Redeemed (Dirty Air 4)

“I was thinking of giving him the day to think everything over. If I go over there too soon, I’m scared he will flip out again, and I don’t think I could handle that again.”

I nod. Thank God. Matteo better pull his shit together over the next twenty-four hours. I’m not pretending I don’t know for another day. This is torture.

“I’ve been thinking.” I tuck a loose lock of her hair behind her ear.

“The world must be ending after all.”

“That’s quite rude of you.” I roll on top of her body and tickle her.

“Stop! I’m sorry!” she wails as she thrashes against the sheets.

I take advantage of her distraction and plant a kiss on her lips.

She smiles up at me. “What were you thinking about?”

“How do you feel about doing something crazy today?”

“Crazy, you say? What do you have in mind?”

“Want to go somewhere special?”

“Somewhere special is exactly what the doctor ordered.” Her grin expands.

God, she’s gorgeous. The morning sun shines through the balcony, highlighting the icy shades of blue in her eyes. I wish I had a camera to photograph the moment.

I pull away, wanting to leave before I end up back in bed with her. “Get dressed in something that can get wet.”

She sits up. “Wet? How naughty.”

I shove her shoulder lightly, and she flops back on the bed. “Perv. I mean a swimsuit. We’re going out on the boat.”

“Yes! I’ve never been on a boat before!” She bolts out of bed and runs out of the room without a backward glance.

Experiencing life through Chloe’s eyes is a new kind of thrill. The simplest things make her happy, and I find it infectious. I want to be the one to steal all her firsts and be all her lasts.

Despite her excitement, something in my chest pinches. I check the clock on the nightstand.

Twenty-two hours and thirty minutes to go. I can do this.

I anchor the boat in the middle of the lake. Blue water glitters under the noon sun, resembling a sea of diamonds. The expansive valley surrounds us, setting up a beautiful backdrop of lush green forests. Our small town lines the edge of the shore. Buildings look like multicolored ants, scattered in front of the mountains.

The boat bobs. It’s one of my smaller boats, with cushions in the front for lounging and a back meant for jumping off into the warm water.

“What do you think?” I shut off the motors.

“It’s stunning. I could totally get used to this.” She leans forward on the bow.

“Me too.” I don’t bother staring out at the vista because the only view I care about is her.

She looks over her shoulder at me and blushes. The unspoken meaning behind my words hangs between us.

I wish she would say something back about wanting to stay here. About wanting to explore our relationship more and see where things go if we give it a chance. I’d do just about anything to have her confirm what I can tell is growing between us.

She stays quiet like always. I can tell she likes my words, but a smile is the only confirmation I get.

“Are we going to get in the water or what?” She stands and brushes her hands down her ripped shorts.

I let out a deep breath, releasing the growing agitation inside of me. Give her time. She wasn’t surrounded by love growing up like you were. “I’ll race you to the water.” I plaster a smile on my face.