Page 47 of Before You
“What?” I ask, trying to keep my eyes on his face.
“Well, I guess it’s not hurting too bad if you forgot you twisted your ankle,” he says, chuckling quietly.
I am an idiot.“Oh, right. Yes, my ankle, it um . . . hurts really bad.” I stumble over my words, and his head tips back as a real laugh echoes through the car. I relax enough to smile because I’ll take this sound any day over the sound of him crying. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forget it.
“Marley.”
“Why do you keep saying my name?”
JJ smiles, starting the car. “We should get some ice on it. I’ll take you back to your place.”
“Are you sure we should abandon our friends? What if someone calls the cops?” I ask, feeling guilty this is the first time I’ve even thought of them since we walked away.
“The friend Charlie saw at the bar? This is her apartment’s pool. Nobody was breaking in, but that’s what their bright idea was, and they’re all going to hang here after so I said I’d bring the car back later.”
“Are you telling me I jumped the fence for nothing?”
He winces as he pulls the car out, and I kind of wish I’d known this beforehand. “I did try to warn you before how breaking and entering into a pool to swim in our underwear wasn’t the best idea, but you said you wanted an adventure.”
I did say that. I love my parents, and I know they can’t help who they are, but I always knew someone was watching me, waiting for me to mess up. I don’t feel like that when I’m here, and it might be my favorite part about transferring. I’m finally getting the opportunity to figure out who I am.
“So we’re going back to my place?” I ask, reaching for my necklace to play with it. It’s the next best alternative to chewing my nails, giving me something to do with my nervous energy.
“I didn’t think you wanted to go back to my house, considering your ex-boyfriend is one of my roommates.”
Right. “Guess I didn’t really think about that,” I mumble, and he glances over at me, his expression softening.
“How are you doing?”
Perfectly fine because you’re the one consuming my thoughts. I convinced myself it was easier to be mad at you for not telling me the truth than to admit to myself how much I want you. I’m mad at myself for not waiting for you.
Honestly, I’m surprised he’s waited this long to ask. “Better,” I say, because I’m afraid to admit the truth.
JJ nods silently in response, his hands tightening around the steering wheel.
Awesome, now I’ve made it more awkward than it already was.
I drag my hands over my face, sighing.
So much for a fresh start.
~
We stopped by the villa Tessa rented for the weekend so I wouldn’t ruin the artwork we’d come here for, slipping away to go on an adventure afterward.
I should be more careful, but for some damn reason, I can’t bring myself to leave his side. It’s so out of character for me, but it’s nice to exist without someone knowing all the dollar signs attached to my name.
I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed, and now I’m wishing Tessa and I weren’t flying back tomorrow. I think I could stay in this meadow underneath the warm sun for the rest of my life and be perfectly fine. The array of freshly bloomed flowers in deep hues of purple and splashes of blue are surrounding us in the plush green grass.
“I wish I could live here,” I admit, breaking the peaceful silence.
JJ props himself up onto his elbow to look at me. “You could.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, amused by how quickly he came up with that.
“Yes.”
“How?”
