“Over in long term, level one.”
“Okay, I’ll just drop my bag at the car and walk you up.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
We walk out through the front doors, and he walks to the left with our two suitcases and stops at a black limo. The driver gets out. “Hey, Tris,” he says.
I stop on the spot, shocked. He has a limo . . . what the heck?
“This is Claire,” he says to introduce me. “This is Calvin.”
“Hello.” He smiles.
I give a weak wave.
Calvin grabs his suitcase, and Tristan takes my hand. We walk toward level one.
“I can wheel my suitcase.”
“Let me act like a gentleman, please,” he says as he walks.
“You have a limo?” I frown.
He shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “Miles Media has limos. It’s not personally mine.”
I’m suddenly reminded of who he is. A Miles.
We walk for a while, and I feel anxious. I don’t want to let him go, but I know I have to. I went to France to fill my well—I got the ocean instead.
Tristan Miles is beautiful, smart, and witty, and he makes me laugh, which is not an easy feat, and that’s just on top of the amazing sex. But more than that, he makes me feel like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. Never once, not even for a second, did I feel insecure about my body. He constantly had his arm around me or was holding my hand, kissing me. Listening to everything I said and giving me great conversation. I think we talked the entire weekend; never once did it feel forced or uncomfortable.
He’s going.
I exhale as reality begins to seep through my bones. The man I was away with doesn’t really exist. He is a very small piece of who Tristan Miles is. Sadly, my first instincts are in fact his reality, and even though we’ve had an amazing time together . . .
It ends here.
I can’t even fathom being with someone like him long term.
We take the elevator to level one, and he’s quiet too.
“This is me.” I smile as we get to my car.
I pop the trunk, and he puts my suitcase in and turns to me.
Now it’s awkward . . . now it feels forced.
“Thank you so much for a great weekend.” I smile.
He takes me into his arms. “Are you sure you can’t stay at my house tonight? It is late.”
I give him a sad smile. “I have to get home to the boys.”
He nods and inhales sharply.