Page 59 of With You Here
She never wanted to move from that spot.
But time didn’t stand still. The hands of a clock moved on, and so should she.
With every ounce of her self-control, she pushed away from him. An inch separated them, but it wasn’t enough. If she didn’t put more space between them, she’d be sucked right back to him. She moved to take a step back, but he reached out and stilled her with a palm to her cheek. Raising her face to his, he peered into her eyes. Everything she felt was reflected in his gaze. Longing. Yearning. Thirst. Hunger. As if nothing in the world mattered so much to him as the person standing in front of him.
Her.
But then he blinked and all that was replaced with a look that squeezed her torso. Understanding. Compassion. Patience. Determination.
He blinked again and his face went blank. Neither closed nor open. Her middle unfurled, and she understood he’d wiped away all expression for her benefit. He would make this as easy for her as he could.
Her throat closed as he moved aside and ushered her into his home. A wooden cuckoo clock mounted on the wall chimed. A small bird on a perch emerged behind closed doors of the cottage, chirping out the time. Seven o’clock. The oak-leaf pendulum continued to tick-tock, and the pinecone weights lowered with a shake of the chains they were attached to.
Seth noticed her study and commented, “I got that last time I was at the Black Forest. A group of staff and kids are heading up there for a hike next week. You should go.”
He was trying to be normal, to have a regular conversation. The effort was sweet. It was also not working. The knot in her stomach refused to unravel. Maybe if she just said what she’d come to say, she’d finally be able to take a deep breath.
“Seth…”
His lips pressed together. “Yeah. I know.”
Don’t cry. It wouldn’t be fair to him. She closed her eyes for a long second, trying to get control over her emotions. When she opened her eyes, her vision swam. “I am so sorry.” Her voice choked.
“Hey, don’t say that.” He stepped toward her, and this time gently cradled her in his arms. He made soft, comforting noises at the back of his throat. The same ones he’d used with Sonia. “None of this is your fault. And I know you’re trying to say it’s the end, but luv, I don’t give up that easily.”
Amber pulled away, but Seth wouldn’t let her go far. With a thumb under her eye, he collected her tears. Drew her back to himself. “I respect you. And your decisions. But I’m also not going anywhere. I’m a patient man. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re worth waiting for, Amber Carrington.” He paused a moment and seemed to be wrestling with himself. His lashes brushed hers as he closed his eyes and whispered, “And I’m in love with you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
A strangled sound clanged like a cymbal in a quiet auditorium, reverberating and echoing all around him. Seth raised his head, his gaze still glued to Amber, though he knew he’d have to rip his attention away from her in a second to deal with the tension building behind him like a gathering thunderstorm.
Amber’s eyes widened, and he wanted to simultaneously pause time and make it fast-forward all at once. Did she feel even an ounce of the all-consuming emotions he did? Confessing the depth of his heart to her so early and after such a rocky blow had been risky. But she needed to know he wasn’t playing around. In fact, he’d never been this serious in his entire life. She was the one for him, and he was willing to wait for however long it took for her to come to the same realization.
“Her?” Kayla’s accusation hit him like a dagger in the back. “You’re choosingherover me?”
Seth closed his eyes with a groan as the window of opportunity slammed shut in Hs face. Shattering glass wouldn’t have broken the mood between him and Amber as effectively as Kayla’s accusation had.
Was he choosing Amber? That would be a definite yes! But he wasn’t choosing her over his sister. She was off her trolley if she thought it had to be one or the other.
He heard more than saw Kayla turn and stalk out of the room. A second later a door slammed.
Amber’s eyes remained locked with his, but then she blinked, distancing herself without taking a step. Her gaze roved over his face as if trying to catalog and memorize his every feature. His breath hitched, and he wanted to reach out and stop her before she retreated further. Hold her in place until she recognized they belonged together.
Why did Kayla have to choose that moment to have an outburst? Would Amber have responded differently if the spell of the moment between them hadn’t been broken?
Her tongue darted across her lips, and he steeled himself for what she would say next.
“I think she’s the one who tipped off the paparazzo.” Amber voiced the allegation softly, but that didn’t cushion the blow. He’d been headbutted in the solar plexus a time or two when fighting for possession of the ball, and that hadn’t hurt nearly as much.
“Kayla?” They had their problems, sure, but she wouldn’t do something like that to him.
This time Amber did take a visible step back. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced down at the floor before meeting his eyes. “I think…” She swallowed. “I think you should focus on your sister right now. I’ll see you at the center, but…maybe that’s the only place we should see each other.” She blinked. Swayed back and then forward.
Before he knew it, her hands were on his shoulders and she’d pushed up and placed a feather-light kiss on his cheek.
“Goodbye, Seth.”
The finality of her tone ripped out his heart, and he watched her walk away with a hollowness in his chest.
