Love Song(70)

“Is it just me, or did all the mosquitoes disappear?” I mutter.

Wyatt exhales a wisp of smoke. “Maybe Darlie sucked them all into the lake with her.”

A smile tugs at my lips, which only pisses me off. He’s not allowed to make me smile, not after what he pulled up there.

Rather than sit down, I loom over him, arms crossed.

“So,” I say.

He takes one last drag, then leans over to extinguish the butt. When he meets my eyes, I expect to see the same anger from before. The same indignation.

But all I see is remorse.

“I fucked up,” he says.

I nod tightly. “Correct.”

“I turned into a possessive, crazy caveman.”

“Also correct.”

“I made judgments, and I infantilized you.”

“Very good.”

Wyatt chokes out a laugh. “Oh, fuck off with that strict schoolmarm tone.”

My stern face collapses. I can’t keep it up anymore. Sighing, I sit at the edge of his chair. When he moves over to make more room for me, I can’t help but remember how we stayed up talking until the sun came up. I wonder if he’s thinking about it too.

“We watched the sunrise together, Blake.”

Guess he is.

“I know,” I say.

“That’s not normal.”

“I mean, there’s nothing more normal than the sun coming up.”

He runs a hand through his hair. He’s jittery. “I need another cigarette.”

Before he can reach for the pack, I capture his hand and hold it in place, and I feel a rush of warmth when he stops fidgeting. He falls silent for several seconds. I see his Adam’s apple dip as he swallows.

“I wasn’t trying to protect you,” he says. “You were right—I was jealous. I wanted him to stop touching you.”

The warm sensation in my chest expands. “I know.”

“I hate that he had his hands on you. I hate that your hands were down his pants.”

“It didn’t get that far. Someone interrupted,” I remind him with a pointed look.

His lips curve slightly. “Yeah, and I don’t regret it.”

“Wait, so we’re not apologizing?” I say in amusement.

“We’re apologizing for interrupting you, acting like a jackass, and telling you that you don’t know what you want.” His smile becomes smug. “But we are not apologizing for being happy that his dick never made any contact with you.”

A laugh pops out. “Fine. That seems fair.”

He focuses on the moon again, and I follow his gaze. It’s so clear and bright, you could probably guide a boat across the water without requiring a headlight. Even still, the notion is daunting.

“I’d be too scared to take a boat out right now,” I confess.

He blinks at the change of subject. “What do you mean?”

“Darlie. She’d be sneaking out around this time to meet Raymond at the sex tree. But I think I’d be too scared. What if something happened? Like the boat hits a log and I fall overboard? What if I drown without anyone knowing I was ever on the lake?”

“That’s grim.”

“I know.” I pause. “It must have been really good sex.”

Wyatt snorts. “I mean, there’s literally an iconic landmark in Lake Tahoe to honor their fucking.”

That makes me laugh, but the sound dies in my throat when I notice his serious eyes. I suddenly feel self-conscious.

“Your ex is an idiot, Blake. And he’s a manipulative bastard.”

“What?” I say in surprise.

“He cheated because he wanted to cheat. Because he wanted to get laid. Because he wanted the excitement and the thrill, and now he’s twisting it around to make it look like you’re the reason he did it. But you’re not. It’s always been him. You don’t need some bar hookup to feel desirable.”

“Again, telling me what I need,” I murmur.

“I’m not doing it in a judgmental or possessive way. I promise. I’m just saying if Isaac doesn’t see it, then he’s a moron.”

My pulse quickens. “See what?”

“You,” Wyatt says simply, and that sends my heartbeat into overdrive.

I know I should still be mad at him for the overbearing way he behaved. But something about the raw note in his voice makes it impossible to stay angry.

His eyes burn with intensity as he fastens them on me. “You want to be seen. That’s what you said, isn’t it?”

I nod, because I can’t make my vocal cords work. There’s a lump growing in my throat, pressing against them.

“I see you,” he says quietly.

“You do?”

“Yeah.” His teeth dig into his lower lip. “This is messy, Blake.”

“Yes,” I agree.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not going to hurt me.”

“I think you might be wrong about that.” He lets out a ragged breath. “If we do this…”

That elicits a laugh, even as my pulse speeds up again. “If we do what? What exactly are we negotiating here?”

His lips twitch in a faint smile. “Us kissing again without me running off afterward.”