One of his hands cups my thigh as the other continues to wander under my tank before all of a sudden, he’s pulling away and dropping me back down onto the floor gently.
He clears his throat. “Sorry, I got a little carried away. I… I should probably go.”
I blush at the thought that that could’ve gone further than either of us are ready for. We continue to stare at each other for several seconds before I nod and say, “Okay. Be ready by nine tomorrow morning, I’ll drive.”
He groans and lets his head drop back. “Not in that rust bucket you call a car.”
“Hey! I’ve had that car for almost eight years now, she runs like a champ.”
“Dear God, you’re gonna get us killed!”
“She’s never failed me before, so stop your bitching and get gone. A girl needs her beauty sleep.”
He throws his head back in laughter, holding his hands up in the air. “Okay, okay, I’m going.” He takes a few backward steps, a smile still on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I feel like a teenager and I can’t resist one last kiss, taking the steps that separate us and brushing my lips against his. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” he murmurs, watching me for several seconds before grinning, shaking his head, and spinning around, walking out of the door.
“You’re going the wrong way,” Mom states sarcastically. “You shout at me for making us late and now you’re driving the wrong way, making us even later.”
“Mom, please let me drive.” I wait a beat before mumbling, “I’m picking up Tristan.”
I see her straighten in her seat out of the corner of my eye. “You’re what? You invited him?” I nod but don’t verbalize my reply. “How romantic: a date at the hospital.”
She rolls her eyes and I narrow mine. “What’s with you? You like Tristan, don’t you?”
She sighs. “Hon, you know I do. I just… You’re spending an awful lot of time together lately and this is supposed to be your healing time. Are you ready for this?”
“He met Gerry when he turned up at the studio, and we’ve only briefly talked about us because I never wanted to ruin the mood, but I think that it’s time that we talked properly. If he’s going to be in my life again, he needs to know everything about me: warts and all.”
She nods in understanding of what I’m trying to say and faces forward, gasping as we pull up to his beautiful house. “He lives here?” Again, I nod. “That’s an awful big house for one man and two little people. Must be lonely.”
“It was Natalia’s dream house,” I say flatly, honking the horn.
“Mmhmm,” she replies, climbing out of the car and getting into the back.
“You didn’t have to do that.” She waves me off and I roll my eyes, honking the horn again.
Izzie appears in the doorway and Tris gives her a kiss. I can’t resist; I get out of the car and run up to them.
“Harmony!” Izzie shouts and it stops me in my tracks, it’s such a little thing for her to use my first name, but it means everything.
Tristan looks between us both and I finally snap out of my trance and bend down, hugging her. “Hey, beautiful. I wish I could stay longer but your dad and I have to get going or we’ll be late.”
She pulls back. “Where are you going?”
“It’s a secret,” I answer, winking at Tris as he rolls his eyes.
He crouches down, pulling Izzie into him and kissing her forehead. “Go inside and find Amelia, pumpkin.”
She pouts at him but smiles at me. “Will you be coming home?”
“Coming home?” That word causes my heart to lurch.
“Yeah, here, after you and Daddy are done with the secret. I want to show you where your birthday present is hanged up.”
“I…”