lasts a lifetime.”
“Yeah, but only because you waited until the day before you had to head back to school for the fall semester to get together with him. You did that on purpose, so you could disappear the next day. You never gave him a chance to be serious about you.”
“It’s not like I planned it – it just happened. I’d liked him for so long, and I felt like such a pariah, still being a virgin at twenty-one. I didn’t want to graduate from college and start my adult life with no experience, so even if Jackson and I couldn’t keep seeing each other, I was glad it happened.”
“If all you wanted was to have sex, you could’ve waited. You could’ve waited just one more day and had your pick of all the guys on campus.”
Belle wrinkled her nose at the thought of grabbing a random frat boy and having sex with him just for the sake of it.
“You wanted it to be Jackson.”
She nodded. “Even though we couldn’t date… I knew I could trust him, and who wouldn’t want to sleep with him?”
Though he was even hotter now, Jackson had been gorgeous at twenty-three.
“He might’ve wanted more than just a night with you then – you just couldn’t stick around to find out. But you’re back now, and you’re both more settled. You two could give things a chance.”
Mariah’s gaze drifted past Belle to the kitchen, where the flowers were on display, evidence of Jackson’s presence. “He showed up at your door with flowers after writing you a speeding ticket. That took some balls. Seems pretty obvious to me that he wants more than what you gave him years ago.”
Belle sat still and silent, lost in thought. The idea of calling Jackson, getting together with him and seeing where it might lead was supremely appealing.
At the same time, the thought made her heart slam against her ribs, sparking a twinge that reminded her of what it felt like to have it broken.
The same twinge she’d felt when she’d left the island the day after she’d left a piece of herself with Jackson.
CHAPTER 6
Belle indulged in an afternoon out with Mariah on Saturday. After brunch at a new restaurant on the island, they crossed the bridge to Charleston and did some shopping. Unlike Mariah, who’d come away from the trip with several new outfits, Belle had only bought one thing: a decorative clock to hang in her kitchen.
The trip had been more about fun than necessity anyway, so as she crossed the bridge from Charleston back to South Island, she didn’t feel as if she’d wasted the morning.
“Don’t speed,” Mariah said. “Or do, if you want an excuse to run into your favorite officer again.”
“Please, I can’t afford another speeding ticket, let alone more points on my license. My insurance rate would probably double.” It was true, but her traitorous heart flip-flopped at the thought of rolling down her window so Jackson could look her in the eye.
“Right. Have you called him yet?”
“No…”
She hadn’t done it, but she could hardly go a minute without thinking about it.
She couldn’t help the way her gaze gravitated to the side of the road, where Jackson had hidden his cruiser just past where the bridge met solid ground. If he was there, she’d be able to see his vehicle as she drove by.
Belle was wearing sunglasses, so hopefully Mariah wouldn’t be able to tell if she stared.
“Ooh,” Mariah sighed.
Belle braced herself for teasing as Mariah leaned forward in her seat.
“Oh, shit.” Mariah’s seatbelt strained across her chest, and her head blocked Belle’s view of the right side of the road.
Belle’s stomach lurched as she realized that Mariah’s tone wasn’t teasing.
“What?” she demanded.
But she didn’t need Mariah to fill her in – the cause of her distress was apparent.
There was a police cruiser parked at an angle on the shoulder, and it wasn’t alone. A pick-up truck sat just feet from it, its headlights shattered and its grille massively dented. The
“Yeah, but only because you waited until the day before you had to head back to school for the fall semester to get together with him. You did that on purpose, so you could disappear the next day. You never gave him a chance to be serious about you.”
“It’s not like I planned it – it just happened. I’d liked him for so long, and I felt like such a pariah, still being a virgin at twenty-one. I didn’t want to graduate from college and start my adult life with no experience, so even if Jackson and I couldn’t keep seeing each other, I was glad it happened.”
“If all you wanted was to have sex, you could’ve waited. You could’ve waited just one more day and had your pick of all the guys on campus.”
Belle wrinkled her nose at the thought of grabbing a random frat boy and having sex with him just for the sake of it.
“You wanted it to be Jackson.”
She nodded. “Even though we couldn’t date… I knew I could trust him, and who wouldn’t want to sleep with him?”
Though he was even hotter now, Jackson had been gorgeous at twenty-three.
“He might’ve wanted more than just a night with you then – you just couldn’t stick around to find out. But you’re back now, and you’re both more settled. You two could give things a chance.”
Mariah’s gaze drifted past Belle to the kitchen, where the flowers were on display, evidence of Jackson’s presence. “He showed up at your door with flowers after writing you a speeding ticket. That took some balls. Seems pretty obvious to me that he wants more than what you gave him years ago.”
Belle sat still and silent, lost in thought. The idea of calling Jackson, getting together with him and seeing where it might lead was supremely appealing.
At the same time, the thought made her heart slam against her ribs, sparking a twinge that reminded her of what it felt like to have it broken.
The same twinge she’d felt when she’d left the island the day after she’d left a piece of herself with Jackson.
CHAPTER 6
Belle indulged in an afternoon out with Mariah on Saturday. After brunch at a new restaurant on the island, they crossed the bridge to Charleston and did some shopping. Unlike Mariah, who’d come away from the trip with several new outfits, Belle had only bought one thing: a decorative clock to hang in her kitchen.
The trip had been more about fun than necessity anyway, so as she crossed the bridge from Charleston back to South Island, she didn’t feel as if she’d wasted the morning.
“Don’t speed,” Mariah said. “Or do, if you want an excuse to run into your favorite officer again.”
“Please, I can’t afford another speeding ticket, let alone more points on my license. My insurance rate would probably double.” It was true, but her traitorous heart flip-flopped at the thought of rolling down her window so Jackson could look her in the eye.
“Right. Have you called him yet?”
“No…”
She hadn’t done it, but she could hardly go a minute without thinking about it.
She couldn’t help the way her gaze gravitated to the side of the road, where Jackson had hidden his cruiser just past where the bridge met solid ground. If he was there, she’d be able to see his vehicle as she drove by.
Belle was wearing sunglasses, so hopefully Mariah wouldn’t be able to tell if she stared.
“Ooh,” Mariah sighed.
Belle braced herself for teasing as Mariah leaned forward in her seat.
“Oh, shit.” Mariah’s seatbelt strained across her chest, and her head blocked Belle’s view of the right side of the road.
Belle’s stomach lurched as she realized that Mariah’s tone wasn’t teasing.
“What?” she demanded.
But she didn’t need Mariah to fill her in – the cause of her distress was apparent.
There was a police cruiser parked at an angle on the shoulder, and it wasn’t alone. A pick-up truck sat just feet from it, its headlights shattered and its grille massively dented. The
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