Chapter Forty-two

Chapter Forty-two

Chloe

      “I have good and bad news.” I set my phone on the patio table and sit back down, pulling the blanket tighter around my shoulders.

      “Yeah?” Sam settles back into his chair, looking a little uneasy. He keeps flicking his gaze to Mason, who’s giving him a weird, unreadable look back. They’re having some sort of unspoken conversation, something only the two of them can understand. I used to wish I had a sibling solely based on how close all the Harris kids were. They fought like cats and dogs at times, but at the end of the day, they were a family and loved each other.

      I’ve always considered myself lucky to be part of it, even though I wanted to be part of it in a different way—the way I am now.

      “My agent was able to negotiate a much better contract with the network. She thinks I’ll like this one a lot more.”

      “And the bad news?” Mason asks.

      “The head honchos at the network want to meet with me Tuesday morning, so I’ll have to get a flight back to LA tomorrow. I asked her to try and get me a Zoom meeting instead, but they insist they can present better in person.” I roll my eyes. “And all this technology is supposed to help us avoid needing to be around people.”

      “You say that like it’s a good thing?” Mason quips.        

      “It is when you’re a famous-against-your-will introvert.” I laugh. “I just don’t want to fly again,” I admit, wrinkling my nose. “I picked up a nasty cold from my last flight and I’m kind of over airports—for at least a week or two.” I rest my hand on Sam’s thigh. “Good thing it’s your turn to come visit me next.”

      Sam smiles and I can sense Mason looking at him, trying to say something without speaking again.

      “Well,” Mason starts and gets up. “Mom mentioned needing to go grocery shopping. I’m gonna take her up on her offer to go with. I’ll leave you two crazy kids alone.”

      Sam gives him a what the fuck look. “Yeah. We, uh, can go back to your dad’s,” he tells me after a few seconds of silence. “And maybe we can go for a walk in the woods. If you can handle the cold.”

      I laugh. “I have cold-weather clothes stashed at my dad’s, so I’ll be fine once I change.” Sam gets up and holds out a hand for me to take. “We’ll be back here for dinner, right?”

      “My mom would have my head if we weren't,” Sam goes on. “Especially if you’re leaving tomorrow.”

      Getting to my feet, I move right next to Sam and rest a hand on his chest. My stomach flutters from the warmth of his body, and I know as soon as we get into the empty house I’ll be stripping Sam of his clothes.

      “I’ll see you tonight then,” I say to Mason, and we all go inside. We say a quick goodbye to Sam’s parents and then get head to my dad’s. Sam is oddly quiet on the way over. His hand is on my thigh the entire time, leading me to believe he’s just as ready as I am to get naked and fuck like animals as soon as we’re through the door.

      But he doesn’t rip my clothes off. He doesn’t even kiss me. Instead, he sets his keys down and turns, strained smile on his handsome face. “I’ll fill a couple water bottles for us to take.”

      “Good idea,” I tell him. “Give me like five minutes to find my winter clothes.”

      “Winter?” The cheeky grin is back on his face. “It’s not even fall.”

      “Technically it’s not fall on the calendar, but it feels like it.”

      He brings his hand to the back of his neck, which is something he does when he’s nervous. It’s been a nervous tick of his since he was a kid. What is he nervous about now? “Compared to LA weather, I’ll give you that.” Striding forward, he takes me in his arms and puts his lips to mine.

      “I love you,” he breathes before kissing me. The entire world spins around me as he dips me back, kissing me like a hero kisses the girl in a romance novel. Heat spreads through me and I’m certain there’s no way he’s not going to lay me down and fuck me right here in the foyer.

      But again, he doesn’t. He pulls away only to hold me close once more. “I’ll get the water.

      “Or we could go upstairs.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

      Sam swallows hard, face tensing. “It’s as warm as it’s going to be right now. We should head out.”

       We break apart and I stand there for a minute, blinking and talking down my desire. Shaking my head, I go upstairs and into the guestroom where my winter clothes are kept.

      My phone rings as I’m pulling sweaters out of the closet. It’s Farisha, and she’s either calling because she’s driving and can’t text or something horrible happened.

      “Hello?” I answer right away.

      “Hey,” she says calmly. “I’m in the car so you have to listen to my beautiful voice.”

      “I figured as much.”

      “I haven’t had an update in a while. Things are good?”

      “Very good!” I pull a black sweater from the closet. “Though Sam is…he’s acting a little weird.”

      “In what sense?”

      I close the bedroom door, leaving it open just a crack so I can hear if Sam's coming up the stairs. “He seems nervous and is rather insistent on taking a walk through the woods by my dad’s house. He even turned down sex for it.”

      “He turned down sex so you two can go for a nature hike?”

      “Yeah. And before that, we were at his parents’ with Mason and Jacob. And Mason was acting weird too.”

      “Isn’t Mason always weird?”

      I let out a snort of laughter. “He is, but it was more like they were saying something to each other without saying it, if you know what I mean.”

      “I think I do. So, Sam is acting weird, wants to take you out on a hike alone in the woods, and you think it’s a good idea to go with him?”

      “What, you think he’s taking me to the woods to kill me?”

      “I mean, maybe that was his plan all along.”

      “Out of the two of us, I’m more likely to be the murderer.”

      “I can’t argue that,” Farisha replies seriously. “Maybe he’ll—” She stops short.

      “Maybe what? He’ll dump my body in the lake? It’s not that deep. I’ll be found in the spring.”

      “Hah. Don’t get murdered, okay? I know I don’t see you in person very often, but I need my texting buddy.”

      “I will try my best not to get murdered. What were you going to say, though?” I bite my lip. “Because I’m wondering if you’re thinking what I’m thinking.” I creep toward the door and peer into the hall, making sure Sam isn’t on his way in.

