His head tilts. “Guessing it’s something special?”
“It’s ancient Greek,” I murmur softly. “It means paradise, little bird, or heaven.”
Dylan smiles. “That fits. Our friendship feels like a piece of paradise. And you… you’re like a bird with wings you’re scared to use, waiting to break free and fly.”
His words hit deeper than expected.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever feel free,” I admit. “What about your name? Know what it means?”
He shrugs. “No clue.”
I type quickly into Google and read aloud. “It means son of the sea or born from the ocean. That’s totally you. You could live out on the water—fishing, diving, sailing…”
He grins. “And now you can add skinny-dipping in Thailand… with you.”
Before the moment drags, a woman with big lips and bouncing cleavage appears. He rises as she approaches.
“Dylan! You look amazing! I missed you.” She kisses both cheeks with exaggerated familiarity. I always hated that impersonal greeting. Don’t touch me unless it’s with a genuine hug.
“I still owe you lunch—and that dance. My number hasn’t changed.” She tosses me a quick smile before sauntering off.
What. The. Actual. Hell. My jaw clenches, chest tightening.
“She seems… nice,” I say stiffly, standing up. “I should call an Uber now.”
Dylan turns to me, his eyes narrowing as he catches my tone. “Why are you rushing out? Jealous?”
I pace the sidewalk, refreshing the app for the fifth time. “Jealous? Please. Go enjoy her coconuts—or dance—or whatever. She’s, what, twenty? Freshly legal?”
Dylan spins me around, gripping my arms. “I told you.” His voice is deep, rough. “I want you and your fuckin’ oranges. There’s no one else.” He lifts my chin up, waiting for my eyes to meet his. “You can have me anytime you’re ready to stop fighting this thing between us.”
His lips part, and for a heartbeat, I’m ready to fall into him.
But I stop myself.
“Exactly!” I snap, yanking away. “You want a challenge. Something to toy with until it gets messy or you get bored.” My words tumble out quickly. “And I can’t be your plaything. I have a family. This isn’t just about me.”
The Uber pulls up, and my hands shake as I climb in.
Just as I start to close the door, his hand catches it, and my heart stops.
“I know you do,” he says, gripping the car. “But you’re wrong about me.”
He looks at me for what feels like eternity, like he wants to say more. Then quietly shuts the door.
As we drive off and he fades away into the night, I should feel relief. But all I feel is a deep, aching loss.
What am I doing? And why the hell can’t I seem to stay away from Dylan Wyatt Hayes?
Chapter 18: Just Friends
Dylan: December
The ranch looks peaceful in the fading sunlight, the kind of beauty you can get lost in... like Jenna. But it doesn’t matter how I feel about this place. It’s tainted by my father.
Gabriella’s voice breaks the silence. “Staring at it isn’t going to fix anything or make your decision any easier, you know,” she says, sitting on the porch step.
“I’m not trying to fix anything,” I mutter, resting against the fence. But I know my face says something else.
