clock when the sun is high in the sky, it is hot. Your only saving grace are these natural pools of water scattered through the jungle leading into the valley. They are kept cool by the overhanging trees. The water runs from one pool to another until it empties out into the ocean below.” His voice sounded nostalgic and dreamy.

I sat up. “And who did you enjoy these pools and pools of cascading water with?”

He kissed the top of my head. The gesture was so innocent, but it sent chills up my spine every time.

“You’re jealous,” he teased.

“Yes.” I turned to him. “I am jealous. I haven’t been anywhere. Haven’t seen anything.”

“That’s not true.” He took my hand. “You’ve seen Austin and College Station, Texas.”

“No waterfalls there.” I pouted.

“You’ll get to see everything you want to see and more.” He turned back to the window. “I promise.”

I wanted to ask him when and would he be the one to show me, but I chickened out.

Hell, I couldn’t enjoy a piece of fish without feeling guilty. How was I supposed to enjoy the rest of my life?

RICKY

The last trip I took with the guys was to a resort in Fiji, not the water oasis I described. That slice of heaven on earth was in a remote location on no one’s map, inside of a country my team and I weren’t supposed to be in, on a mission no one would ever know about. The night I spent hunkered down in the jungle, I bathed in one of the pools, and for a millisecond, a sense of calmness came over me. In that moment, I thought of her.

I’d never tell her though.

I had no intention of acting on my feelings toward her, not back then and not now, but here I was. Stealing her way from her family because I didn’t want to be with people, but I didn’t want to be alone. Not anymore.

I sent Roman a text to tell Mrs. Irby, Ciara was with me. It wasn’t a great idea to steal here away for the next twenty-four hours. It wouldn’t change what had happened and what would need to happen when we all woke up tomorrow morning and remembered—Bishop was gone.

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