Chapter 8

Starry-Eyed

Grant

Taken, huh?

I grin in amusement at the word as I sit in the foldable chair in front of the fire pit with my tumbler of coffee, Abby still asleep inside the tent, recovering from yesterday’s adventures.

I’ve been a lot of things in my life – fatherless, resented, kept away, looked down upon, forced to abide by the rules, sent to boarding school. I’ve been a son, a grandson, a rebel, a dreamer, a lover, a friend, a fighter, an orphan and recently, I’ve been the founder and CEO of a company. A boss.

I’ve been through hell and back, but I’ve never been taken.

Until now.

Well, I guess that’s what happens when you give, when you offer yourself. When you open up, someone steps in and gets cozy.

Why did I do it? Why did I decide to take that leap of faith, to put down my defenses even though I was fucking terrified?

Simple.

It’s because of Abby. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I need her for my plan or my company.

The moment I saw her again, here where I never expected to see her, I realized just how much I wanted her to be by my side – so much that I scared her away. As Roger and I searched for her, I feared the worst. When we found her fast asleep under a tree, exhausted and with cuts on her arm, I wanted to punch myself, hating myself because I drove her to this. I vowed then and there I wouldn’t hurt her. As I watched her sleeping inside my tent, I told myself that I wouldn’t lose her or leave her behind again.

No matter what the cost.

I’m not going to let her slip through my fingers again.

Fuck, Grant. You’re in love.

Am I? I wouldn’t know.

I don’t know anything about love. My father died before I could learn to read or write. My grandparents don’t seem to love each other. I’ve never seen them hug or kiss. And they definitely don’t love me. Even my mother only said she loved me after she found out she was dying. She said it a million times as if trying to make up for lost time.

Apart from her, the only person who’s ever loved me was Lindsey. And she clearly no longer feels the same way.

Did I love her? I don’t know. I cared about her, but in the end, it was not enough for me to want to stay.

And yet, here I am wanting Abby to stay by my side.

Indeed, I was the one who tried to win her over and use her for my own ends. But in the end, I was the one who got won over.

What can I say? Abby is truly an amazing woman, much more beautiful and fascinating than I expected her to be.

Speaking of the angel, she comes out of the tent, stretching her arms. Her hair is uncombed, she isn’t wearing any makeup, and she’s still in the clothes she slept in – one of my college sweaters paired with her own blue jogging pants. She looks completely breathtaking.

“What?” she asks, putting her hands on her hips as her gaze meets mine. “Never seen a girl with sleeping bag hair before?”

I grin, taking a sip from my tumbler. “I can’t say I have.”

“Right.” She puts her hands in the pockets of my sweater and walks toward me. “You’ve never brought a woman on your camping trips before.”

“No,” I confirm, getting out of my chair. “You’re the first.”

“Well, technically, you didn’t bring me.” She throws one shoulder back. “I mean, I didn’t come with you. Then again, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.”

I shrug. “Does it matter?”

She sits on the chair. “Why don’t you bring women here?”

“Because I come here to think, and women usually make that impossible.”

“Then maybe I should go.” She gets up and walks away from the chair. “You know, leave you alone, so you can do your thinking.”

I put my arm around her, pulling her close. “I’m already done thinking. I’ve already made my decision.”

“And what decision is that?”

“To not let you go.” I kiss her.

Abby parts her lips and kisses me back, our tongues becoming entwined as she puts her hands on my waist. I would have liked to put both my arms around her as well, but I’m still holding my tumbler.

“Mmm.” She licks her lips as she pulls away. “Coffee.”

I frown. “And here I thought I was delicious.”

“Well, you, too. But right now, I need coffee.”

I hand her my tumbler. “I’ll make some more then.”

I put the half-filled pot of water over the fire and add another piece of wood to the flame.

“You’ve got this whole camping thing under control, don’t you?” she asks, sitting back down.

“It’s not a thing; it’s a hobby.”

“And how long have you had it?”

I shrug. “Years. When I was growing up, there was a patch of woods behind the mansion and I’d often escape there. Sometimes, I even slept there.”

Abby nods. “You sure love the outdoors.”

“How about you?” I ask her, shaking the dirt off my hands. “Have you ever gone camping?”

She shakes her head as she hands me back my tumbler. “No. My mom didn’t like it and I have to be honest – I don’t like getting dirty.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Nor do I like the idea of being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wild animals or the idea of sleeping on the ground, knowing that bugs could crawl under you or worse, over you, at any moment.”

I take another sip of coffee. “And yet, you slept well last night.”

“Well, I was tired. And there were no bugs or wild animals. That doesn’t mean there won’t be.”

I huff. “Of course there are bugs and wild animals out here. We’re outdoors. This is their home.”

“Precisely.”

“They’re more gracious hosts, though, so you have nothing to worry about.”

She raises an eyebrow suspiciously. “Really?”

“Come on, Abby. This is the outdoors.” I gesture to our surroundings. “You should relax and have fun.”

She doesn’t answer, sighing.

I grab her hand. “You know what? That’s what we’re going to do today. We’re going to relax, and we’re going to have fun.”

This time, both her eyebrows go up. “And how exactly are we going to do that?”

I smile. “I know exactly how.”