Page 26 of Chasing After You
It’s ironic how much harder we make things in trying to make them easier. Simply lifting my ass from the sofa and bending forward would have put that remote right in my reach.
No matter now.
And so, I plop back into the cushions, letting my shoulders sink in for more sloth-ing.
“Let’s see what’s on TV these days,” I mumble to myself, turning it on and exploring my options. Every streaming service in the world appears to be linked to this thing, and it takes me a good hour to click on them all and scroll through their libraries before I remember I hate watching TV and turn the whole thing off again.
I miss my bass.
I don’t know why I didn’t bring it. Except maybe I thought I needed to follow Knox’s lead, leave one love behind and chase after the other.
And that might have worked out alright if I had just told Nessa how I felt the moment I saw her. Maybe then we’d be together right now. And I sure as shit wouldn’t be wishing I was holding my bass if I was holding her.
“Fuck this.” I lunge forward, thrusting up on my feet with so much force, the momentum nearly throws me forward when all I mean to do is stand upright.
Maybe my body is tired, even if my mind is nowhere near ready to rest.
No, my head needs space. Fresh air for clarity.
I start for the door. I left my hoody draped over one of the barstools along the breakfast bar earlier and I grab it on the way out. The second I step outside I rethink my instincts to reach for a cover-up. I’m in fucking Hawaii. Even this time of night, it’s probably seventy-five degrees out. Which means the gym shorts and T-shirt I put on after my shower and paired with flip-flops to wear around the cabin, are the perfect attire for a bit of wandering about.
Though, I’ll pass on venturing down one of the ranch’s many trails this time of night in nothing more than flip-flops on my feet.
Instead, I go about exploring the area to the left of the main lodge. I never made it any farther than their lobby given the trail brought me back around to my side of the property and the gift shop was also to the right of me.
It’s quiet out. Peaceful. And even passing the barn this time of night and hearing the quiet snorting and shuffling of hooves coming from inside, doesn’t seem remotely off-putting.
Part of me is even tempted to see if I can get inside.
It’s a small part of me. Easily squashed into silence. So, I keep walking. Past the pool, which definitely isnottwenty-four hours. If it weren’t for the moon being reflected in the water, I might never have known it was even there.
Finally, I reach the main lodge, which seems somehow smaller now against the night sky. I suppose everything is smaller when compared to that, and I pause for a moment in front of the building, taking in the contrast between manmade structure and the great mystery beyond.
Gradually, I begin walking again, suddenly eager to move away from buildings altogether, just to bring more of that sky into view.
When I turn the corner of the lodge and finally discover what’s beyond it, it’s not at all what I was expecting. But everything I could have wished for.
“Nessa?”
She turns her head from her perch on the fence.
Pastures, that’s what lies beyond the main lodge.
And her.
“I’m starting to think you might be following me,” she teases softly.
“I’m starting to think you might have some sort of a summoning spell on me,” I counter, chuckling as I make my way over to the fence. I don’t climb it when I reach it. Just stay safely on this side of it, arms crossed and resting on the top board.
“Be some pretty powerful magic if that’s what dragged your ass all the way to Hawaii, huh?” she laughs. “But since spells aren’t my forte, I guess we’ll have to stick to weird coincidences.”
“You don’t believe in those,” I remind her.
She turns her gaze back out toward the horses. “I’m not sure the things I believe in apply themselves here.”
Fate. That’s what she believes in. And I’m tempted to remind her. Except it wasn’t fate that brought me to Hawaii. It was my choice. So, while fate is to blame for many a beautiful moment between us, like this one right now, I can’t claim it was entirely responsible for bringing us together here in Hawaii.
“Fine, weird coincidence it is.” I nudge her gently with my elbow. “So tell me, what brings you out here this time of night?”
