And for me and Dakota, we’d won a chance to chart our own course, free from my dad’s control.
35
Keys
Dakota
In the chaos of the day, I’d almost completely forgotten that Ottavia was supposed to head back to Stanford today. Okay, I hadn’t forgotten, but the fact that she’d soon be gone didn’t feelreal—until we got back to my place and she gathered up the rest of her things, that is.
A hole ached in my mournful heart. I missed her already, even as we snuggled on the couch in my living room, soaking up the last of our time together.
“Ahhhh, man,” I murmured, squeezing her tightly against me. “I can’t believe you gotta leavenow. Rightwhen things finally got good and we don’t have to run around or hide anymore.”
“I know … it sucks, huh?” She pulled herself closer against my chest. “But if I can’t get a new flight, maybe I won’t leave, after all.”
“Don’t get my hopes up,” I teased.
While she hadn’t missed her evening flight yet, she couldn’t possibly make it to the airport in time to board, thanks to everything that went down earlier in the day. Now, her cell phone laid on the coffee table, an annoying jingle playing overand over on the speaker. She’d been on hold for the past thirty minutes, trying to get a new flight into either San Francisco or San Jose.
The music looped again, starting over for what felt like the thousandth time.
“This jingle is starting to make me lose my mind,” she said with a laugh.
“Starting? Lucky. I lost my sanity five minutes in,” I joked. “But … can’t you just buy a new ticket?”
“What, and waste the money I spent on the old one?” She guffawed. “I worked hard for that money all summer!”
“See what I mean? You billionaires really are cheap,” I teased. “Lemme buy you a new ticket, Ottavia.”
“No!” she squealed. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle.”
“Uh-huh.” I laughed and pulled her closer. “Well, whatever. Personally, I hope youneverget through to an agent.”
She playfully tutted. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Hell yeah, I would.”
“I’dlike that, too,” she admitted wistfully. “But I have to head back to school.”
“I know, babe. I know.”
We held each other tight. While I had in my arms, I looked around the condo and let out a sigh. She hadn’t even left, and yet my place already felt emptier.
“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked.
“I’m just thinking how much I’m gonna miss seeing your things around.”
“Aw, like what things?” she asked, snuggling against me.
“I dunno. The little notes you write me. The grocery list you leave on the fridge. Or your scrunchies. And those little metal hair pins I find everywhere. Just all the little things that make this place feel like home because they tell me you’re here.”
“Awwww! Dakota, you’re such a sweetie.”
“You know whatelseI’ll miss?” I asked with a devilish grin. “Seeing your dirty panties in the laundry hamper.”
“Wow. Ofcourseyou’d take it somewhere perverted. Creep.” She giggled. “Pleasetell me you don’t do anything with my dirty panties, by the way.”
“Nahhh, I’m not a perv like that.” I set my hand between her legs and slowly inched up her thigh. “It’s enough just to see them … a little reminder of how bad I want you that makes me get hard …”
