“Hopefully we can soon. I just wish I could make it all go away.”
I take his bottom lip with my thumb. “One day at a time, Little Dove.”
“I like when you call me that.”
I crack a smile and rub my nose to his. “It's very you.”
“So is this.” He presses his lips to mine, tugging at my hair. I thrust my tongue into his mouth, tasting the Mountain Dew on his lips. By the time we pull away, we are both breathless and have acquired a small audience. A man walking his two small dogs stares at us from afar.
“Come inside with me,” I say, pulling him toward the house.
He shakes his head, pressing his feet hard into the ground. “Come with me somewhere instead?”
I arch a brow, glancing around, watching for any more strange cars driving by. “Where?”
“It's a surprise.” His eyes darken and my skin grows feverish when he slides his fingers up my sleeve.
“Okay.” I follow him to his car and as soon as we both get in, Ignacio reaches for my hand again. Our fingers intertwine and my thumb slides up to where his pulse is. Such a wonderful feeling it is and I can almost hear his heartbeat in my ears. He smiles my way before starting the car and his eyes are shining, something I haven't seen in a long time.
“You're not going to even give me a hint?”
He shakes his head, squeezing my hand. “Nope, and if you keep talking, I might even make you close your eyes.”
I throw my head back against the seat, laughing. “It's dark outside anyway, so I might as well.”
He pinches my wrist and I laugh again, ready to go anywhere he takes me. I'm done fighting this connection between us. It feels better when I don't.
Resting my head against the window, I glance at the falling snow. It's coming down again. It didn't stay long the last time it came and melted in a day. This time when Ignacio invites me to dance in the snow, I won't say no. Not only will I spin him around, I'll also hold him close and kiss him while the white flurries cover our clothes.
Ignacio turns on the radio and Christmas music plays through the speakers. He sings “Silent Night,” his voice soft and delicate. I close my eyes, surrounding myself in its beauty. I could use a little after experiencing so much ugliness in the last few weeks.
The car slows down and Ignacio pulls onto a dark, narrow road, surrounded by trees. It has a familiarity about it I can't place. I glance in his direction, and he has his eyes on the road, turning on the windshield wipers.
“Where are we, Iggy?”
He licks his lips, his hand releasing mine to hold the other side of the steering wheel. “I think I need both hands with all the snow coming down. It's getting harder to see.”
“Iggy—”
He ignores me again, continuing to talk about the weather and avoiding my question. “You always used to say my driving scared you on normal weather days. I'm surprised you're not gripping onto the door the way you used to.”
I huff out a breath, resting a hand on his leg. “Little Dove, why are we driving in the middle of nowhere?”
He turns into a long driveway and a shudder runs up my spine when I recognize the house wrapped in yellow tape. “I thought we could take it back.”
“Why are we here? I think it's time to go back to my place.”
He shakes his head. “Not until we make every place they took from me ours.”
“Ig—”
“It's what I need.” He turns off the car and faces me, his sad eyes pulling at my heart.
I swallow hard, focusing my eyes back on the white two-story house. The same one we were starved and tortured in less than two weeks ago.
“This is insane. I'm driving us far away from here right now. Switch places with me.”
“No. Not until I replace all the memories.”