Page 23 of Awakening
There was a pause, the kind filled with years of knowing each other’s moods.
“You good, Mav?”
“I’m cool, been thinkin’ about you, about us, about life.”
“That sounds dangerously close to a deep talk,” he said teasingly, causing me to laugh lightly.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I ran a hand over my face. “Yeah. I just miss you.”
“Then come see me.”
“What?”
“Yeah, Santorini is the perfect place to discuss our love, where the water’s warm, wine’s cold, and the renovations on the house are finally finished. You’ll love it. I’ll cook. You can unwind, and I might even let you win at cards,” we both laughed.
I smiled, because damn, the idea of being wrapped in his world again was tempting. “You serious?”
“Always about you,” Knox said, voice softer now. “You free in the next week or so?”
I swallowed hard, “Yeah, I can make that happen.”
“Good. Book it and I’ll cover the flight if I have to, just get here,” love and desire pouring from his tone.
That should’ve made me feel better, but it only made the words press harder against my chest.
“Knox, there’s something I need to tell you before I come.”
He didn’t say anything, but I could feel him listening.
“I met someone.”
Silence. Just the faint sound of the Aegean breeze on hisend.
“I wasn’t lookin’ for anything. It just happened. Her name’s Ajaih.”
Another beat of silence.
“Her?” His voice was somewhere between confused and cautious.
“Yeah,” I said quietly, “She’s unexpected but the best surprise. She’s smart, grounded, and fine as hell, but it’s not just sex. It’s real, new, but real, and I didn’t want to come see you without telling you that.”
The line was quiet for a long time. Long enough that I wondered if we’d hit the part where he shut down, but instead he laughed, “Damn, Mav. A woman? Since when?”
I exhaled, half-laughing, half-relieved, “Since Ajaih.”
“Shit,” he said, “You really got layers, don’t you?”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen like this at all. Hell, when have I ever shown interest in a woman outside of our little trysts?” I asked, “But I still love and am in love with you, Knox. You’ve got roots in me. You are part of me. But I had to be honest.”
He hummed low, thoughtful, “You tell her about me?”
“Yeah. She knows everything. I didn’t hide us.”
“Good.” There was a pause. “Then bring her.”
“What?”
