Awestruck, his eyeballs were flitting back and forth as he silently took me in. He placed his large, warm hand gently on my cheek. I closed my eyes for a moment to cherish the feeling. The simple touch sent what felt like shockwaves throughout my body, nerves colliding with desire, fear clashing with comfort. So familiar yet scary.
Landon said nothing as he just looked at me intensely and then began to gently trace the contours of my face. I closed my eyes again as he ran his index finger along the slope of my small, upturned nose. His finger then travelled over my lips then down my neck and stopped just before my breasts, which were busting out of the jewel-encrusted bra.
“Holy shit,” he muttered. “It’s really you.”
Say what you’re thinking.
Say what you’re thinking.
Just say it.
He never did.
Our moment was interrupted by a loud horn, which barely broke Landon’s trance-like state.
A bearded, hipster-looking guy rolled down his window and yelled, “Yo!”
“Who is that?” I asked.
Landon was still looking at me in a haze and didn’t break his stare when he said, “My friend, Ace. He came to pick me up.”
Ace put his hazards on, got out of the car, and came over to where we were standing just outside the main entrance.
He lifted his chin once. “Who’s this?”
For the first time, Landon’s mouth curved into a slight smile. “This is my girl, Ace. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Despite my frazzled state, I laughed a little. That sounded almost exactly like what I’d said to the airport attendant about Landon being the love of my life. He just doesn’t know it yet.
“You picking up random chicks at the hospital now?”
“Shut the fuck up. This is Rana, you dumbass.”
Ace laughed. “Ohhh. Shit. I’m sorry. I should’ve realized with the outfit. Didn’t put two and two together. He told me about you.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.”
“We spoke via text earlier,” I reminded him.
Landon scolded his friend. “How come you didn’t tell me she messaged me?”
“I forgot to mention it.” Ace turned to me. “You just flew here?”
“Yes.”
“Cool. You guys ready to go? I have to be somewhere.”
Landon held out his hand for me, and I took it, unable to remember the last time I’d even held a guy’s hand. His grip was firm and protective, representative of the type of man I knew he would be with me. I noticed he wore two silver rings on his fingers. It just felt incredible to finally be touching him. Like a dream, really.
After he led me into the backseat of Ace’s Jeep, we drove off. I had no idea where we were going, although I assumed he was driving us to Landon’s apartment.
Landon’s stare was focused on me the entire ride, but he said nothing. His eyes were expressive, as if he wanted to say something or ask me a million questions. We certainly had a lot to discuss, but he must have chosen not to talk about anything in front of his friend. Not to mention, our driver had the music on pretty loudly. He was blasting So What Cha Want by the Beastie Boys with the windows rolled down.
A light that was on a sensor illuminated the walkway as Ace pulled up to Landon’s house. The purplish, gray stucco structure featured a garage bay on the first level and a balcony on the second. There were three identical units in a row. The beach was across the road in the distance but close enough to be able to hear the waves crashing.
We got out, and Landon tapped the hood of Ace’s car. “Thanks for everything, man.”
“No problem. Nice meeting you, Rana.”
I nodded. “Same.”
The sound of Ace’s wheels hitting the gravel meant that we were finally alone. I looked out into the distance at the welcoming palm trees dancing in the evening breeze as if they were serenading the dazed girl from Michigan.
Landon turned to me, his beautiful, blue eyes shining even in the darkness.
As I stood facing him, I asked, “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. My head still hurts a little, but I really lucked out.” He smiled. “Even if I was in pain, I’m pretty sure I’d be numb to it right about now.” He cupped my face. “Holy fucking shit, Rana. You’re here.”
“I know this is a shock.”
“It’s a good one, though. A great one. I knew you’d cave and see me eventually, but damn, you really surprised me.”
“I was scared. I didn’t even think twice about coming here when I thought you were in danger. There wasn’t even a decision to make as far as I was concerned. Wild horses couldn’t have kept me away.”
“Not even a ravenous snake could keep you away,” he joked.
“That’s right.” I laughed nervously, my body so incredibly on alert. “What happened to you?”
“I go to the skating park to unwind, and sometimes I go a little too crazy. I slipped, hit my head, and blacked out. The next thing I remember, I was in an ambulance. I obviously didn’t even know that you texted me until you pointed out that Ace answered you. I didn’t notice it because it wasn’t bolded since he’d already responded.”
“I was so worried about you.”
His mouth curved into a smile as he rubbed his thumb along my cheek. “You don’t have to convince me of that, baby. The fact that you’re standing in front of me right now is all the proof I need of how much you care about me.”
“Do you think I’m nuts for just jumping on a plane?”
“I’ve always thought you were a little nuts, but you coming here isn’t one of the reasons why. I’m blown away—to the point where I’m clearly blanking out on anything compelling to say. Your getting on that plane means more to me than you can ever possibly imagine.” He moved in closer. “And I can’t believe some old dude got to kiss you before I did, by the way.”
I thought maybe he was going to kiss me right then and there, but he didn’t.
Feeling suddenly embarrassed, I looked down at my feet. “I know you probably have a million questions about my appearance. I—”
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” He placed his hand on my cheek.
“But I’m sure you’re probably wondering…” When I lost my words, he completed my thought.
“Wondering where your nose is?” He chuckled. “I think it’s pretty obvious what happened there.”
“Yeah. I know it’s obvious. I just meant you might be wondering why I—”
“No, actually, I’m not. I’m too damn happy to see you right now to care about anything else. And you need a hot shower and some food in you. Let’s go inside. Leave your anxiety at the door. I’ll take good care of you.” Taking my hand, he led me toward the entrance.
“Aren’t I supposed to be taking care of you?” I asked as I followed him inside.
“No. The doctors said I’m going to be fine. I just need to take Advil and to be careful not to get into any more accidents involving my skull for a while, since the concussion made it vulnerable. So, no crazy shit for a few weeks, and you’ll have to refrain from throwing anything at me while you’re here. I’ll try not to provoke you.” He winked.
“I’m so thankful you’re okay.”
“Me, too—especially now that you’re here. It would’ve sucked to have missed this.” He gestured around. “Anyway, welcome to my humble abode. It’s not fancy, but that’s what you get in exchange for living near the beach.”