Page 79 of From Air

Her fingers clenching my shirt when we kiss.

I’ll missher.

“Where are your keys? I’ll check over your Jeep now,” I say, stepping out of my truck. I fully anticipate her “you don’t have to” response.

Instead, she totes her skateboard to the shed and returns with her Jeep keys just as I open the garage door.

“Thank you,” she murmurs without making eye contact.

“You’re welcome.” I take her keys and wait for her to look at me, but she doesn’t.

She strides back to the shed, the wind catching her hair and exposing her tattoo. It fucking slays me.

I give up on her looking back at me, but at the last second, she does. I should look away, but I can’t. I should say something, but I won’t. The thread of stubbornness woven into my DNA is too strong. She turns first, disappearing into the shed. Does that make her the weak one? Or does it make me the weak one for being unable to look away or say anything?

Does it matter?

Chapter Twenty-Four

JAYMES

“I’m not going to cry,” Maren says in a high-pitched voice like she’s afraid to breathe.

“You are.” Will snickers while loading my suitcase, skateboard, and box from my mom.

“Fine. I am.” Maren hugs me.

I can’t stopmytears but quickly wipe my cheeks when she releases me.

“You’re welcome back here anytime, even if it’s just on the sofa for a few nights.” Will wraps me in his arms.

I nod several times, emotion clogging my throat.

“It sucks Fitz couldn’t be here.” Maren sticks out her pouty lip. “But he said he told you goodbye already.”

He did not.

I return a reassuring smile. “I’m overjoyed that I managed to catch both of you at home on my last day here.” I fan myself, feeling warm from the summer heat and my restrained emotions.

“What’s that?” Maren’s head cocks to the side, stepping closer to me while I absentmindedly pull my hair off my sweaty neck.

I quickly drop my hands to my sides and narrow my eyes. “What’s what?”

Maren slides my hair away from my neck, sending my heart into a frenzy. “When did you get this tattoo? Have you had this ever since you’ve been here?”

I rub the back of my neck. “Yes.” I force a laugh that I’m not sure sounds believable.

“How have I never noticed it?”

I shrug. “In all fairness, I rarely wear my hair up. I’m not sure why I even got a tattoo there. Oh, that’s right ...” I face-palm. “A drunken afternoon with my friend.”

“What did you get?” Will tries to see my neck.

I reluctantly lift my hair again for two seconds.

“Who ishe?” Maren’s eyebrows form two perfect peaks. She and Will share the same look of excitement, like I’m on the verge of sharing some juicy details.

“Just a guy.”

---