Entangled ✔️

chapter 23

The One With Lake Time

Adam had suggested they go away for the weekend spontaneously, as if it were a natural thought, but in reality it scared the hell out of him. He had never taken a girl away for the weekend, he had never brought a girl to his cabin before, and the idea of taking a girl to his cabin on Sweetest Day weekend was inconceivable.

He didn’t even go out on dates on Sweetest Day or Valentine’s Day, in order to avoid girls reading into them too much. The whole idea was ripe with heavy implications and expectations, but Ahana wasn’t like other girls. The thought both relaxed and worried him.

Adam was annoyed Jason and Meisha were still at the apartment when he got there.

“Ahana, I can’t believe you’re spending the weekend in the woods with spiders and bugs. I feel sorry for you. Jason and I will be at a luxury spa getting massages, and you’ll be in some backwoods hillbilly swamp,” Meisha stated smugly.

“Actually, Adam’s cabin’s on a really nice lake. Ahana will like it,” Jason said.

Adam would have spoken up himself, but his eyes were glued to Ahana. She looked very sad, although she tried to hide it beneath her halfhearted smile.

As soon as they left, Adam took a seat on the couch and pulled Ahana onto his lap. “What’s wrong?” She looked away from him. “Tell me.”

“Jason told Meisha he loved her.”

Adam tried to focus his thoughts. They went in a million directions. She said it with finality as if she realized her dream was over. This was a good thing because it meant Ahana would get over Jason.

This was a bad thing because it meant they no longer needed to pretend to be in a relationship. He had no idea why he cared so much either way, but he did. He chalked it up to wanting to spend the weekend with Ahana.

“The good news is we don’t have to pretend anymore. It’s time I get over Jason anyway. The whole idea was stupid to begin with.”

Adam tried to arrange his thoughts into some coherent pattern. Unfortunately, he realized the only way to convince Ahana was to use his master manipulation skills once more. He felt guilty for it, but then again, he was selfish. That part of his personality displayed itself more aggressively in Ahana’s presence.

He tilted her chin toward him so she was facing him. “We should still go.”

“Why?” Damn, that word again. He wished for once she would just comply, but Ahana was analytical and liked all the arguments presented to her.

“You’ve been working too hard, and I promise you a good time, even if it isn’t a spa. Mostly though, you’re putting too much emphasis on this declaration of love. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“What do you mean? Jason told her he loved her!”

“I know, but words are my living, and that’s the most overused and unintended word in the English language. She probably wanted some type of commitment from him. Some kind of reassurance as girls often do.”

“Jason’s not that kind of guy.”

“He’s a guy, Ahana. We all think the same way. I know what I’m talking about. Saying ‘I love you’ is just a way a guy appeases a girl.”

“You think so?”

Adam could see her smile growing, and it twisted into him. This was getting so complicated that he couldn’t even sort out what he was doing or why.

“Trust me on this. You should come with me. It’ll make you feel better. I’ll make you feel better.” He punctuated each statement with the soft kisses on her neck she had a hard time resisting.