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I sighed. “I just… didn’t expect this. It’s not very often I’m at a loss for words, or even a formal reply, but… I don’t know. I mean, I have a career, a home.”

“Come with me, and I’ll help you discover what career you really want to be in. You helped your ex find his passion, but you’ve never taken the time to find your own. What kind of life do you really want? Going home and getting back into a routine you hate isn't going to help you break the cycle. You need to make the jump. Take the risk... with me.”

I jumped off the couch, away from his touch and gaze, afraid they would give me undue influence.

“This is too soon! I can’t abandon everything I know to go on a reckless adventure with someone I don’t know. I mean, if this is what you wanted, why didn’t you say something sooner? Why didn’t you open up more so I could get to know you better? I don’t even know how old you are!”

He shrugged, looking down at his hands as I paced the floor in front of him.

“I thought you wanted to keep it casual. I didn’t think you wanted more after this week, especially so soon after your ended engagement. But when you said you might be interested in seeing me after we leave Colorado, that changed everything for me. You may not know a lot about me, but right now the only thing you need to know is that I don’t want to let you go- and I think you feel the same way about me, too.”

I threw my hands in the air. “That doesn’t mean anything! That isn’t enough to uproot my life. We’re adults, Derek. We have responsibilities.”

“I’m not asking you to uproot your life for me; I’m asking you to do it for
you
. Shae, you can have a life you love, the life you’ve always dreamed of. But you have to make a change. And you can try to do it alone, but I think you'd be much more successful if you had me with you. And I want to be there. I want to see you grow. I want to see you continue to blossom. I want you to have a life that makes you smile, that makes you laugh that devastatingly sexy laugh of yours. I want to see your eyes shine. Please, take tomorrow and consider it.”

I sat back on the couch after realizing how crazy I looked pacing the floor.

“So what? You’re going to be my
boyfriend
now?”

The words sounded so foreign. I never thought I’d have a boyfriend again.

I was starting over in the romance department, so why not just do a complete revamp like he said?

“No, I wouldn’t.”

My eyes widened at his response. “So, let me get this straight: you want me to give up my job, my home, and my life to move across the country so we can be
friends
?”

He sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. “Don’t think of it like that. Shae, you’re not over Reggie.”

“I-”

“Forgetting about him for a few days while we’re in this bubble was nice, and I’m sure it provided a much needed mental break for you, but you’re not over his betrayal- nor should you be. You spent six years with him, invested everything in the relationship, and lost a lot. It’s going to take you some time to heal. And I don’t want to be your rebound- I want a real shot with you. But I can’t do that if you’re still thinking about him.”

I didn't want Derek to think I was using him this week. That was never my intention.

“That’s not… I wasn’t-”

He cupped my face, and the familiar calm washed over me. “It’s alright, Shae. I’d be worried if you
were
over him. I want you to heal. I want to help you heal, and after that, I want you to be mine.”

I gulped. He actually
wanted
me. When was the last time I’d felt wanted by Reggie? Craved?
Loved?
I looked away realizing he was right.

Everything Derek did, I compared to Reggie. I wasn’t over my heartbreak no matter how well I pushed it to the back of my mind.

And everything Derek said was just more garble in my flustered thoughts: I didn’t want our time together to end, I wanted a change in my life, and I wanted to be his.

But making so many changes, so soon? It just seemed like a bad idea. Impulsive- and I wasn't an impulsive person.

I sighed. “Derek, I-I have to think about this.”

“I hope you do.”

My head throbbed as my thoughts raced. He stood, leaving me to ponder. There was no doubt in my mind I wanted him to remain in my life, but moving with him? Someone who wasn't even a boyfriend?

Sure, he said he’d wait for me, but what if I took too long? Or what if when we went back to the real world, he realized he could do better than a boring corporate accountant from Ohio?

He came back into the living room in only boxers and a six-pack in his hand.

“I end every trip with the hot tub. Want to join me?”

I nodded, meeting him in the water after I changed. He handed me a beer and I popped the top. He laughed at my expression when I took a sip.

