sent a text to Kenzi. We’re finally getting off this freakin’ island!
That’s awesome! Kenzi sent back. I’ve been so worried. Did you and Joey get along okay on your own?
Looonnnnngggg story.
Spill!
It can wait until you’re back from your honeymoon.
Ok. You’re still coming over New Year’s Eve, right?
Yup. See you then.
Maybe by New Year’s Eve she could talk about the past few days. Right now she’d either break into tears or throw a raging fit.
When she became too restless to sit in the flat any longer, she bundled into her coat and scarf.
“Where ya headed?”
“I don’t know. I thought I’d go see the wharf. Or Quay, whatever they call it.”
He chuckled. “Because you haven’t seen enough water this week.”
She laughed, too. “Right.”
“Mind some company?”
Now was as good a time as any to find out if they could go back to just being friends. “Sure.”
Walking slowly, even though the temperature was horribly cold, the weak sunshine was heavenly compared to the rain. Everything smelled clean. Of course, on an island the size of Ireland it probably always smelled clean.
A breeze blew in from the ocean, filled with the aroma of fresh fish. Maybe everywhere had its crosses to bear.
They turned down a path than ran along the shore. “Have you ever been fishing?” Joey asked.
“No, have you?”
He shook his head. “I can’t see sitting there doing nothing for hours at a time.”
She snickered before she could catch herself. “How much of the time on your phone is work, and how much is play?”
“If I had Ash’s job at the game company, my work would be play.”
“Instead, you have to force yourself out of bed each day to pick up your guitar.”
“Bass.”
“Whatever.”
Their friendship had an awkward edge now, much as she expected. Still, the barrier between them was more of a window than a wall. Maybe they could survive this. See each other again without dread.
One day, though, he’d find a woman to love, and bring her to their get-togethers. The idea stabbed her in the heart. Could she see him with another woman and be unaffected?
She’d seen past boyfriends with other girls after their relationships had ended and wasn’t uncomfortable. Joey wasn’t even a boyfriend.
No, whatever they had was different.
Potential.
They had the potential to be something great. That’s what hurt. She wanted to take Joey by the shoulders and say, Wake up! Look at what we have here .
Tears pooled in her eyes and she lifted her face, blinking hard.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said too quickly. “Must be the cold breeze.”
He continued to watch her. Then he picked up a rock and threw it into the ocean. “It’s too late.”
“For what?”
“To say I’m sorry.”
“We went over that already. I don’t want to erase what we did.” His reaction to it was what she wanted to take a sledgehammer to.
“No. I destroyed what we had. I love sparring with you. I like knowing there’s someone around who’ll catch anything I miss. We were good together just as we were.”
“We’re adults. We’ll get back to where we were.”
He caught her gaze again, his eyes filled with some emotion she couldn’t pin down. “I hope so. I really hope so.”
Chapter Seven
The plane ride home wasn’t too awful, all things considered. Any turbulence came mostly from the weather outside. There was only an occasional icy breeze blowing between their seats, and she knew the air vents above them weren’t turned on.
Jasmine read for a while, then kicked back and feigned sleep. Joey sat close enough she felt his body heat on her arm. His scent engulfed her, taking her back to the bed, when he’d been lying on top of her, replete.
Her eyes snapped open when her visions took her further into their lovemaking.
That’s what it had been. Lovemaking. Not sex. Not fucking. He’d worshiped her body like she was a goddess and she’d felt like one.
No man could do that
That’s awesome! Kenzi sent back. I’ve been so worried. Did you and Joey get along okay on your own?
Looonnnnngggg story.
Spill!
It can wait until you’re back from your honeymoon.
Ok. You’re still coming over New Year’s Eve, right?
Yup. See you then.
Maybe by New Year’s Eve she could talk about the past few days. Right now she’d either break into tears or throw a raging fit.
When she became too restless to sit in the flat any longer, she bundled into her coat and scarf.
“Where ya headed?”
“I don’t know. I thought I’d go see the wharf. Or Quay, whatever they call it.”
He chuckled. “Because you haven’t seen enough water this week.”
She laughed, too. “Right.”
“Mind some company?”
Now was as good a time as any to find out if they could go back to just being friends. “Sure.”
Walking slowly, even though the temperature was horribly cold, the weak sunshine was heavenly compared to the rain. Everything smelled clean. Of course, on an island the size of Ireland it probably always smelled clean.
A breeze blew in from the ocean, filled with the aroma of fresh fish. Maybe everywhere had its crosses to bear.
They turned down a path than ran along the shore. “Have you ever been fishing?” Joey asked.
“No, have you?”
He shook his head. “I can’t see sitting there doing nothing for hours at a time.”
She snickered before she could catch herself. “How much of the time on your phone is work, and how much is play?”
“If I had Ash’s job at the game company, my work would be play.”
“Instead, you have to force yourself out of bed each day to pick up your guitar.”
“Bass.”
“Whatever.”
Their friendship had an awkward edge now, much as she expected. Still, the barrier between them was more of a window than a wall. Maybe they could survive this. See each other again without dread.
One day, though, he’d find a woman to love, and bring her to their get-togethers. The idea stabbed her in the heart. Could she see him with another woman and be unaffected?
She’d seen past boyfriends with other girls after their relationships had ended and wasn’t uncomfortable. Joey wasn’t even a boyfriend.
No, whatever they had was different.
Potential.
They had the potential to be something great. That’s what hurt. She wanted to take Joey by the shoulders and say, Wake up! Look at what we have here .
Tears pooled in her eyes and she lifted her face, blinking hard.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said too quickly. “Must be the cold breeze.”
He continued to watch her. Then he picked up a rock and threw it into the ocean. “It’s too late.”
“For what?”
“To say I’m sorry.”
“We went over that already. I don’t want to erase what we did.” His reaction to it was what she wanted to take a sledgehammer to.
“No. I destroyed what we had. I love sparring with you. I like knowing there’s someone around who’ll catch anything I miss. We were good together just as we were.”
“We’re adults. We’ll get back to where we were.”
He caught her gaze again, his eyes filled with some emotion she couldn’t pin down. “I hope so. I really hope so.”
Chapter Seven
The plane ride home wasn’t too awful, all things considered. Any turbulence came mostly from the weather outside. There was only an occasional icy breeze blowing between their seats, and she knew the air vents above them weren’t turned on.
Jasmine read for a while, then kicked back and feigned sleep. Joey sat close enough she felt his body heat on her arm. His scent engulfed her, taking her back to the bed, when he’d been lying on top of her, replete.
Her eyes snapped open when her visions took her further into their lovemaking.
That’s what it had been. Lovemaking. Not sex. Not fucking. He’d worshiped her body like she was a goddess and she’d felt like one.
No man could do that
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