Page 179 of Only You

Adam hesitated, his throat working, but he took the scarf. He wrapped it around his neck, before lifting the tail of it up and sniffing. His eyes filled with tears, and when he looked at me, I knew.

It smelled more like me.

“Let’s go,” I whispered, turning back to the gate.

“Peter…”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to know what he had to say. I shouldn’t have given him the scarf. I should have let him shiver.

“Peter, please…”

“This way.” I opened the gate, and he passed through. I’d just gotten the keys out of my pocket to open the Volvo when a blue car turned into the drive.

Daniel. My heart thumped. What did it look like, me being here with Adam? What would happen now that they’d meet? My stomach tightened. There was no stopping it, though.

Daniel pulled up next to the Volvo, put his car into park, and climbed out.

“Hey,” I said, a helpless smile washing over me at the sight of his tanned face. I went to him. “You’re early.”

“I am.” He opened his arms, and I hugged him tightly. “The airline changed my flight time. Who knows why?”

“Oversold,” Adam offered. His voice was gruff, and I was shocked to hear him speak.

I broke our hug and turned to him. “Daniel, this is Adam. Adam. Daniel.”

They regarded each other with a tense interest that didn’t seem to know what to do with itself. Neither of them looked angry. Both just looked…sad. For different reasons, and in different ways.

“Hi,” Daniel said, stepping forward with his hand out. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Adam’s lips twisted into an approximation of a smile as he shook Daniel’s hand. “All horrible, I’m sure.”

Daniel shrugged. “Well, you know. My father told me once ‘no one leaves happy.’ That was about employees quitting, but I’m sure in relationships it’s the same.”

“Yeah,” Adam agreed, his eyes straying to me, miserable and lost. “No one leaves happy.”

Awkwardness fell hard between us. I toed the concrete, trying to think of the right thing to say.

“I should get going,” Adam said. “It’s about time I got to Sean’s.”

“Right,” I agreed. “Um, I’m taking him to stay with his brother’s friend for now. I left Milky Way inside…”

Daniel nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Relief swept me that he wasn’t going to insist on coming. He trusted me enough to go alone with Adam.

“Great, and I’ll be back.”

As I started toward the car, Daniel grabbed my hand and tugged me back to him. I went easily, and he kissed my temple. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“Me too. It won’t take long. I promise.”

Climbing back into the car with Adam, the atmosphere between us had changed again. There was no more pleading from him, no more vague hope in his eyes that I might change his mind. And no more attempts for us to be “friends.”

“He treats you well?” Adam asked, as we pulled down the drive, and I started toward John Sevier Highway.

“Yes.”

“He loves you?”

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