Play Along

“I don’t have your love yet, Stace, we both know that.”

His eyes meet mine. “It would be much easier to walk away from you if you didn’t.”

He’s going.

My eyes tear up. “Please don’t walk away from me.” The lump in my throat gets really big and I find it hard to speak. “I’m much better when I’m with you. I can try harder.”

“I just don’t need this,” he whispers.

I sit with resignation, understanding exactly where he is coming from, and after a long pause of silence I speak quietly. “When we get out of here, you can go.” The tears burst from my eyes and I wipe them away shamefully. “You are better off without me.”

He continues drinking his beer, void of emotion.

“But at this moment we need to go,” I whisper. “Stace, they are going to find us. We are in danger. You can leave me later.”

He downs the rest of his beer.

“I have our passports and the gun in my bag,” I whisper.

“Give me the gun.”

I pass it to him under the table.

“You walk in front of me. We are more noticeable if we are together.” He thinks for a moment and hands me back the gun. “You keep it.”

I frown.

“I can handle myself without a gun,” he explains.

I nod and put it back into my bag.

“Just remember that we are on land now. If you shoot someone, you are going to jail.” He widens his eyes. “So don’t shoot anyone.”

“Okay,” I murmur, distracted as I stand. “So straight back to the hotel?” I ask.

“Yes, and then we will go.”

I nod. “Please be careful.” I look up into his eyes and I just have to say it. “I love you,” I whisper as I grab his hand.

He squeezes my hand in his as his eyes search mine. “Then start acting like it.”

I smile softly, and in that split second, I know it’s going to be okay between us. Relief mixed with adrenaline starts to pump through my bloodstream. We need to get out of here. Damn this drama. Why can’t we just be in our love bubble somewhere on a secluded luxury island? I stand and make my way out onto the street. I drop my head, and without looking up, I walk fast. I continue without hesitation until I get to the hotel where I turn and wait in the shadows of the trees next to the entrance door. For fifteen minutes, I wait.

Where is he? I glance at the time on my phone. He has been way too long. Something is wrong.

Shit.

What do I do? Do I wait here? He gave me the gun for protection, but who’s protecting him? I slide my hand into my bag to check that it is still there and I feel the cold, hard metal. I blow out a grateful breath. I bite my thumbnail as I stare out into the darkness.

It must be after 2am.

Where are you? Come on, come on.

He’s not coming. I walk to the edge of the curb and stare down in the direction I came from. I can’t see anything odd going on.

Fucking hell. I have to go back to see where he is. I glance back up at our hotel room window. Did he go in another door and I didn’t see him?

There is no other door, stupid.