Instead he released her and backed away.
She wished she could explain her feelings to him. It had been easier to confess her love for him in a language he couldn’t understand, or at a moment when she thought they were both going to die. Now they were safe, and she was terrified to surrender her heart. Because she’d been down this road before. She’d waited a year for Khalil to return from the war zone. He’d called every week to say he loved her.
She couldn’t endure another relationship like that. The distance, the worrying. The fear that she’d never see him again, followed by the cold reality.
It was better to make a clean break.
They got dressed in yesterday’s clothes. She’d bought a hairbrush and some toiletries at a convenience store. Getting a bus ticket was as easy as walking to the transit station and calling her parents. They were happy to hear from her. Even Ashur got on the phone.
“How are you?” she asked him.
“I’m fine.”
“Do you like Armenia?”
“It’s okay,” he said grudgingly. “Is Hudson with you?”
“He is.”
“He’s coming to Yerevan?”
“I’m not sure.”
Ashur fell silent. She couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
“I’ll be there soon. Be good to your grandparents, okay?”
“Okay,” he said, and hung up.
She returned the pay phone to its cradle. William arched a brow at her teary eyes. Though he couldn’t understand her words, he could read the emotions on her face.
He picked up the phone to make his own calls. She retreated a few steps to give him privacy. He spoke to someone in a gruff tone, laughing a few times. This was his commander. She stared at his strong profile, her heart breaking.
He hung up and took a deep breath.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“Good. I had to answer a bunch of security questions to convince him it was really me. He couldn’t believe I was still alive after that explosion in Telskuf. He told me what happened to my teammates.”
“Are they okay?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “I was the only casualty.”
She smiled back at him.
“He’s sending someone to meet me in Yerevan tomorrow. I’ll take the bus with you.”
Some of her tension eased away. They didn’t have to say goodbye yet.
“I’m going to call my mom now.”
“Should I...” She gestured to a bench nearby.
“You can stay.”
She stood close to him, nervous on his behalf. His mother thought he was dead. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for him to make this call. She hadn’t even been able to tell her parents that Khalil was dead.
Hud dialed the number and waited. “It’s going to voice mail,” he said to Layah. Then he spoke into the receiver. “Hi, Mom. It’s William. I’m...alive. I’ve been in an Iraqi prison, but I got out, and I’m coming home.” He had to pause to clear his throat. “I know this is a shock. You can contact Commander Doheny’s office if you have questions. I’ll call back later.” His gaze met Layah’s, and her eyes filled with tears.
I love you, she mouthed, as a reminder for him to say those words.
“I love you,” he said, and hung up.
They stared at each other for a long moment, sharing the experience. She didn’t know if he realized she was speaking the truth. She’d denied it before, but she couldn’t deny it now. She was desperately in love with him. The pain she’d hoped to avoid was unavoidable. Hearts didn’t make clean breaks.
He got a money transfer from his commander. They ate breakfast at the station. When the bus came, they boarded it together. She rested her head on his shoulder as they passed through a series of small towns. They hadn’t slept much in the inn last night. They slept on the bus instead. They reached Yerevan at sunset.
“Stay with me tonight,” he said, kissing her hand.
She agreed without hesitation. Yerevan was a modern city, full of small luxuries. He had a pocketful of cash to spend on incidentals. They went shopping first. While he browsed for men’s clothes, she found a simple dress and some pretty lingerie.
After he paid for their items, they had a casual dinner at the food court in the mall. Most of the women weren’t wearing hijabs. She marveled at the sight of so many hairstyles. It was a completely different world here.
“What are the women like in America?” she asked.
“Depends on where you go.”
“In California they are all blondes in bikinis, no?”
He smiled, drinking his tea. “There are brunettes in bikinis, too.”
“I changed my mind about you making love to another woman.”
“Oh?”
“Now that I know how you do it, I don’t want to share.”
He laughed at her possessiveness. “This problem is easily solved by you coming to California. You’ll look great in a bikini, and I’ll never be with anyone else.”
She regretted steering the conversation into dangerous territory. They were having a nice time together. It was like a casual date. She didn’t want to spend their last night arguing. She had better things to do with him. “I can’t imagine wearing a bikini. I feel self-conscious about my uncovered hair.”
“I love your hair like that.”
She touched her flyaway locks. “You do?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“You aren’t shy about your body with me.”
“That’s different. It’s private.”
“You’ve never worn a swimsuit?”
“I have, but it was a long time ago.”
“Sounds like you’re overdue for a vacation. I’m overdue for a vacation.”
“Where would you go?”
“I wanted to go to Turkey.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. The climbing there is supposed to be world-class, and I like traveling to far-off places. Right now, I’d rather hang out at home, though. I live near a beach called Sunset Cliffs. It’s gorgeous.”
She knew what he was doing. He was trying to convince her to come with him, but there was no way she’d get a visa unless he lied about her involvement in his kidnapping. She wouldn’t ask him to do that. Even if she did, what kind of woman went halfway across the world for a man she’d known only a few weeks? Falling
