Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Dinner takes forever to get through, but I don’t mind—especially when Judy offers to put together a little welcome-home dinner for Dad at the diner when he gets back. Feeling beyond grateful for this tight-knit community, it’s like I’m seeing them all for the first time. I can understand why Dad has stayed in Haven; this isn’t something you can find anymore.

Julian and I don’t get to talk much, which may be for the best considering where my thoughts are going. He drives me back to the hospital to pick up my car, and he’s quiet during most of the drive, feeling more like the stranger I maced the other night. When he pulls into the spot beside my car, I’ve got my seatbelt off and my hand on the door handle before he stops me.

“I hate to admit how much I’ve thought about you since—” His eyes skim down my face and land on my mouth. The soft shadows cast by the parking lot light illuminate his brown eyes, making them look like embers in the dark. We both know exactly what he means by “since.”

“Then don’t admit it.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a bad idea, Julian. Thanks for dinner.” I climb out of his truck, slamming the door harder than intended before jumping into mine. I start the engine and breathe a sigh of relief as Julian pulls out of his spot, then cover my face with my hands. I cannot be doing this with him. It’s a bad idea. At least when we gave in to our attraction before, we could blame it on being young and dumb—but we know better now. I’m here for Dad and then going back home to Florida.

I take my time driving to my dad’s, hoping to avoid arriving at the same time as Julian. Of course, just as I park the car, his truck pulls up the driveway, reversing right into the spot beside me. Not in the mood for a confrontation, I rush out of my car before he turns off the engine, but by the time I reach the door, I can hear the crunch of gravel beneath his shoes as he follows me.

“Lina,” he calls out. I tell myself not to do it, but I stop anyway, my heart begging me to turn around.

“Julian, please.”

“Why’d you leave?”

“What?”

“Why did you leave before?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just go home and forget this.”

“You’re really going to act like that night meant nothing to you? You didn’t even tell me I was your first, and by the time I realized, you were gone.”

“We’re not doing this.”

“That’s right. Go ahead and run, Lina. That’s what you’re so good at. I shouldn’t expect anything less than the back of your head.”

“I don’t need this, Julian. This isn’t what I drove all this way for.”

“Tell me that night meant nothing to you, and I’ll turn around right now. I won’t bring it up again.”

I force a laugh, hoping it sounds more convincing than it feels. “It was one night twelve years ago.”

“It’s not about that night but the girl I spent it with.”

“That girl isn’t here anymore,” I whisper.

“Bullshit.” Before I can react, his lips are on mine, his hands slipping past my curls and behind my neck, lifting my head to meet his mouth. His kiss is desperate, as if he’s been starved for years. I thread my fingers into the top of his curls, pulling him closer. Everything around us fades away—the anger, the pain, the cold night—replaced by the undeniable heat that’s always been between us.

“Tell me it meant nothing to you. That you haven’t thought about me once.” He swallows hard, using all his strength to keep from kissing me again, but the need is overwhelming, and I’m trembling.

I glide my hand over his heart, gripping the collar of his jacket. I open my mouth, but the lie thick on my tongue gets caught in my throat. The intensity in his eyes takes my breath away. I shake my head and whisper, “I can’t.”

In the next moment, his mouth is crashing into mine, igniting a fire that makes me forget all about the cold air around us. His arms pull me into him, effortlessly lifting me off my feet as his tongue plunges into my mouth, slowly colliding with mine. He walks us backward until my back presses against the wall of my dad’s house, and I quickly dive into my pockets for the key.

Once inside, Julian easily guides us through the house while we make quick work of peeling off our clothes, dropping them on the floor on our way to my bedroom, our kiss growing more desperate with each layer we remove. I thread my fingers into the top of his curls as he lowers me onto the bed, not wanting to break this kiss for anything.

Everything around us fades away—the anger, the pain, and the years between us—replaced by the undeniable heat that’s always been there as we explore each other’s bodies, etching every inch into memory.