Stay With Me (30 page)

Ew.

Gross.

“Yes . . . she does! She told me today not to turn you into a beer loving drunk! Because you know . . . all people from Irish decent are beer-loving drunks. Your mother thinks you’re going to starve because I can’t cook, but I’m actually a damn good cook! I can learn to make Greek food just as good as them but they won’t ever give me a chance. I know they won’t. I’ll never be good enough.”

Hearing her fears had my heart breaking.

“That’s not true.”

“It is true!” she yelled out. “Do you know how many of your cousins came up to me today and said they couldn’t believe Katerina was okay with you dating me? A non-Greek in the family.”

“No, I don’t know and I don’t care, and neither should you. Some of my family is very old school Greek. I don’t care what any of them think.”

She stood up quickly. “I do! Today they were questioning me about growing up Catholic. I was scared to death to tell them I haven’t set foot in a Catholic Church since I was fourteen! This will be our life forever. Me, always wondering if your family accepts me. Your grandmother thinking I’m not good enough. Your mother thinking I’m starving you. I think your father only likes me because he knew my father.” She shook her head and mumbled, “I can’t do it.”

Grabbing the suitcase, she slammed it shut. “I have to leave. I need . . . I need to think.”

The only way to describe the feeling in my chest was to say someone was squeezing the fuck out of my heart.

“What?” I mumbled as I watched her carry her suitcase out of the bedroom.

She can’t leave. I’m not letting her leave me.

Reaching for her jacket, she headed to the door. “Maybe I was too hopeful that this would work out. That . . . that we . . . would . . . work out.”

My eyes widened in horror. Racing around the front of her, I fought to pull air into my lungs.

“No. Kilyn. Please don’t leave. Baby, I can’t breathe without you, don’t you know that?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as my heart pumped faster. My eyes searched her beautiful face. “You’re the only reason I smile when I go to sleep at night and when I wake up each morning. Your smile can turn the worst of days around and make me the happiest man on earth.”

A sob slipped from her soft pink lips. “I don’t know what to do. I love you so much, Thano. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”

“That’s all we need, ladybug.”

She closed her eyes tightly and blurted out, “I lied!”

The only thing I could hear was my heart racing like I’d just run a marathon.

My mouth went dry and I forced the words out of my mouth.

Trying like hell to swallow, I finally formed words. “Wh-what did you . . . what did you lie about?”

Her eyes snapped open. God, how I loved this girl. Even with her eyes bloodshot red, she still caused my breath to catch.

“I don’t like baklava!”

Wait. What did she say?

Shaking my head, I leaned in closer to her. “What?”

Her head moved from side to side. “I know! I feel terrible about it. I tried. Oh, God I tried so hard, but every time I eat it I want to gag!”

With a smile on my face, I pushed a piece of loose wavy hair behind her ear. When her lip jetted out in a pout, I fell in love with her even more.

“What’s your favorite thing to do?”

With a furrowed look, she whispered, “What?”

“Your favorite thing to do with me. Tell me what it is right now.”

Her face turned upright into a smile. “When we drive up to the cabin with the windows down and the radio blaring.”

“I never would have done that before you, Kilyn. You changed my life. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I’d jump out of a damn airplane if I thought it would make you happy. I’d rather die than have you walk out of my life. Please say you’ll stay with me. Please.”

Her tears started up again and I wiped them away with my thumbs.

“What about your—”

Placing my lips to hers, I kissed her. I needed her to feel how much I loved her. How there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her and that our love would get us through anything.

When I pulled back, I rested my forehead to hers. “I had plans for us tonight. Let me take you out. We’ll forget about my family, Greek food, all of it. It’s only you and me tonight.”

Stepping back, I placed my finger on her chin and lifted her eyes to mine.

“Will you go on a date with me tonight?”

With a slight nod, she smiled. “Yes.”

My body instantly relaxed. After this, the rest of the night was going to be a piece of cake.

T
HANO’S EYES WERE
filled with love as he looked into mine.

“Will you go on a date with me tonight?”

My stomach dipped as I responded with, “Yes.”

His body relaxed and I hated that my insecurities caused him stress. I wanted so badly to feel like I was a part of his family, but after today I wasn’t sure I ever would be.

“Come on, let’s go put your suitcase up and get changed.”

I probably looked like a mess with all the crying.

Gesh. What was happening to me? I never cried like this.

Thano grabbed my suitcase and took my hand as he pulled me to the bedroom. The only thing I really wanted to do was fall into bed with him and get lost in his eyes.

