I really wish this was a direct flight.
But it’s fine. I’ll be safely on the ground in Pensacola in no time—as safe as I can be in a town where my ex-boyfriend still lives. My heart rate kicks up—and not in a good way. I hate that I still have a physical reaction to Nelson, but I can’t help it. He ruined me, and I let him do it. That makes me feel weak and pathetic. I gulp down a wave of insecurity and anxiety, which I try to mask as a yawn.
Collin squeezes my fingers. “You tired?”
“Kinda,” I shrug. “It’s going to be a long weekend.”
“My shoulder is here if you need a pillow,” he says quietly.
I hesitate for a second, but then I remember that I’ve got a local journalist sitting two seats to my left, so I lay my head onto his shoulder. His shirt smells like cedar and spice. I take an involuntary breath.
“Are you smelling me?” he asks, his breath tickling my ear.
“Absolutely not.”
“You totally did.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you like how I smell.”
“I…I do not.”
“Admit it. I smell good.”
I keep my head fixed on his shoulder, but I can hear the smirk in his voice. It makes my pulse skitter.
“It’s an objective truth,” he continues when I say nothing. “And I should hope you would appreciate my personal hygiene habits, muffin.”
I scoff. “Never mind.” I try to get comfortable on his shoulder, though now I’m all self-conscious. I certainly don’t want Collin to think I’m enjoying this any more than I am. Because I’m not really enjoying this at all.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
“I’ll give you my sweatshirt,” he whispers after a beat.
“What?”
“You know. So you can smell me anytime you want.”
“You’re absurd.”
He chuckles, and then I feel it. It’s subtle, but it’s there. He dropped a kiss onto the top of my head. I freeze and blink several times. I can feel Ashlyn’s gaze on us from across the aisle, so I snuggle myself a little closer to Collin.
Not because he smells good.
Not because I feel safe like this.
Not because a part of me wishes I could be the perfect, unblemished kind of girl Collin and every other guy aspires to date, impossible as it is.
No. I’m only playing my part.
16
A Nuzzler
Noli
Before I know it, he’s shaking my arm.
