Practice to Deceive

by Olivia Evans

  “Thanks. Yeah, we’re excited. It’ll be great for Skylar too.”

  “Indeed, it will. I offered to call a few places down there and put in a good word for her, but as you can imagine, she wasn’t too keen on that idea.”

  I laughed. “I told you. It’s the reason I didn’t say anything to you. She’s stubborn as hell.”

  “Well, I managed to convince her to let me write a letter of recommendation in addition to getting her to agree to list me as a reference instead of her immediate supervisor. She’s going to do amazing things. Of that, I have no doubt.”

  My chest tightened a little hearing Dr. Walsh speak that way about Skylar. I was so proud of my girl. “I completely agree.”

  “Too bad you won’t be here in February. We have another wedding scheduled early afternoon on Valentine’s Day. You two could’ve had the place to yourselves again like last year.” The moment the words left his mouth, everything in my mind shifted and became crystal clear.

  “So, if I’m here, we can have the same setup as last time?” My voice shook as I asked, my palms clammy.

  He looked at me in confusion. “But aren’t you leaving after the first of the year?”

  “I am, but I’m flying back in February so I can help Skylar pack up the rest of her things, and then we’ll fly out together.”

  “But her last day isn’t until the end of February,” he pointed out. “Are you going to fly here twice in February?” There was no way I’d be able to fly to Seattle twice. Forget the costs, I doubted the FBI would be too keen on me asking time off after working less than two months.

  “Okay.” I drew in a deep breath, my mind racing as I tried to work out a million details and convince him to let Skylar leave two weeks early, if she wanted to. “Hypothetically speaking, if you were given, say, a month and a half notice that Skylar may leave mid-February versus the end of February, how big of a deal would that be?”

  “And in this hypothetical situation…” He grinned. “You would be flying here for Valentine’s Day and having dinner at the aquarium?”

  “Absolutely.” I nodded. “Hypothetically―of course.”

  “Of course,” he laughed. He scratched his chin, a thoughtful expression overtaking his features. “Well, with that kind of notice, I suppose any projects I really needed her to do could be shifted around and completed sooner rather than later.”

  “Yeah?” I tried to act calm, but my entire body was vibrating with nerves and excitement.

  “Yes, Brennan. For you and Skylar, I think we can work something out.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Walsh. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

  “I’ll make sure everything is set up just like last time. You get in touch with me about any details you need help with, okay?”

  “Yes, sir. You can count on it.”

  “Count on what?” Skylar asked, startling us both.

  “Count on my getting you back from lunch on time,” I lied, smiling a little too widely.

  She narrowed her eyes as she flicked her gaze between the two of us. “You’re lying.”

  I nodded, pulling her against my side and walking toward the door. “Yup. I’m completely full of shit.” I looked over my shoulder to Dr. Walsh, who was chuckling quietly, his smile hidden behind his fist. “I’ll be in touch soon,” I called as I pushed open the front door.

  “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” She tried to look annoyed, but I was pretty sure she was far too amused by the stupid smile on my face to pull it off.

  “Not even a hint.”

  “I could make you, you know…” She smirked, pinching my side.

  “You could. But you’d hate yourself for it later.”

  She studied me for a second, obviously trying to gauge how serious I was, before rolling her eyes and sliding her arm behind me. “Fine. I’ll let it go. For now.”

  “Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed her temple before changing the subject, not wanting to give her the opportunity to change her mind.

  “What are your plans for Christmas?” I asked after we’d been seated and ordered our lunch.

  “I’m going with you to Aberdeen,” she stated, her voice rising at the end in a way that made it sound more like a question.

  “That’s what I’d hoped, but we really hadn’t discussed it. I know you’re going to want to spend time with Martin, Grace, and Preston. I just wasn’t sure.”

  “Of course I want to spend time with them.” She reached over the table and wove her fingers through mine. “But I’m not willing to be apart from you one second more than necessary until you leave. I’ll have plenty of time to mope around them after you leave.”

  “I don’t want to be apart from you either.”