“Don’t like beer?”

I shook my head. “Some of it’s alright, but not this,” I said, reading the label. He hopped out the tub and came back moments later with a glass of wine for me.

“Thanks,” I said as he took the beer from me and downed a long drink.

I took a sip of wine, staring at his smiling face over the glass.

“What?”

He shrugged. “Just thinking about the woman I met a week ago versus now.”

I smiled, tucking a strand behind my ear that escaped my loose bun.

“I’m sure you like the new me better.”

“I liked the old you, too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to see this person. I’m glad you let me in, Shae. Even if you were a pain in the ass about it.”

We laughed, his blue eyes sparkling even in the dim light. I swirled my wine in the glass, studying the movement.

“This week was my first
real
taste of what a good life could be for me. No stress, waking up with a smile, just living, you know? Is that sad?”

He shook his head. “Not at all; I don’t think many people ever get to have that. I’m glad you know it’s possible for you, and I hope you decide to continue.”

“My life just doesn’t work out that way. Anytime I get something good, it gets taken away from me.”

“I know the feeling,” he said, his eyes locked on mine.

“So, what’s your life like? In D.C.?”

“Nothing without you there.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on.”

He sighed, leaning into a bubbling jet. “I work a lot. But I don’t mind since that means I get to travel a lot.”

“Is your family there? You have any siblings?”

He pulled me close to him, taking a sip of his beer. “Yes, they are. I have a sister, but you two wouldn’t get along.”

“What? Why?”

“Trust me.”

“Well, not getting along with your family is a major issue for me.”

“My parents would love you. My sister? Not so much. I wouldn't be too concerned about her, though.”

“Goodness. And don't tell me you have a crazy ex out there too?”

“Well, I wouldn’t use those exact words…”

I groaned. Leaving my home to get away from my problems just to take on someone else’s? Someone who wasn’t even my boyfriend?

“Look, you and I have been tucked away on vacation this week. It’s back to reality now. And just like any other person, I have my fair share of headaches. I’m not perfect, and my life never will be. But I don’t let the bad weigh me down. You need someone like me in your life... And your ex is no picnic either, by the way.”

“True.”

I cracked a smile, surprised Reggie didn’t follow us back to the cabin just so he could get some answers to his barrage of questions.

“So, I didn’t want to ask, but I have to know… Danni kind of looks like you. In fact, she looks like you a lot.”

My chest collapsed, and I went back to staring at my wine. “She’s a cuter version of me.”

“Bullshit. So, she’s your…”

I nodded. “My little sister.”

“Fuck…” he trailed off, the fact that my fiancé left me for my sister floating in the air around us.

The thought made my heart speed up, but I had no compulsion to shed a tear about it.

“Caught them in the act, too. Reggie said it hasn’t been going on long, but I don’t know if I believe him. I think that was just to soften the blow.”

Derek sighed. “Shae-”

I cut him off. “Nope. Don’t want your pity. It’s over. It’s done.”

I finished my wine and snatched the half-empty beer from his hand, forcing the alcohol down. The bitter taste was enough to get Reggie and Danni off my mind.

“So, is your sister younger than you?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

I turned to him. “What do you mean?”

His jaw tightened, and he got a familiar expression on his face, the hardened look he got whenever I asked him a personal question. After a brief pause, he spoke.

“I don’t know my birthday. I don’t know how old I am. If I knew, I would’ve told you.”

“I-I don’t understand.”

“I was adopted when I was eleven, and brought over here from Russia. There’s no record of my birth. I’ll never know who my mother was, and I don’t know when I was born. They gave me a birthday- July 17
^th
. The day I was abandoned at the orphanage’s doorstep.”

I gasped. “Oh, Derek…”

He shushed me. “Uh uh. You don’t want pity from me, and I don’t want it from you.”

“So, how old do you say you are now?”

“The general thought is that I was between two and five when I first arrived at the orphanage. I was a young boy, but was malnourished and my growth was stunted. At my first ‘birthday’ at the orphanage, they told me I was four, so that’s what we went with it. If anyone asks me my age now, I’m up to thirty-one. But I could be thirty, or even thirty-two. Who knows? My sister is twenty-seven- my parents adopted her when I was fifteen.”

