Anywhere
Page 16
“I love you for who you were yesterday, who you are today, and who you will be tomorrow. I know we’ve only known each other for a month…but Skye? I’ve been looking for you my whole life.
“Okay, well, I’ve got to wake you up in a few minutes so I can let you go. God, this sucks. But I’m going to kiss you and smile and say goodbye because I love you. But first, I’m going to watch you sleep for a few minutes more. You’re so beautiful when you sleep.”
He glanced over his shoulder for a moment, then back at the camera.
“Don’t forget me, Skye. I won’t ever forget you.”
My phone was a blur. When I looked up, the plane was a blur. I couldn’t see anything through my tears. I hugged the phone to my chest.
I didn’t know what to do. I needed to talk to him. I needed to say something. And this was one of those things that really had to be said in person—or in video, because, honestly, that was the most amazing message EVER—or, at the very least, by phone when you were separated by a humongous fucking ocean.
But I couldn’t call him from the plane because if I was going to tell him that I loved him, I needed to do it in complete privacy. I’d have to wait until we landed in New York.
Can I just say that the flight from Paris to New York was probably the longest flight of my life? When we finally got on the ground and people were oh-so-fucking-slowly gathering their stuff, and all I wanted to do was scream and start shoving them out of the way, I had to force myself to stay calm. A few more minutes was not going to kill me (even if it felt like it was). As soon as I was able to extricate myself from the plane, I’d find a quiet corner of the airport away from all of the people and call him. I didn’t even care what time it was in London. I had to tell him NOW even if it was in the middle of the night.
The people ahead of me finally started moving down the aisle, and then I was off the plane, walking down the LONGEST HALLWAY EVER CREATED IN THE HISTORY OF HALLWAYS. Seriously, had they parked the plane as far away as they possibly could? Did no one care that I had a Very Important, Life-Changing Phone Call to make??
Finally I reached the end, pushed my way through a set of double doors, and immediately looked around to find a spot to make my call, but—
Asher was standing there.
In the airport.
In front of my gate.
Grinning at me so beautifully that I couldn’t see anything but him. And then I couldn’t see anything because of the tears, and had lost all ability to form coherent speech.
“You’re…?”
“Hey,” he said. “I thought you might need a ride.”
“I don’t…” I looked around. “What?”
“No shit?” Asher said, grinning even wider. “I’ve rendered you speechless? I didn’t think that was even possible.”
He walked right up to me and all I could do was stare. And then I grinned. Like an idiot. Because he was standing right in front of me in New York City. And he was all kinds of perfect.
I dropped my pack, threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him with everything I was, everything I felt. His mouth met mine with a matching intensity that took my breath away. When we finally parted we were both breathing hard.
“What about Tamara?” I said, my mind catching up and synching with my brain again. “Wait. Don’t answer that unless you realized that you love me WAY more and couldn’t stand to be away from me a moment longer.”
He threw his head back and laughed. God, how I loved that sound.
“Actually,” he said, looking at me seriously now, “that’s exactly why I’m here.”
I swallowed. It really was the kind of thing you needed to say face-to-face, but my eyes were watering just thinking about it. Even so, I had to say it.
It was the truth.
“I love you, too.” My voice was a whisper.
His eyes had dropped to my lips as I’d spoken, and he leaned down and tasted my words, taking them in, claiming them for his own. My body ached in all the right places and I started calculating just how long it was going to take before I could do all the things with him that his kiss made me want to do.
I couldn’t believe he’d come. And that thought made me break away. “But what about your trip to honor Josh?”
“Are you kidding me? Josh totally would have done this. He’d be pissed if I hadn’t followed you.” He kissed me again, quickly, then picked up my backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Besides, I had to make sure you saw the Princess Bride, stat. It’s a MUST SEE.”
“So I’ve heard.” I laughed, still reeling at his presence. He was mine. I looked at him again. Asher was mine. “How’s tonight sound?”
“Perfect,” he said, and we started walking toward the exit.
“So,” I said, “I’m going to this wedding in Connecticut that could prove to be wildly uncomfortable and painfully awkward at times. You want to come with me?”
“Well, when you put it like that…” he said, and laughed. But then he stopped and got all serious again. “I’d go anywhere with you, Skye.” And he leaned toward me, kissed me until the world spun crazy-fast, then slipped his fingers through mine. “Anywhere.”
