Page 39 of Clear Shot
Why does my stomach flutter with excitement when he says things like that?
“I wish I’d seen the messages before I boarded,” I admit. “I was talking to my grandmother and I saw messages pop up but I figured I’d read them once we were in the air. I didn’t even think about bad weather.”
“Yeah, welcome to Florida where hurricane season starts June first and goes through November.”
“I don’t think I like it here anymore,” I mutter.
He opens the back of his SUV and lifts my suitcase into it while I get into the passenger seat. I’m touched that he wouldn’t leave without me, but it’s confusing. He’s sending me every imaginable mixed signal and I feel like we need to talk about it. Just not now. The only thing I can concentrate on right now is preparing for a hurricane. Packing. Getting a little sleep.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says as he gets behind the wheel. He reaches over and slowly pries apart my hands—I didn’t even realize I was clenching them tightly—and then laces his fingers through mine. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. That’s a promise I can make.”
And I believe him.
Chapter 14
Aiden
We both passout when we get back to my apartment, but my eyes pop open just after seven. The first thing I do is check the news and the hurricane has moved away from Puerto Rico—coming straight toward South Florida. It could still turn but my gut tells me we need to be prepared.
I slide out of bed without looking at the beautiful woman sleeping beside me. This is true torture, having her next to me, in my bed, without the ability to touch her. I think she would let me—I know she would—but we’re in a weird place and agreed to just be friends.
Staying with Mr. Knight is going to be tricky because everyone will expect us to act like a couple—amarriedcouple. Touching. Kissing. Cuddling. Sharing a bed. I mean, we’re doing that here but it’s different.
I pad into the kitchen and turn on the coffee machine and then put the news on the TV in the living room. HurricaneKatherine is all anyone is talking about and I listen warily as I take a sip of coffee.
This sucks.
Everyone knows Florida gets hurricanes. It’s one of those things that you live with but don’t spend a lot of time worrying about. I don’t own a home, so I don’t have to think about damage. My apartment is on the fourth floor and has hurricane windows and shutters, so that’s not a concern either. If I was alone, I’d probably be going to Mr. Knight’s simply because who wants to be alone with no electricity and a storm raging outside?
At his place, there will be electricity, hot water, and at the very least a way to charge phones and such. It’s ideal and I’m grateful to have that option. Especially now that I have Hana to think about. I can tell she’s nervous about the hurricane—I am too—but I have faith that Mr. Knight knows what he’s doing and we’ll be pretty safe there.
“Good morning.” Hana comes into the living room looking adorable. She has on a long pink nightshirt that hits her knees and has a big white rabbit on her chest. Her hair is in a ponytail and she’s not wearing makeup, but she takes my breath away.
Every. Damn. Time.
I deserve some kind of Monk of the Year award for managing to keep my hands to myself.
“Morning.” I motion to the kitchen. “There’s coffee and bagels.”
“Thank you—what’s going on with the hurricane?”
“It broke free from Puerto Rico and is heading toward us. They’re saying sometime tonight, probably after midnight.”
Her face pales a little, and she looks around like she wants to run. “So we have to go.”
I reach for her arm. “Honey, we have all day. And even when it gets here, the eye won’t reach us for a while after that. In the beginning it will be just rain and wind. We have plenty of time topack some stuff, shower, make sure this place is closed up tight and get going.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s pack first and I’m going to take our suitcase over in my SUV. Then I’ll come back and get you, and we’ll head over on my motorcycle. Mr. Knight texted a few minutes ago to say the garage is full but we can squeeze my bike in there.”
“Should I go pack now?”
“Have some coffee,” I say gently. “Everything is fine. Look outside—the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful day. It’ll be at least twelve or thirteen hours before anything even starts to happen.”
“I’m sorry.” She shakes her head a little. “I’m not usually such a big baby but I’ve never experienced this kind of weather phenomenon.”
“It’s okay.” I gently pull her close and wrap an arm around her. “Everything will be okay. We’ll be safe at Mr. Knight’s and who knows? It might turn and not hit us at all. Hurricanes can be tricky that way.”
