Page 16 of Never Again
“Most of the time, I have fruit or cereal—something simple. But, there’s a place not too far from here where we can eat. Want to try it?”
She nodded. “I’m starving. We should clean up and get dressed then, huh?”
“Yeah, but before we do, we need to talk.”
Carlos raked his fingers through his messy hair. Carmen used to always be the one who wanted to have the serious conversations, while he used to always run from them because he wanted to pretend there was nothing wrong. He didn’t do that anymore.
“You leave in four days,” he announced, as if she didn’t know that already.
Immediately glum, Carmen nodded. “I wish we had more time.”
He swallowed back the sense of loss that hit him hard. “I want us to make the most of the time you have while you’re here. Instead of staying with Natalie, stay the rest of the trip with me.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“It’s only four more days.”
“Oh, so you can tolerate me for four days, but beyond that—”
“No.” He cut her off on purpose, because he didn’t want her to make a joke about them. This was real and hard. “If I could have you stay forever, I would, but I know that’s not realistic. We can’t just pick up where we left off, because you have to go back home, and you have responsibilities.”
“Yeah.” She sounded less than enthusiastic, dropping her gaze to the white sheet. Almost as soon as she did, her gaze quickly lifted to his, eyes sparkling with excitement. “I could come back more often. I could make up a reason—to check on the gyms, to visit Nat—I’ll think of something.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can. Think about it. I have two perfectly valid reasons for coming back to Atlanta. I can’t come back right away, but maybe in another month or so. In the meantime, we could keep in touch.”
Carlos pondered her words for a moment, turning them around in his head. Toronto and Atlanta were very far away from each other, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make a long-distance relationship work.
“And I could see you whenever I visit my family,” he said.
“Yes!” She couldn’t hide her excitement and looked like she was about to bounce off the bed.
Carlos lifted a hand. “Wait a minute. What about your father, Carmen?”
“What about him?”
“Do you plan to tell him about us?” Worry tightened his shoulders.
The light in her eyes dimmed. “I…I might have to keep our relationship from my father for a bit. You understand, don’t you? Just for a little bit, to avoid the drama, you know?”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
He didn’t want the drama either, because there was no way her father would welcome Carlos back into her life. He didn’t want to look into Alfred Reeves’s eyes and see the same condescension and derision he’d witnessed during the period they dated. Carlos had never been good enough for the millionaire’s daughter, and he was pretty sure nothing had changed.
“So you understand? Really?” Carmen asked softly.
“Yes.”
He took her mug and set both cups on the table beside the bed. When he pulled her to him, she came willingly, snuggling in his arms and resting her head on his shoulder.
He kissed her temple. “It’s best, for now.”
“I agree. But we will tell him, eventually.”
“Eventually,” Carlos agreed dully and without feeling.
His hand trailed up and down her spine in a slow loop. This time, he would be ready for Alfred Reeves’s contempt. He was no longer a twenty-two-year-old aspiring artist. Though he didn’t have the Reeves’ wealth, he made an honest, comfortable living. And more than anything, Carmen loved him. She still loved him, after all this time.