“Dress warm. We’ll be outside. Oh, and wear jeans and sneakers.”

My interest was piqued as I lifted my eyebrows. “Okay. Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

With a smirk, he simply winked and pulled a sweatshirt over his head. My lower stomach pulled with desire as I watched him run his hand through his hair.

“Don’t look at me like that, ladybug. Come on, get dressed.”

I did as he asked and quickly changed. Freshening up my makeup, I made sure to apply waterproof mascara. I had no idea what we would be doing, so I put on thermals as well as a long-sleeve shirt. I’d take my jacket and gloves also, just in case.

“Pack a small bag as well. I think we’ll spend a few days up at the cabin if you’re able to.”

My heart soared. I loved going to the cabin. It held such amazing memories for me. After all, it was there we made love for the first time. We didn’t go up there as often as we wanted to, so I jumped at the chance to go. It was just what I needed to clear my head.

“I have a design to do, but I can bring it with me.”

By the time we got to Thano’s truck, my heart was beating like a racehorse. We never took his sports car up to the cabin. Not after the tree fell on it.

Opening the door for me, he smiled as I slipped into his car. Leaning in, he kissed me on the lips. “Ready for some fun?”

With a giggle, I nodded my head. “Totally ready! Do I get a hint?”

He laughed and tapped the tip of my nose. “Nope.”

Shutting the door, I watched him walk around the front of the truck. Even though my head was spinning, I still wasn’t sure if this would all work out, I couldn’t ignore how much I loved this man. I’d never really loved anyone besides my parents, Claire, and her parents.

Thano jumped in and started up his truck. “Okay, let’s go have some fun.”

Keeping my mind busy with smalltalk, I wasn’t paying any attention to where we were going as I went on and on about nothing.

“Claire and Blake are trying for a baby.”

Thano smiled. “Are they really? Good for them.”

Nodding, I felt a tiny bit of jealousy in the pit of my stomach. “Her folks are pretty happy about it. They’ve been bugging them about it for a while.”

“Are you close to her parents?”

“Yes. I mean, they’re like my second parents. I know they love me like I’m their daughter.”

He reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. “You know my parents adore you, Kilyn.”

With a shrug, I looked away.

“Tonight, my mother said she loved you.”

Looking back at Thano, I asked, “She did? She really said that?”

With a huge smile, he nodded. “Yep.”

It was then I noticed we were at the airport. Anxiety washed over my body as I looked back at Thano. He was pulling into a different part of the airport. The area where private planes were kept.

“Where are you going?” I asked with a nervous edge to my voice.

All he did was turn to me and wink.

Pulling up to a hangar, Thano put his truck into park. “We’re here! Come on.”

Before I had a chance to even ask why we were at a hangar at the airport, Thano got out of his truck and made his way over to my door. I opened it and slowly got out. Lacing his fingers with mine, we headed over to the three guys standing a few feet away.

“Thano! Damn, man, it’s good to see you.”

The guy seemed to be the same age as us. His blond hair was a mess, but the only thing you noticed was his sky-blue eyes.

“Saul, it’s good seeing you. It’s been awhile. How are you doing?”

The man’s eyes quickly looked over at me before his attention went back to Thano. “I’m doing good. Still flying people all over the place. Your dad called in a favor for you I see.”

My heart began pounding as my eyes drifted over to the small jet that was parked outside of the hangar. Swallowing hard, I tried to speak but nothing came out.

Thano’s laugh caused me to look back at the men. “He did. It’s a quick flight, right?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve already called in the flight plans so we’re good to go.”

Oh. My. God.

We were flying somewhere. In a plane. In a small plane.

Turning to me, Thano must have noticed the sheer look of horror on my face. And then it hit him.

“Oh, shit. Kilyn, I wasn’t even thinking. Baby, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

My eyes bounced between him and the plane. Whatever he had planned he went to a lot of trouble to plan it. I wasn’t about to let my fears stand in the way.

“I’m . . . I’m fine, honest.”

His hands cupped my face, bringing my eyes to his intense stare. “We don’t have to do this.”

Lifting my hands to his, I smiled. “I’ve flown since my parents’ death. It’s always been on big planes and not smaller ones, though.” With a nervous chuckle, I continued. “I’ve missed out on some pretty fun trips because I wouldn’t fly on a smaller plane. It’s a stupid fear.”

He barely shook his head. “It’s not stupid.”