Page 4 of Ambrosia Kisses
I spot my bra and panties on the floor and snag them before she can respond.
Lucy: You're a terrible liar, Paisley Molina. But I'm going to let you get away with it because our flight is about to take off. We will be discussing this later!
I chuckle to myself. Of course she isn't letting me off that easily. But I'm not sure what to say. Ridley and I had an amazing night. I'm head over heels for him.
But…he's supposed to leave for Italy today, and I have to head back to Stanford. How is this going to work? I have a million questions and no answers. All I know is that I want it to work. Desperately.
The thought of him leaving already hurts.
God, this wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to fall in love. But Ridley? Well, I don't think it's possible to fit a man like him onto an agenda. He's not an item on a checklist or something that comes with a timeline.
I don't regret meeting him. Besides, Stanford is only three hours from here. Once he's back from Italy, we can find a way to make it work until I graduate…right?
Anxiety trembles through me.
Me: Have fun!
Lucy sends me a thumbs-up in response.
I exit out of our messages, pulling up Ridley's number to find out where he is, but the line rings once before going straight to voicemail.
"Dammit," I mutter, hanging up without leaving a message. We both agreed last night that we don't want this to end…but we really need to talk about what that means. How does he see this working while he's in Italy? While I'm finishing law school?
I drop my phone on the bed and prowl into his closet to find something I can actually wear until I get to my cabin.
The mostly empty closet shelves send a lump into my throat. I swallow hard, refusing to think about what they signify. If I do, I might crack.
What's still in the closet is neatly arranged by color. Even his t-shirts are hanging up. I snag one from the hanger beforegrabbing a pair of sweats from the opposite side. Like the shirts, they're arranged by color. So are the few fancy ass suits he's leaving behind.
I pause long enough to randomly switch the order of items here and there, leaving a little touch of chaos behind, just because I can. Just because he needs a little chaos in his life. He works too hard.
Once I'm satisfied with my handiwork, I stroll back into the bedroom and dress quickly before picking up his tuxedo from the floor. I'm surprised he didn't already take care of it. He must have been in a hurry when he left this morning.
I pause in the kitchen to write him a note in case he gets back before I do, only to pause with the pen poised over the paper. What the heck am I supposed to say?
I'm crazy about youisn't exactly something best left in a note, is it?
Probably not.
Thanks for last night. I'll never forget it. You were perfect. -P
It doesn't say nearly enough. I don't want us to be just a fling. I don't want this to be over. I want him, whatever that looks like for us. But none of that should be left in a note. It should be delivered in person.
I just need to find him first.
An hour later, Iduck into the winery, dressed in my own clothes, anxious as hell. I've already checked half the property, and no one has seen him.
He wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye…right?
My anxiety grows.
Something doesn't feel right.
Someone around here always knows where to find him, but this morning, they don't have a clue. The guys in the field haven't seen him. Their receptionist seemed surprised by the question when I asked her if she'd seen him. All she would tell me was that he was unavailable.
That wasn't reassuring.
Haven, his cousin, flicks a glance up at me from behind the front counter, her face breaking out into a bright, sunny smile. "Hey, Paisley."
