*Isabella's POV*
The afternoon sun was starting to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the sand. We were back in our regular clothes, the salty, damp scent of the ocean still clinging to us. The easy silence that had fallen between us as we strolled was comfortable, but my brain, being the absolute jerk it is, decided to ruin it. Reality, in the form of a fucking flight home, was knocking loudly on the door of our little bubble.
"I think I need to call Elly," I said, breaking the peace. "What time is the flight?"
Jacob didn't even look at me. He just kept walking, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Later," he said, his voice flat, clipped.
"Later when?" I pushed, a knot of irritation tightening in my stomach. I hated this evasive bullshit. I needed to have some fucking control over the chaos of my life.
He stopped walking so suddenly I almost walked right into him. He turned to face me, and the look on his face was a mix of frustration and something else I couldn't quite decipher. "Shush," he said, holding up a hand. "You ask too many fucking questions." He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "I want to cherish every damn moment I have with you, and all you keep talking about is leaving." His voice was low, raw with an emotion that made my chest ache. "Just... stop. Please. Just be here with me. Now."
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words got stuck in my throat. The intensity in his gaze was overwhelming, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. He was right. I was already mentally packing my bags.
Then, just as quickly as the heavy moment had descended, he broke it. A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face, completely changing the atmosphere. "Now come on," he said, turning his back to me and crouching slightly. "Put your arms around my shoulders and hop on."
"What?" I asked, completely thrown off. I stared at his broad back, at the way his t-shirt stretched across his shoulders. Was he being serious?
He glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes sparkling with playful energy. "I want to give you a piggyback ride," he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to demand in the middle of a deeply emotional conversation.
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*Jacob's POV*
I turned around, crouching slightly, and gestured for her to hop on. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hesitating, chewing on that fucking perfect bottom lip of hers. She looked nervous, like a little kid about to do something she wasn't sure was allowed. Judging from her reaction, it was safe to say she'd never done this before. What kind of morons had she been dating? And her father... for fuck's sake, did he never carry his own daughter? A wave of something fierce and protective washed over me.
"Hop on, sweetheart," I said, my voice softer than I intended.
After another second of hesitation, she finally gave in. She carefully placed her arms around my neck, her touch unsettled at first. I reached back, grabbing her ass to lift her, and let my hands slowly drift down the backs of her thighs, wrapping them securely around my hips. She felt fucking perfect in my arms, light and warm. She giggled as my hands lingered on her ass, and the sound shot straight through me. I felt like I was in heaven. Her giggle was the sweetest goddamn sound I had ever heard, and it tugged directly at my heartstrings, making them feel tight and full.
"When are you going to stop touching my ass like that?" she asked, her voice a cheeky whisper right next to my ear.
My sweet, cheeky girl. "Never," I said, my voice a low growl. "This cute little ass is mine to touch whenever the fuck I want." She giggled again, the sound vibrating against my neck, and then rested her chin on my shoulder.
I was completely smitten. If she told me to jump off a fucking cliff right now, I'd only ask how high. I started walking down the beach, the gentle waves lapping at my feet, her weight a comfortable presence.
"Put me down," she said after a minute. "I'm quite heavy. Aren't you tired?"
"Oh, please," I scoffed, tightening my grip. "You're as heavy as a mouse. And I love you." The words just slipped out, so natural and fucking easy.
"I... uhm... I..." she stuttered against my shoulder. I felt her take a deep breath. "I'll stay with you all week," she said, her voice a soft, gentle whisper in my ear. "I don't want to leave."
My feet stopped moving. The world fucking stopped. I gently put her down, turning to face her, my hands still on her waist. I had to see her eyes, to make sure I wasn't dreaming, to make sure she wasn't joking. "You're serious?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "You want to stay with me?"
"As serious as a heart attack," she said, a small, nervous smile playing on her lips.
And that was it. That was all it took. I pulled her into a hug, lifting her off her feet and burying my face in her hair. She was staying. She was actually fucking staying with me.
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*Isabella's POV*
"Give me a minute," I said to Jacob, my voice tight. He just nodded, his eyes soft with understanding, but I could see the flicker of hope in them. I stepped away, putting a few metres of sand between us, the sound of the waves suddenly feeling metres away. My hands were shaking as I pulled my phone out of my pocket, the screen glaring brightly in the afternoon sun. My thumb hovered over Damien's name. Fuck, this is going to be rough.
I took a deep breath and hit dial. He answered on the third ring.
"Hi Damien," I greeted, my voice coming out all small and nervous.
"Isabella!" he answered back, and his voice was full of so much genuine fucking excitement that a pang of guilt shot right through my chest. Christ, this was already a disaster.
"I have to ask you something," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"What happened?" he asked, the excitement instantly replaced by panic. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, it's nothing bad," I rushed out, the words tumbling over each other. "It's just, I... uhm... I kind of want to stay here for the week." I braced myself, squeezing my eyes shut.
"Oh," he said. And that was it. Just one, single, flat syllable. But his tone carried a fucking world of disappointment, and it hit me like a physical blow.
"I know you need me," I rambled on, desperate to fill the silence, to fix it. "I can ask Jacob for a laptop and still work, but I won't to be there to take your calls and..." I was just rambling, a mess of nervous energy, so fucking worried about how he was going to take this.
"Isabella, forget the laptop," he said, cutting me off. I could hear the defeated sigh on the other end of the line, and it made my stomach clench. "You haven't had a proper vacation this year," he added, his voice softer now, trying to be the good guy.
"Well yeah, I haven't, but it's not planned," I said, my voice still shaky. "This... wouldn't be fair to you."
"I'll manage just fine," he said, his tone flat, devoid of any emotion.
"You will?" I asked, not quite believing it. "But you said when you were in Cuba, you needed me."
"I'll always need you, Isabella," he said, and his voice cracked just a little. "But I'll manage."
"Okay," I whispered, feeling like absolute shit. "Then I'll see you next weekend."
"Okay. I'll see you then," he said. "Enjoy." The word was hollow.
"Uhm, thanks," I said, and hung up with a heavy sigh. I stood there for a moment, just staring at the phone in my hand. He sounded distant. So fucking distant. And I had no idea how to fix it.