She droppedseveral feet while he sped in front, his laughter echoing into thenavy sky.
In a flash,Evie recovered, catching up with him and doing the same. She lefthim behind again as she erupted into a fit of giggles.
He caught upwith her once more and flew beside her as the buildings grew lesscompact. The dim orange glow of the streetlights gave way todarkness as they raced like rockets over the countryside andtowards the coast.
Exhilarated,Evie landed on the shoreline, her stilettos sinking in the coldsand. She emitted a whoop and punched the air. “That wasamazing!”
Caleb landedbeside her, grinning like a buffoon.
“You’ve beenholding out on me, Caleb. Could you fly that fast the wholetime?”
“Yeah, kindof,” he said sheepishly. “I was being gentlemanly, letting you winnow and then.”
She rose to thechallenge. “You let me win? How about another race and noholding back this time?” Flapping her wings, she readied hertake-off position.
“Maybe later.Look.” He pointed towards the sea, the freshness of predawn hangingin the air.
The navy skylightened to paler blue, interspersed with clouds of violet andpale pink, and the inky blackness of the sea contrasted with asliver of bright orange peeking above the horizon.
Caleb sat, thenbegan smoothing the sand beside him with his wing. “Take a seat andwatch the sunrise with me.”
How could sherefuse?
Evie joinedhim, flicking off her shoes and curling her bare toes in thesand.
“What on earthpossessed you to buy stilettos? Not that they aren’t dead sexy—” Hecleared his throat and took his shoes off. “You’ve said before howyou can’t walk in heels.”
“I didn’t. Maryat the hospital lent them to me. That’s how I hurt my ankle.” Shecircled her foot. Pain-free and the swelling had gone down too. “Itripped over, right in the middle of a crowded dancefloor of allplaces.”
Caleb chuckleda soft tinkle that made its way straight to her heart. “Sorry, Ishouldn’t laugh, but I’m imagining a clumsy emu right now—yourwords, not mine.”
She laughedtoo. “Oh, it was worse, believe me. I was mortified.”
Their laughterdied down, and a quietness descended, the contented silence sheremembered. She’d missed that too.
Maybe beingjust friends wouldn’t be so bad after all.
She looked outto the horizon, the sky brighter now, the sea a rich indigo.Something niggled at the back of her mind. “There’s still one thingI don’t understand, Caleb.”
“What?”
“I don’t getwhy Ophelia and Raphael came to my flat. Why would they go there tofind you to tell you I’d been approved?”
Caleb drew abreath. “Because they knew I would be there.”
The aircrackled with uncertainty, the comfortable ambience gone, replacedby those unspoken words again.
He picked up apebble and threw it towards the sea. “I’m sorry, Evie, but thisisn’t going to work. I thought I could do it, but I can’t.”
“What do youmean?”
“Ophelia andRaphael came to your flat because they knew I was coming to tellyou something.”
“You’re notmaking any sense. Tell me what?”
“Let me try toexplain, then…” he swallowed, “then we never have to see each otheragain.”
Whoa, wheredid that come from? Her heart hammered inside her chest.
“Do youremember when you tried to kiss me not long after we met?”
Her breathhitched, and she could only nod.
“I wanted tokiss you back, believe me, but you were my student. I would notallow myself to abuse my position or disappoint those who put theirtrust in me. I thought I could live with being your teacher andnothing more.”
Evie couldhardly believe what he was saying. “We’ve been more than studentand teacher for a long time, Caleb.”
“I know. I wishI’d never suggested the dating agency the day you told me youdidn’t want to face eternity alone.”
“I wish youhadn’t either.”
“But you seemedso keen to go on those dates.”
“Yeah, and lookhow they turned out.”
“My datesweren’t great either, but I never wanted to go on them in the firstplace.”
“Why did youthen?”
“Because I’m astubborn idiot.” He picked up another pebble, stared at it in hishand. “None of it matters now. That’s not what I wanted to try toexplain. After your date with the warlock, I took advantage of yourfragile state. One moment of weakness, and I forced myself on you,dragging you into your bedroom without stopping to think of theconsequences.”
Is that what hethought? She touched his hand, made him look her in the eyes. “No,Caleb, don’t you ever think you forced yourself on me. I knew whatI was doing, and I wanted it.” I wanted you. She couldn’tstop the smirk that tugged at her mouth. “I seem to recall therewas an equal amount of dragging.”
“I thought whathappened was because you saw a dark part of my past. I panickedbecause I thought you were only interested in the bad guys.”
“Thanks verymuch.” Her tone was laced with sarcasm as she withdrew herhand.
“I’m not thatman anymore, Evie.”
“I know, Caleb.I didn’t make love to you because I thought you were a bad guy.” Itwas his vulnerability that had weakened her defences.
Her resistancecrumbled like the sand beneath her feet. She’d made love to himbecause her heart melted, and her belly fluttered every time helooked at her.
“I’m sorry,that came out the wrong way. I wasn’t blaming you. It was all myfault because I’m an old fool who was too stubborn to admit whatwas staring me in the face the whole time.”
She softened.“You, stubborn? Never.”
He cupped herneck, his touch tender, his gaze intense. “I know it’s a lot toask, but can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Evie?”
“I alreadyhave, Caleb.” Her gaze sought his lips, and she yearned to tastethem again, lose herself in their softness, feel the tip of histongue as he flicked it inside her mouth…
“I guess whatI’m trying to say is…” he swallowed, “I owe you a roast dinner withall the trimmings—veggie roast for you, of course.”
Evie gasped.The bet they’d made that whoever found love first would cook themeal. Her heart swelled with hope and the possibility of aneternity of happiness, but she still needed to hear him say it. Sheheld his jaw, stroked her thumb over his stubble. “Try harder,” shewhispered.
“I’m in lovewith my best friend, and I want her back if she’ll have me.”
Her world spunon its axis. Slowly, her lips curled upwards.
