Page 78 of Someone Exactly Like Me (Wounded Hearts 1)
“So, did you?” The pitch of her voice raises.
“No,” I punctuate.
“Okay, keep going. Then what?”
“Then nothing. I’mnotgoing to have sex with him.”
“Nothing?”
“No, nothing. We got out of the hot tub and he did one of his linger-in-front-of-my-face things. It was a long linger. I almost thought he was going to kiss me.”
“But he doesn’t kiss women on the lips.”
“Uh, thatwastrue.”
She squeals. “Tell me!”
“Can, oh my God. I don’t know if he was caught in a moment or it was because he was leaving or what. Before he left last night, he kissed me. I thought I was going to pass out. It was hungry, it was sensual, it was passionate, it was emotional, it was so damn hot. I think we kissed for like half an hour. I’m telling you, my panties were soaking wet, that’s how intense it was.”
“Yes, girl! That’s how you should be kissed every damn day.”
“I’m not sure I could handle that.” I laugh, putting my hand over my face.
“So, what happened then?”
“Well, after we stopped kissing, he was about to leave and saw my Ponza guide on the counter. I asked what he thought and if it would be good for my research. He pretty much said it was crap and told me I needed to go to Italy so I could have real-life experience for my book.”
“Do it! Go!! I’m gonna pee my pants.”
I hurl a loud laugh. “Calm down. I can’t go.”
“What? Why? Why can’t you go? You have to go. Is it money? I’ll lend you the money, you can pay me back. I promise, it’ll be a loan, not a hand-out.”
“No, it’s not the money. Well, it’s sort of the money. He offered to pay my airfare and said we can stay at his brother’s villa on Ponza Island so I wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. But —”
“But, what? Des, you have to go. You can’t not go.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to go, but a part of me thinks maybe it’s not a good idea. Plus, I’m really not comfortable with him paying for my airfare. I don’t even know what that would cost. And I’m pretty sure I used up most of my mom’s miles when I went to Hawaii.”
“Don’t let that stop you. We can figure that part out.”
“I’m kinda scared, Can.”
Her excitement turns to compassion. “What are you scared of?”
“I’m scared if I see him again and spend more time with him, what I’m feeling right now will only get stronger. And then I’m left in the same position I was about to be left in, him continuing to shoot to fame, forgetting about me, and me coming back home, brokenhearted.”
“Des, we talked about this. You can’t predict the future. You’re trying to write the end of the story when you don’t yet know what’s going to happen.”
I tug the blanket off the arm of the sofa and drape it over me. “I just don’t want to knowingly set myself up for another kick in the face when I have the ability to prevent it from happening.”
“If you keep going through life with that iron wall around your heart because you’re afraid of what might happen when you let it down, honey, we’re going to be eighty years old and you’ll have missed out on ever letting your soul mate find you. The immense amount of love you have in your heart is a beacon for that man to find you. But if you keep that wall up, you’ll block him from ever seeing that beautiful beacon of light.”
All I can do is sigh.
“Hey, I gotta go.” She pauses. “Don’t let this pass you by. Promise me.”
“I can’t promise. I’ll let you know what I decide to do.”
