Page 102 of Only You
Haze wore a knowing smile. ‘Not such a cliché after all, huh?’
It took a moment, but Demir forced a smirk to his face. ‘Of course it is,’ he replied.
Haze laughed easily, waving down one of the servers milling around the room. Only when he turned away did Demir take out another cigarette, lighting it with shaky hands. It took another two acts before they stilled, but the sting stayed with him even when he laid his head on his pillow in the early hours of the morning.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Detroit
October 1946
Whenever people asked Selene if she liked the beach, she was quick to scrunch her nose up. Everyone was always surprised at her reaction, and she understood why. The ocean was this great, magnificent thing but all Selene could feel was how small it made her.
It was easy for her to dominate a room and command attention. She had perfected the skill after years of wishing her father would acknowledge her as more than just a burden. Refusing to be ignored was second nature to her, her greatest weapon. It also caused some of her greatest regrets.
Subtly, she touched her lips, watching the sunlight dance on Lake Michigan on a small beach just outside Chicago. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and she forced herself not to tense.
‘It’s not the ocean,’ Jack said in her ear. ‘But I figured it would be a great substitute.’
‘Definitely.’ She gripped his arm tightly, smiling up at him. ‘You did good.’ Looking over her shoulder, she kissed his chin. ‘Though I’m surprised we’re here at all. Everything’s been kind of crazy lately.’
‘Exactly,’ Jack muttered into her neck. ‘I needed to see you. I mean, how the hell do we sleep next to each other every night and I still miss you?’
A lick of guilt curled in her stomach as she leaned against him, but she ignored it.
‘Because you won’t listen to me about the next fighter.’ Jack groaned, his arms loosening from around her waist, but she grabbed his hands, making him stay. ‘I’m telling you it’s not a good match.’
‘It’s a great match. The guy’s a machine. Stop worrying about it.’
Selene turned around to face him. ‘He’s good in all the places Demir is not. Or so I’ve heard.’
Jack sighed. ‘I know you wanted to go to the fight, but you always complain about never having time to study—’
‘Don’t use my school as an excuse. You know you’ve been holding out on me.’
‘You don’t even like watching them,’ Jack protested.
‘I liked being with you,’ she snapped.
She watched as his jaw moved in a way it did when he didn’t know what to say and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to reign her anger in. The metallic taste was already on her tongue, she was sure Jack would taste it the next time they kissed.
She gripped the patio railing, staring him down. ‘I miss when we were a team.’
‘It’s just life right now,’ he murmured. ‘We only have to do this for a little while longer, you know?’
‘I know.’ Despite the steely tone, she did understand where he was coming from. Truly, it was her own frustration at the lack of a replacement name to give Nora. It would be too late by the time they got back.
Jack pushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. ‘Just be patient.’
‘Nope,’ she said defiantly before pouting. ‘I hate waiting. Patience is the worst virtue.’
‘I like waiting for you,’ Jack said. ‘When you come around, it means you want to be there. And when you show up, the way you support me, I feel unstoppable. You got a mouth on you.’ He gave her a pointed look that made her crack a smile. ‘But I love it and you. I almost couldn’t ask for more.’
Selene quirked her eyebrow. ‘Almost?’
‘I could ask you for one more thing…’ Jack stepped back a little, getting on one knee.
Selene straightened up, her heart starting to race. The wood dug into her palms, but it felt like the only thing keeping her upright. Jack smiled as he reached into his pocket, but Selene waved her hand frantically, making him stop. He tilted his head in confusion.
