An oak.
The eye of the storm.
Aydin laughed to himself and rose from the chair, replacing the panel that kept the snakes confined, and ruffling my hair as he headed out of the room. “You know where to find me,” he called out, “when you’re ready for the next level, Miss Scott.”
He left and Will looked at me, shaking his head. He wouldn’t even stop me if I jumped on every dick in this house right now.
He didn’t care, because he hated me.
“Nothing was going on,” I told him.
“I don’t care,” he shot back. “And you wouldn’t care if I did.”
Without another word, he twisted around and walked away.
My lungs constricted. “Godzilla,” I called out, taking a step forward.
He stopped. Turning back around, he narrowed his hard eyes. “What?”
I took another step, tempted to fidget or look away or shrink like it was always in my nature to do when I was scared shitless, but I kept my gaze locked on him.
No matter how much it hurt.
None of what’s happening right now is a surprise. I knew it was coming. Handle it.
“You, um…” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You missed a Godzilla movie since you’ve been gone. King of the Monsters,” I told him. “It was pretty decent, except for the plot.”
He remained still, eyeing me suspiciously.
I took another step.
He could walk out any second, but I wouldn’t let him. Stay.
“Good cinematography and action sequences,” I said. “You get to see Mothra, too.”
The sprinklers overhead sprouted to life, but I didn’t look away as warm rain fell over the trees, plants, and garden, wetting my clothes.
I removed my glasses, setting them on the edge of another tree bed.
“I bought Milk Duds and Twizzlers.” I chuckled under my breath. “I don’t know why because I was on my own, and I didn’t need all that candy, but I didn’t eat the Milk Duds.” I swallowed, staring deep into his eyes. “I couldn’t help but think… ‘Will would love this.’”
My eyes stung, but I blinked away the tears, knowing exactly why I bought the Milk Duds. They were Will’s.
Water cascaded down his bare chest, and I breathed steadily, unwavering no matter how hard my heart pounded.
“I kept wondering what you’d say about the movie,” I told him. “And what you’d like about it.”
His eyes stayed on mine as I inched forward, water dripping down his mouth and glistening on his skin.
Please stay.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down the closer I got, and he dropped his eyes, breathing harder.
“Mothra?” he murmured.
“And King Ghidorah, too.” I nodded. “All the titans. The visual effects were amazing.”
Stepping up to him, I stopped as my shirt grazed his chest. Heat pooled in my belly, feeling him so close.