Page 58 of Seeking Stars
He scoffed. "Do you really know?"
Her eyes shot to him again, her back straightening into a rigid line. "I know I was objectifying you."
Blood turned to fire in his veins. In that instant, it didn't matter that he had worked really hard at trying to be okay with her decision and had retreated. He was not going to ask her to change her mind, but he was ready to share a little bit of his.
"Is that what you were doing? 'Cause to me it looked like more than that."
She crossed her arms and glared at him. He wanted her like this, feisty, speaking her mind and matching his mood. If they were going to be in limbo, the least she could do was be there, suspended with him on the tightrope.
"Fine, yeah. I like how you look, Liam. I like who you are. None of that has anything to do with what could happen if we gave in to infatuation."
"I don't think I've pressured you, Ana. I haven't asked anything of you, except not to look at me with a damn glint in your eyes. It hurts to know you like what you see, may even like me more than that, but not enough to do something about it."
"C'mon. Does it hurt that much? This isn't about you or me. This is about my career. And you flirt with me then are totally casual about it all. That doesn't scream pain."
"Yeah, I've flirted in the past but— When I flirt, I know you won't do anything about it. If you can't kiss me, you won't risk doing anything about anything you might feel. If you do the same, if you show me you want me— it wouldn't work the same way, because you don't want me to respond."
"And you would respond?"
"I would."
The moment held. Seconds ticked by, their breathing fast. They leaned towards each other and his heart never slowed down, but the pattern of its beat switched, anger giving way to a heady mix of desire and angst. How dare she call it infatuation; she had to know this was more than that. Different. She'd leave in five days, and he had to use every bit of strength not to grab her head and kiss her, not to pull her to him to taste her lips, not to hug her and beg her to quiet her mind and check again if she'd be willing to give them a chance.
She shook her head, saying no to something— Liam wasn't sure what, exactly. It didn't matter. They were at a standstill, anyway.
"Thanks for lunch," she said. She got up and picked up their plates and bottles. "I'll clean up."
He watched her walk back into the cabin, escaping him and their feelings alike.
***
Night had fallen. Ana did her best to work, sitting at the kitchen table with the laptop powered on in front of her. She slowly prepared a video for her social media channels, trying hard to concentrate but mostly failing.
It took her an hour to give up the pretense. She flipped the screen closed and, with her elbows on the table, held her head in her hands. She needed to talk to Liam. She didn't like the tension that hung between them after their conversation over lunch. They'd avoided each other but, several hours later, distance had done nothing to soothe the strain.
With a big sigh of resignation, she got up, got two glasses, and poured a serving of whisky in each. Carrying her peacemaking gift, she made her way to Liam. She could be the one to build a bridge, this time.
He sat outside on one of the lounge chairs, arms crossed, eyes lost in the forest. He heard her approach and turned his head to her but, where he would have smiled at the sight of her before, he now remained serious.
She filled her lungs with pine and salt, begging her heart to calm down.
She offered him one of the glasses. "Truce?"
He pressed his lips together and stared at the liquor, as if he were amused but didn't want to be. He lost that battle, and let out a half laugh, half scoff.
He reached for the glass. "Truce."
Her breathing easier, she let herself drop to the ground, where she sat cross-legged.
"I don't like this tension between us," she said.
"I don't, either." He sipped from his glass.
Ana copied him. "Is there any way we can go back to how things were?"
He didn't look at her, but lifted his eyes to the half moon above them.
"Of course. We only have a few days left and I'd rather enjoy them with you, than be stuck in this feeling."
