25. Meg - I Can’t Leave Him Alone

Chapter twenty-five

Meg - I Can't Leave Him Alone

My sister Mia is fiercely against selling our property. She is my biggest ally in the fight against Drew's buyout. In a way, I'm grateful for her fierce attitude because it keeps the seductive haze around Drew at bay long enough for me to snap back to reality.

Every time I snap out of it, out of daydreaming of him, I swear to myself up and down that it's the last time. Of course, it never plays out that way. He comes too easily into my mind, especially when I see a couple walking down the beach and I think of how we did the same.

I want so badly for that to be us again, blissful in paradise. I start thinking of his hand holding mine, the contagious sound of his laugh, the irresistible pull of his lips hovering over mine. Why couldn't he have been someone else? Why did a corporate predator from New York have to capture my heart?

The tension between Drew and Mia escalates, adding a new layer of conflict to our dilemma. Mia is the queen of being petty and passive aggressive. Anytime that Drew asks a question about anything, she replies by taking jabs at him living in New York, how Floridians aren't just motivated by greed…it just keeps going.

Just when I think she's out of new remarks, there are at least ten more she has up her sleeve.

How can I be so opposed to everything Drew is doing but so drawn to him romantically? The thought of seeing Seaside stripped and gutted from the inside out and made into something entirely different makes me want to cry.

I've grown up here and the idea of someone destroying my home just to make a profit infuriates me. I start to feel like my home is already being stolen before a single change can be made. My mind starts to wander into what-if territory.

Suddenly, the bright, open lobby with the mahogany front desk is no longer there. The floors have been stripped and gutted, the paint on the walls changed to a monotone gray color, and the light that once stretched in from the beach is diminished with silk curtains to give a posher look.

Our adorable cafe and restaurant will be stained with darker colors that interior designers call "royal" hues, but all they do is steal the light and heart of the place. In seconds, the inn is unrecognizable and my mind spirals down deeper into the layoffs, as that's usually the next step.

It's too easy for the Bellamy family to do it because they probably have never had something like Seaside to call home. They're rich and detached. Authenticity means nothing to them.

Whoa. If that's true, then Drew has never known a place like this .

I can't imagine not having a place that I undoubtedly feel like I fit right into. Maybe that's why it's so easy for his family to act so detached from places they convert. Suddenly, his family seems even colder than before. But somehow, hints of Drew's warmth still seem to find me. How well does he really fit in with them, and with their company?

He manages to find me at random times during the day and I can't help but get caught up in him every time. He's like gravity. I'm pulled to him more than I care to admit. When I tell myself that I'll lie and say I'm busy with something else, he catches my lie before it can even escape my lips.

"You have a ‘tell' when you're fibbing, just so you know," he smirks, kissing my forehead. "You can't keep eye contact."

Damn, I really can't lie to this man.

Instead of letting me push him away, he lingers just close enough to where I have space to work but not far enough away to ignore. I keep wanting to wrap my arms around him tight and just run off with him—explore the beach, the town, or just get away from here completely.

When Mia heads home early after wrapping up some last-minute cancellations, I tell her that I need to stay and finish a few tasks before the weekend staff takes over. She doesn't bat an eye at this and decides to start her Friday night early. I force myself to ignore Drew's profile peeking just around the corner so as not to tip her off.

Once she's finally out of sight, Drew emerges, does a quick check to make sure no other staff is around, and plants a kiss on my lips that lasts longer than I anticipated.

"Can I steal you away tonight?" he asks, as I organize the files at the front desk.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I thought we'd head down to the beach and talk," he says, leaning on the desk. "I'd like to pick up where we left off before things hit the fan, for lack of a better phrase."

I can't help but give him a side-eyed look. "It's not going to undo anything."

"I know, but I'm not done getting to know you yet." He smiles. "Meet me near the rocks at the end of the beach when you're done here, okay?"

Before I can excuse my way out of it, he's already making his way down to the part of the beach where families and couples hold bonfires, as the rocks can block the breeze and offer a bit more privacy.

Like a teenager sneaking out, I make sure no one sees me heading toward the end of the beach—where, it turns out, Drew already has a romantic candlelit picnic set up for the two of us. I still can't believe this man but this time, it's for the right reasons. When he said he wanted to make it right, he wasn't lying. This proves it.

The evening is accompanied by the soft crashes of waves on the shore, and by the gentle crackle of our quaint little bonfire that keeps us warm. Drew brought a small blanket that he wraps around both our shoulders.

Once again, I'm so drawn to him. The soft aroma of his cologne is perfect as I nestle closer into him. He asks me about my favorite books and the things I still want to do one day. He tells me more about Paris and Italy and tells me why I should travel to Canada too.

At one point, I'm no longer thinking about the unknown future with him but instead, I can simply enjoy him. I can finally be present.

As we continue to meet, my feelings for Drew make me feel like I'm on a tightrope. Any minute I am going to plunge into the pit of Drew's world, and I'm not sure how to come back from that.

This man could completely destroy me, but I'm not exactly protecting myself. My need for him is putting me into harm's way.

But I just keep coming back.