“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” I whispered.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
WE ATE DINNER as E told my mother and sister all about the tour that our bands had done together. I was surprised at how little spaghetti was left after we finished. E filled his plate up twice, and after my mother told him that I had cooked it, he took another serving and smiled with each bite.
He helped me clear the table as my mother went to lie down in her room and Jenny managed to disappear before she had to help. I washed the plates as E took them from me and dried them with a towel.
“I thought the cook wasn’t supposed to clean after the meal.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t mind. It feels good to be normal for once.”
“It does. I could get used to this. Nice little home, kick-ass spaghetti, and getting to look at you every day.” He winked and my heart fluttered.
“Where did you go?” I asked as I scrubbed the same plate over and over. It killed me when he said good-bye to me at the hospital, and what I really wanted to know was if he planned to leave again.
“I had to take care of a few things before I could move forward.” He pulled the plate from my hand as his eyes met mine. “I went to see my parents.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m getting there.” He grinned and I kissed the dimple on his cheek.
I let the soapy water drain from the sink, and E and I went out front to sit on the porch as the sun began to set. His body was pressed to my side and he took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together as his eyes danced over the healing wounds on my arm.
“I’ll never be able to apologize enough for letting you down.”
“You didn’t let me down and this isn’t your fault. It was inevitable that it would all come to a head eventually.”
We stared out at the sky as the daylight faded, shooting pink and purple splashes across the clouds.
“If you knew what Derek was doing, why didn’t you tell me?” I was scared to look at him as I spoke.
“I couldn’t be the one to hurt you, Sarah. It wasn’t fair that he put any of us in that position.”
I nodded in understanding. I wouldn’t have wanted to tell someone that I cared about that his or her relationship was a lie either, but I didn’t feel like any less of a fool. That was Derek’s fault, not E’s.
“Where is Donna?”
His hand squeezed mine as he sighed loudly. “I have no idea.”
I pulled my eyebrows together as I studied his profile.
“Donna was never anything more than a friend. It wouldn’t have ever worked out between us. She knew my heart was already taken.”
“We are a fucked-up bunch.”
He laughed deep in his chest. “Maybe that is why we are so perfect for each other.”
“Are you going to be here for a while?” I braced for the news that he would be leaving and I would have to deal with life without him again.
“For now I am going to get a room. I saw a trashy little motel not far from here. I figured tomorrow you could help me find an apartment. Nothing big, just a place to sleep.” He yawned loudly at the end of his sentence.
My heart leapt into my throat. He wanted to stay here for the long haul. “I can drive you over there. Jenny will let me use her car. I just have to get the keys.” I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him, but I knew he was jet-lagged. I stood up, reluctantly letting his hand go as I went inside to talk to my sister. She was in her room playing around on her laptop as she sprawled out on her stomach across her bed.
“Can I use your car to take E to a hotel? I won’t be gone long.”
She grinned up at me as she nodded to her purse on her dresser. “I wondered how long it would be until you guys wanted to jump each other. Take it. Just make sure you have it back here by lunch tomorrow. I need to take Mom in to her appointment.”
“I was just going to drop him off.” I rummaged through her purse for her keys.
“Poor guy. He leaves his band and drops everything and he still can’t get any action.”
“What do you know about it?”
“We talked.” She glanced up from the computer screen and winked.
I put my hands on my hips as I narrowed my eyes at her. “What did he say?”
She shrugged as she clicked the mouse a few times, but I just watched her, waiting for an answer.
“He just said that he understands all you had been through and he doesn’t care if you only want to be his friend. He isn’t going anywhere. It’s kind of romantic.” She focused on her screen again as I thought over what she said.
E had given up everything to make sure I was okay, even if it meant he got nothing in return. Derek had never put my feelings before his, and I realized how stupid I had been all along. “Don’t wait up.”
Jenny smiled again as I left her room, keys in hand. E was still sitting where I had left him, staring up at the now-black sky, dotted with stars.
“You ready?” I asked as I stood behind him, my heart racing at the thought that it was finally just us, no one else.
He turned around to look up at me. “Since the day I met you.” He pushed off the side of the porch and stood in the grass, holding out his arms to me. I stepped forward and his hands slid over my hips to my waist as he gripped my sides and lowered me to the ground in front of him. His lips fell on mine softly.
Chapter Forty-Five
ERIC
SARAH HANDED ME the keys and we got into her sister’s car and headed toward the hotel. Her guitar was lying over my bags on the backseat and she smiled when she saw it.
“I thought that was gone forever.” She reached behind her and ran her fingers over the strings.
I grabbed her hand and pulled it to my lips to kiss it. “I want to hear you sing again.”
We pulled into the hotel and Sarah surprised me when she got out of the car and grabbed her guitar from the backseat. I grabbed my bags and slung them over my shoulder.
“You coming in?” I asked as I rounded the car to her side.
“You said you wanted to hear me sing.”
I grabbed her free hand and pulled her toward the office. An older woman sat at the desk and eyed us suspiciously. “We don’t rent by the hour. This isn’t that type of establishment.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, but Sarah looked livid. “No. The room is for me. I need something for a few days.”
The woman thought it over before she typed away on her keyboard and looked back to me. “I have something available. It is fifty-three dollars and ninety-nine cents a night. How many nights would you like?”
“Let’s start with two.”
I handed the woman my bank card, and after what felt like an eternity she handed me the key to my room. We made our way to the opposite end of the building and up a flight of stairs outside.
The room was small but it had a bed and a minifridge with a microwave on top. That is all I needed. I knew I would be spending most of my spare time with Sarah anyway. I just needed a place to lay my head. I turned on the light and it flickered as Sarah stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
“It will do,” I said as I slid my bag off my shoulder.
Sarah raised an eyebrow at me as she struggled not to laugh. “We will find you an apartment tomorrow.”
I turned to her, placing a hand on either side of her face as I pulled her mouth to mine. She pressed her body against me as her hands slid up to the back of my neck and into my hair. I ran my tongue over her lower lip and she let her lips part, inviting me to kiss her the way I had dreamed about since the first day I saw her.
She moaned quietly into my mouth and I turned us so her back was against the door. I didn’t want to push her after all I knew about her past. I couldn’t stand it if I hurt her again, but she didn’t resist and her tongue slid over mine and our kisses became hungrier.