Page 78 of One Night in Hawaii

“What’s up?”

“What do you want this to be?” I asked her.

“This?” she questioned.

“Us. Do you want to be with me?”

“Yes…”

“Yes, but?” I prompted. “You’re holding back. What do you want?”

“I want you,” she said.

“Again, I hear a but in there.”

She sat down on the couch. “But you’re going back to New York,” she said softly. “Your life is there.”

“I’m not ever going back to Ashley,” I said firmly.

“I believe you, but when you’re there, I’m here. Then what?”

I sat down beside her, taking her hand. “I don’t want to think about the future right now. Let’s just enjoy this moment and see where it takes us.”

She looked at me skeptically, but her expression softened. “Okay,” she said.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. I leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t want to get too attached,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to get hurt. The two weeks you were gone were brutal. I missed you like crazy. I didn’t know where we stood. I expected you to send me a text telling me you were going to marry Ashley.”

“I’m here,” I said. “This is where I want to be.”

“I get it, but you guys have so many responsibilities. I understand that and I’m not going to try and get in your way. Honestly, all I want is for you to be happy. You and I are so different. I’m just not sure we could ever really make this work.”

“No way.” I shook my head and sat down beside her. “Don’t get in your head. I’m serious about making this work with us. I wasn’t lying when I said you are unlike anyone I’ve ever met. You’ve opened my eyes to a whole new world. I’ve realized I have only been half-living. I was perfectly content to live in my boring little world, but not anymore. Dammit, Shiloh, don’t walk away from me now.”

Shiloh looked at me with a mixture of uncertainty and desire in her eyes. I could tell she was struggling with her feelings for me. I wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go, but I knew that I had to be patient with her.

“You make it sound so easy,” she said softly. “But there’s so much that could go wrong. I don’t want to be the reason your life falls apart.”

“You won’t be,” I said confidently. “I know what I want, and I want you. I don’t care about the risks or the consequences. I just want to be with you.”

“Are you suggesting we try a long-distance thing?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Maybe for a while until I can get things settled. We could talk every night. We’ll text and video chat.”

“I just feel like I’m holding you back,” she said.

“Not even a little,” I said, smiling. “If anything, you’re propelling me forward. Imagine being in a dark storm. You can’t see the sunlight. Everything is gray and gloomy. That’s how I’ve spent my entire life. I came to Hawaii and it was the same thing until that day on the yacht. You are the sunshine that cleared the cloud cover.”

She put a hand to her chest. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I leaned in close to her and took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine. “It’s the truth, Shiloh. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work. I want to be with you, to explore this new world together.”

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