A Note from the Author
Hey! Thanks for reading Anywhere. I truly hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please share it with a friend—it’s lendable! How cool is that? (There’s nothing better than sharing a book with a friend, right?)
Also, if you have a few minutes, I would totally appreciate it if you’d write a review and post it online. It doesn’t have to be long or in-depth, a couple of lines telling what you liked about it or why you liked it—just say what you’re inspired to say. Your review will help other readers figure out whether they’d like this book too.
And if you were to recommend this book to all your friends, I might just have to love you forever.
Thanks! You’re the best. (And I really do mean that.)
Warmly,
j.
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acknowledgements
Of all the people I owe thanks to for making this book a reality, my husband and four kids deserve most of my gratitude. Their daily love and support make my work possible, and my life shines because of them.
This book, however, shines thanks to the incredible work of my editor, Stevan Knapp, and copy editor, Greg Busby. I am blessed to have this editorial team, and, believe me, I know it.
I thank my lucky stars for the brilliance of my beta readers: Ada Adams, Kim Schindler, Suzanne Gale, Gina Denny, Eileen Doherty Souza, Kristin Jett, Sandra Busby, and Carrie Holcomb. I cannot express how much I appreciate your friendship, help, and enthusiasm…not to mention your intelligence, sharp eyes, and willingness to honestly tell me what doesn’t work. You all rock.
Many thanks also go out to the book blogging community where I’ve found new friends and incredible supporters. I love you guys!
And lastly, I thank you for reading my books. You’re the reason I write.
about the author
j. meyers is a total sucker for romance and wholeheartedly believes in love that lasts a lifetime. She grew up in Vermont, spent three years in Germany when she was a kid, and now lives in central New York. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s chasing after her four kids, exploring the outdoors with them, relishing the few quiet moments she gets with her husband, baking sweet treats, and forgetting to make dinner. Anywhere is her first contemporary romance. She is also the author of the Intangible series, a young adult contemporary fantasy.
To contact j. and learn more about her, visit her at:
Website: www.jmeyersbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jmeyersbooks
recommended reading
SILVER HEART
by Victoria Green
There comes a moment in everyone's life when they must decide which road leads to personal happiness. For Dylan Silver, this is that moment…
For the past twenty-two years, Dylan has been living in her parents’ carefully crafted world, always putting her own dreams on hold to play the role of a dutiful daughter.
So when her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain cabin, she sees it as a chance to forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home. At least for a little while.
But then her past catches up to her—in the form of sexy snowboarder, Sawyer Carter.
Six years ago, Dylan bid goodbye to the only boy she ever truly loved. Now he’s standing right in front of her, bringing up bittersweet memories and igniting suppressed desires as he dares her to be the person she has always wanted to be.
Dylan and Sawyer’s unexpected meeting is a second chance, but will a girl who doesn’t believe in fate and taking risks be able to overcome her fears of losing control and finally embrace the life she desperately wants?
Only one thing is certain: after a week in Whistler, Dylan’s world will never be the same.
Praise for SILVER HEART
“Absolutely adored this steam-tastic debut to its wintery core! Filled with everything a perfect romance needs, Silver Heart will literally make you melt.”
—Jenna, Shortie Says
“Silver Heart is phenomenally written with the perfect balance of beauty, inspiration, wit, and romantic love. The words just melt off the page and go straight to your heart.”
—Jessirae, Words, Pages, and Books
“Silver Heart is an original take on the NA craze and I am positive that you will fall in love with Sawyer just as much as I have. Sawyer is definitely on my top five book boyfriends list.”
—Kristina, Ladybug Storytime
AVAILABLE NOW
Copyright © 2013 J. Meyers
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously. No character is based on or inspired by any known or unknown persons, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.
Cover design © Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations
Photograph © Yuri Arcurs
Title page font designed by Amanda at Fonts for Peas! :: www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas
Table of Contents
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
twenty-four
twenty-five
twenty-six
twenty-seven
acknowledgements
about the author
recommended reading
Table of Contents
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
twenty-four
twenty-five
twenty-six
twenty-seven
acknowledgements
about the author
recommended reading