He smiled, raising his hand to mine, which was covering my dropped mouth.

“It’s alright. Like I said, I don’t let the bad get me down. I was incredibly lucky to get adopted at my age, and I couldn’t have asked for more loving parents.”

He glanced in the house at the clock on the wall. “My cab should be here soon. I have a six a.m. flight.”

I tried to hide my frown as we got out. I sat on the edge of the couch, watching him dress and put his last remaining items in his luggage. Before I could bat an eye, the cab pulled in front of the cabin.

He turned to me at the door, sighing. For the first time, he looked at me with a dullness in his eyes. His mouth formed a hard line as he pulled me in for a hug.

I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me tightly.

“Everything will work out. I promise. Just get on that flight, Shae.”

I didn’t reply because my answer was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was what flight I got on.

He hugged me tighter when I didn’t respond, our bodies painfully close.

“You’re squeezing me too tight,” I mumbled into his chest.

He kissed the top of my head, not loosening his grip.

“Just one more second.”

He released me, and pulled me in for one last kiss. I didn’t want to ruin it with tears, so I didn’t focus on the goodbye. Grabbing his luggage, he opened the door and turned to me once more.

“Come to me, Shae.”

He didn’t give me a chance to respond before leaving. And I was alone. My head was swimming, but it was almost three in the morning and thankfully, I was tired. I went upstairs to his bedroom and curled up in his bed, drifting off to sleep with his relaxing scent filling my nostrils.

When I woke up the next morning, it was eerily quiet. I knew it was because I knew I was alone. My head throbbed, but I knew it wasn’t a hangover. There was a tightness in my chest, but I knew it wasn’t stress- it was all him. I missed him, which was expected. It would get easier over time.

It all almost seemed like a dream. But my time with Derek was better than a dream. It was real, and I had an opportunity to continue the relationship. But as more time passed, the idea of dropping everything for him just seemed crazier and crazier.

With time running out, I needed to think, to figure things out- but I didn’t want to. I headed to the kitchen with cleaning supplies. I knew a cleaning service would come to the cabin after I left, but I’d do a better job anyway.

By the time I cleaned the entire kitchen, I’d been able to ignore the big question. By the time I cleaned the living room, I’d convinced myself to go to D.C. And by the time I finished our two rooms, I was certain I was heading back to my home.

It was dark by the time I got done. The house was spotless, but my mind was a wreck.

I called a cab to arrive in the morning and curled up on the couch with the single piece of laundry I didn’t clean- his pillowcase. When my cell phone rang the next morning, I knew the fantasy was over. I sighed, doing one last visual check of the house before walking to the table to get my vase from the auction.

I smiled, wrapping the pillowcase around it and carefully securing it in my carry-on luggage.

When I got to the airport, I checked my flight- everything was on time.

I walked to the ticket counter, pausing when I saw Reggie and Danni in line. I groaned; now I had to be on the same flight as them?

I lingered until they got their tickets and headed to security. It was a large plane; hopefully I wouldn’t see them. As I stood in line, my phone rang.

“Miss Mills?”

“Yes?”

“This is Officer Carter with the Columbus Police Department.”

I gripped the phone. “What happened? Is my mom okay?”

“Yes, ma’am, but I’m afraid there’s been a break-in at your home. A neighbor told me you’re on vacation, and we believe that’s why your home was targeted. There’s extensive damage to the interior and exterior, and it looks like some things were taken. Do you have anyone here to come take a look?”

I thought about Kim, but I didn’t want to bother her so early in the morning.

“N-no, there isn’t. I’ll be home in a few hours. I’ll inspect the damage and give you all a call. Thank you.”

I hung up the phone and sighed, walking up to the ticketing agent. It was beginning again. The universe had given me a nice reprieve from my life, but now that vacation was over, it was back to bad luck and devastation. Nothing taken from my house was worth crying over, but the invasion of privacy was unnerving.