Fight Like You've Never Lost (Summer Lake #14) - S.J. McCoy Page 0,48
going for drinks to celebrate?”
“We are,” said Leanne. “You can bring her if you like.”
Dan dropped his gaze and mumbled, “Thanks,” before going to Olivia.
Once he was out of earshot, Ryan hugged Leanne closer to him. “I thought you didn’t like her.”
She let out a harsh little laugh. “I can’t stand the girl. And I don’t trust her. But if Dan likes her, then I’d rather support him … and keep an eye on her.”
“You’re soft with the people you care about.”
She looked up at him. “I guess, but then so are you.”
He frowned. He didn’t think of himself as soft in any way.
She laughed. “You are, admit it.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not.”
“You are!”
He turned her to face him and pulled her against him, so that she could feel the one part of him that didn’t like to be soft whenever he was around her. “Do I feel soft to you?”
She laughed. “Nope. I suppose you want me to help you out with that? We both know I can make you soft again.”
He laughed with her. “Hmm. You have a point there. What did you have in mind?”
She brought her hand up to stroke her chin as if she needed to think about it, but then slid her thumb into her mouth and sucked on it before slowly pulling her bottom lip down as she pulled it out. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
He took hold of her hand and started marching her back toward the parking lot. “Deal, and I’ll even admit that I’m soft when you’ve finished.”
~ ~ ~
The last few days before Ryan had to leave flew by all too quickly. When Leanne woke up on Sunday morning, she snuggled against him, wishing he didn’t have to go.
His arm closed around her and held her closer. She wanted to speak, but she didn’t know what to say. She wanted to tell him that she’d understand if he changed his mind. But she’d told him that so many times already that he’d asked if she was trying to push him away. Another part of her wanted to tell him that she was going to miss him so much. But she couldn’t do that either. She didn’t want to put him under that kind of pressure.
He brushed her hair away from the back of her neck and nibbled, sending shivers chasing each other down her spine.
She rolled over to face him, and her breath caught in her chest when she saw the look on his face. His eyes were filled with pain. “What’s wrong?”
He gave her a sad smile. “You really don’t know?”
Her heart slammed to a halt. Was he going to tell her that he’d changed his mind? Did he think she was expecting it? She wasn’t! But she could take it. She shook her head slowly, hoping that she’d be able to hold in the tears. It wouldn’t be fair of her to cry.
He brushed his fingers over her cheek. His eyes were a deeper blue than she’d seen them before. “I thought you knew.”
She shook her head again. Not trusting herself to speak. Not needing to ask what she was supposed to know. He was about to tell her, and she was bracing herself for goodbye.
He dropped a sweet little kiss on her lips and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. “I have to leave. We know that. We’ve known it all along. What I didn’t know was how hard it would be.”
She hadn’t known either. And she hadn’t known how hard goodbye was going to be, but she could already feel her heart starting to crack.
He dropped another kiss on her lips, but she just needed him to come out and say it. She didn’t want his pity or his comfort.
“I didn’t know how hard it would be because I didn’t know. I had no clue that, by the time I had to leave, I’d be so crazy in love with you.”
She nodded. There, he’d said it … Wait! What? … That wasn’t goodbye! Her head jerked up and she met his gaze. “Err … Say that again?”
He chuckled. “I’m in love with you, Lee.”
“Oh!” She sputtered. “That’s so not what I thought you were going to say.”
His smile faded. “I know and I’m sorry, but I can’t help it and I’m not going to hide it. I told you I’m attached to you and before I leave, I need you to know how much.”