      “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

      “We’ve been talking about family and the future…what if…what if he proposes?” The words excite me as soon as I say them, but I also know how ridiculous it is to say out loud.

      “That was what I was thinking,” she reluctantly admits. “What would you say if he did ask you to marry him?”

      “I’d say yes,” I tell her with no hesitation. “I’ve been in love with him since forever.”

      “You guys have officially been together for like a minute. Don’t you think you’d be moving a little fast?”

      “On paper, I guess. But I love him, Rish. I always have.”

      “Yeah.” She inhales. “You have. Maybe you guys are meant for each other after all. The universe did throw you together. Just…try to stay rational, okay?”

      “Along with not getting murdered.”

      “Yeah, that. Let me know how the walk goes, and if I don’t hear from you in a few, I’ll call you in as a missing person. The cops can get a head start looking for your body.”

      I laugh. “Remind them to check the lake.”

      “Right. I will. Bye, Chloe.”

      “Bye, Rish.” I end the call, drop the phone onto the mattress, and then spend a few hurried minutes putting together a cute outfit. I fuss with my hair a bit—it’s actually cooperating on its own today—and then refresh my makeup and use the bathroom. You know…just in case Sam really does ask me to marry him.

      Which he won’t. It’s too soon, I know, and I don’t want to get my hopes up. I take a steadying breath and then go downstairs, finding Sam looking out the large windows in the living room.

      He smiles when he sees me, yet there’s stress behind his eyes. “You look beautiful.”

      “Thank you, kind sir.” He takes me in his arms and passionately kisses me again, and then holds me close for a moment.

      “Ready to head out into the artic?”

      I laugh. “Just let me grab my parka first.”

      Sam lets out a snort of laughter and kisses me again. I put the water bottles into a backpack, get my shoes and coat on, and then go outside with Sam. It’s chilly by my standards, but it’s a nice day out today. There are lots of other hikers on the trails today.

      “Do you know what your meeting will be about tomorrow?” Sam takes my hand after we stepped to the side of the trail to let a large group pass us by.

      “I’m assuming they’re really going to try and sell me on this project.”

      “Aren’t you already sold?”

      “Honestly,” I start and look at his handsome face, feeling a pull on my heart. “There are still terms I’m not comfortable with, mostly letting them use my name when I don’t have final say. I haven’t looked over the revised contract yet, but if we can work around that, I think it would be silly to turn it down. From a business standpoint, it’s a great move.”

      “What about from a Chloe standpoint?”

      Damn, this man gets me. I shrug. “You grow when you push yourself out of your comfort zone, right?” I scoff at myself. “That sounds so self-help lame.” We slow our pace and I look out at the lake. We’re nearing the spot where I almost fell down the hill…where Sam caught me, and the second his hands were on my body, I knew without certainty that he’s the only one for me. “And I do love Europe. The show will be shot in remote locations so being able to explore magical forests will be just amazing.” I’m smiling again. “And when you’re able to visit, I’m sure I can hook you up with a private jet.” Taking my eyes off the lake, I twist to look at Sam. He’s staring at the lake, face tight.

      What is going on?

      “Want to venture closer to the water?” he asks.

      “Sure,” I say, not letting myself think too much into it. We’re moving away from the busy path. Is this so we can be alone and he can ask me a very important question?

      Stop it, Chloe.

      “I told you before, but I really am proud of you,” he says, keeping a steady hold of my hand as we go a few more paces down the trail, coming to a safer hillside to scale down. “You never gave up and never lost sight of who you are.”

      “It’s all I’ve ever been,” I reply. “Life is short and losing my mom when I was a kid proved that. I don’t want to spend time pretending to be something I’m not.”

      “I love that about you. I always have.”

      “Good,” I say with a smile. “It would be awkward if you didn’t.”

      Sam chuckles. “Right?” He gives my hand a squeeze and we move closer to the edge of the lake. Pausing, I look out at the water. We’re on the quiet side of the lake, and only two fishing boats are slowly making their way across the water.

      “It’s so pretty here,” I say quietly. “I miss it.”

      “I do too, at times.” Sam takes his hand from mine and wraps his arm around me instead. Resting my head on his shoulder, we stand there looking out at the water for another moment.

      “What are you thinking about?” I ask Sam, seeing a bit of strain on his handsome face. It’s like he’s torn—what about is beyond me.

      “I was remembering that day.”

      “You need to be a little more specific than that,” I laugh.

      “The first day of your freshman year. Specifically, us coming out here after.”

      Oh my God. My heart skips a beat. I remember that specific day well—very well. It was the day Sam tried to cheer me up after getting publicly humiliated in the lunchroom. And it was the day he said we’d marry each other if we were still single and over thirty.

      He’s going to propose. He really is!

      “What about that day?” I work hard to keep my voice down and face neutral.

      “All of it. And I can’t help but wonder what those versions of ourselves would say about our lives right now.” He runs his hand through his hair. “I wanted you then, Chloe. I should have told you. The age difference might have been an issue when I turned eighteen, but I would have waited for you.”

      My eyes start to get a little misty. “I would have waited too.”

      “I should have,” he says quietly, almost to himself. “But things are the way they are…and…and…Chloe?”

      “Yeah?” I reply a little too eagerly.

      “I want you to know that no matter what…I choose you. That you’re the only one for me.” He casts his eyes to the lake for a moment before looking back at me, taking both my hands in his. “With that…there’s something…something I need to tell you.”

      “I’m listening.” I push my shoulders back and subconsciously look at my bare left hand.

      “My ex…Stacey…she…she’s pregnant.”