ELLA
The hum of the engine and the brisk wind are more relaxing than I could have imagined. I’ve been down on this road so many times, but I’ve never just driven. With the window rolled down, the wind rushes between my fingers and the hint of a smile graces my lips. We round another corner of the long, winding road of the mountain. Nothing but gorgeous foliage and mountainscapes to see.
“You were right. It is a nice drive.”
“I like the sound of you telling me I’m right,” Z comments, twisting his strong hands on the leather steering wheel.
He glances at me with a wicked look in his eyes and a cocky grin.
We’re both dressed casually. In jeans and T-shirts, like a normal couple on a normal day. Even still, he’s devilishly handsome with that perfect smile and rough stubble.
For a moment I’m lost in him and then I glance back, a streak of black catching my eye and I see the car behind us. The Firm is still monitoring every move we make.
I don’t feel the sinking dread that I used to knowing that I wasn’t allowed to be alone. There’s a bit of peace to it now, but sometimes I do just want to be alone with Zander.
It’s been two solid weeks of us acting like a normal couple. Maybe acting isn’t the right word, but I know we’re pretending that the therapy sessions, meetings and constant PR calls are normal. There was an emergency hearing from the judge as well, given that our relationship is now public. That gave Kam and Cade a few gray hairs each.
More articles have come out and Kam suggested a PR move. This drive is potentially one of them. He said paparazzi got a heads-up that we’ll be out on a twilight drive along the mountainside. Kam said the magazines catching images of me and Zander doing “normal things” would be good for public peace of mind and ease any worries or concerns that I’m unwell or that our relationship is problematic.
One article suggested Z was taking advantage of me. They sensationalized the forbidden aspect of our relationship, intentionally leaving out that his position in The Firm was withdrawn and that he isn’t in charge of my care … at least not legally. That particular article prompted this drive. I didn’t expect to love it so much. The peace and quiet. The normalcy of it all.
“What was your life like before me?”
Z glances at me for a moment, then looks back to the road. The trees whip by as we round the corner, making our way up the side of the mountain. “Hectic, always changing.” He clears his throat and readjusts his hands on the wheel. “We had jobs back-to-back. I was constantly on one side of the country and then the other. Nothing was ever settled.”
I cock a brow and joke, “So you feel like you’re settling?”
His first glance carries concern until he sees my smile. “I feel myself wanting to maybe settle down … for the first time,” he clarifies and glances my way. Gauging my expression.
“Shocked to hear that?” he questions with a smirk. My brow is raised, I know that much but I didn’t think I was giving so much away.
“Just … hearing you talk about settling down is new. That’s something we haven’t really talked about.”
“Do you want to?” he asks.
I want him to tell me how it will happen and then make it my reality. I want it to just be. I want us to just be. That’s not what I say, though.
“I’m not sure how that can happen with a tail,” I comment and gesture behind us.
He groans, relaxing into his seat. “I could gun it,” he jokes and at that very moment, I perk up instantly.
“What?” Z notices and I ease the worry in his tone.
“That spot. Go up and to the right,” I direct him, patting his arm and doing what I can to contain my excitement.
I recognize everything about this place. The row of trees, the way they disappear and the sharp drop-off that is just on the other side through the rocky climb.
Nostalgia wraps around me and, in a rarity these days, it makes me smile to remember these times.
“Back in my late teens we’d come up here. Park the car,” I tell him and the moment his hand is on the gearshift I unbuckle my seat belt and climb out. The brisk air of the mountains is colder than I expected. We’re at a higher elevation than back at the house.
“Where are you going?” Z calls out, his door closing with a thud and then he jogs around the front of his car, chasing after me.
I head toward a small bit of brush by the edge of the cliff and it’s almost exactly how I remember. My gait is measured but I can’t contain this excitement. As Z stops by my side, I’m vaguely aware that Silas parks behind our car.
“What are you up to?” Z questions with a knitted brow but a barely contained smile that must match mine. As I pull my jacket tighter, Z rests an arm around my shoulders and I lean into him.
“Can’t you hear it?” I ask him as the rushing water gets louder and louder. Even the fresh smell is memorable. Everything about this place is just the same as I remember.
“A waterfall?” he says, keeping pace with me as I lead him toward the summit of the cliff.
“They would never catch us here.” I slip out of his grip to get closer to the edge, the footpath becoming more rock than brush.
“Who are they?” he questions as the trees become sparse and more of the waterfall can be seen. At the top, looking over, it’s breathtaking. I remember the feeling of being here, but my memory could never do justice to the actual sight, which is stunning.