  “Why does this time feel harder than the other times you left?”

  “Come here,” I whispered, sliding my chair around the table until I was sitting directly in front of her. I smoothed my thumb over her cheek, pulling her face closer to mine. “It’s because we know what we want now, and waiting to have it fucking sucks.” I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her softly before twisting my neck until my lips brushed against her ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Once our lunch arrived, instead of focusing on being apart, we talked about all the things we’d do once she was in Hawaii with me. The places we wanted to go, the things we wanted to see, and how nervous and excited we were about living there. Needless to say, she was a little late getting back to work.

  The next few days came and went in the blink of an eye. We drove to Aberdeen on Christmas Eve and spent the evening alone with my parents while Rachel and Drew visited with her family. The next morning, I received my traditional early morning pounce from Rachel, except this time, Skylar joined in on the festivities. I gave Skylar the flower charm but kept the other present tucked away in my room. I wanted to give it to her when it was just the two of us so I could tell her what it meant, then show her how much I meant it.

  When it came time for Skylar to give me my gift, she scooted over to me and smiled before handing me a small box wrapped in white paper. I ripped it open, surprised to find the exact watch I’d looked at a few weeks ago when we’d been shopping for her dad, except the back had been engraved with “We’ll never lose time again.” It had been the perfect Christmas morning, the one I’d wished for last year without even realizing it. One I almost never had the chance to experience, but now that I had, I never planned to be without again.

  Leaving for Seattle a few days later had been hard on everyone. Even though no one said it, this could be the last time we were together like this for a very long time. As much as we promised to come back often, everyday life had a way of getting in the way. Instead of doing anything big for New Year’s Eve, we opted to stay in with Rachel and Drew, watch old movies until the clock struck twelve, then go our separate ways to celebrate on our own.

  In the early morning hours of January second, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with Skylar pulled tight against my side. In a few short hours, I’d be boarding a plane and leaving all of the people I loved behind. I flexed my arm, squeezing her to my side before sliding it from around her and moving my hands to the hem of her shirt. I pushed it up her sides, kissing each new area of exposed skin as I did.

  “Brennan,” she mumbled, rising up so I could pull the shirt over her head and throw it to the floor. I kissed her neck, moving my hand to her underwear and pushing them down when she lifted her hips.

  “It’s almost time, isn’t it?” Her voice was thick and heavy with sleep, but her body was wide awake as she shoved my boxers down until nothing remained between us.

  “Yeah,” I whispered, lowering my hand and dipping my fingers inside her.

  “I’m going to miss you so fucking much.” She moaned, weaving her fingers into my hair and pressing her face into my neck, her breaths coming out in choppy pants. “I need to feel you.”

  “Okay.” I circled my arms around he
r and pushed inside, losing myself in her, in us, and the way she fit me so fucking perfectly. I moved with her, rocking our bodies together, following her whispered pleas of harder, slower, and right there until we fell over the edge together, savoring every second of our remaining time together. We clung to each other until the beeping of the alarm clock could no longer be ignored.

  Several hours later, after saying my goodbyes to Drew and Rachel, Skylar and I stood in the airport, not willing to part a minute sooner than necessary. I cupped her face and brushed away the tears rolling down her cheeks before touching my lips to hers. “Please don’t cry, baby.”

  “I know I’m being ridiculous.” She sniffled. “I just wish I would’ve said screw everything so I could get on this plane with you and go to our new home together.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box I’d grabbed off my dresser before running out the door earlier, the box that held Skylar’s other present.

  “I’d wanted to give this to you earlier, but I got a bit distracted,” I joked, pushing it into her hand.

  “What is it?”

  “It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but I didn’t want to give it to you in front of my family, I wanted us to be alone. While this isn’t exactly alone,” I pointed out, motioning to all of the people around us, “there’s no way I can wait until I come back.”

  She ripped the paper away and opened the lid, a small smile on her face as she lifted the flat silver shape from the box. It was a simple charm in the shape of a small house with an inscription carved into it. I pulled the charm from her hand and lifted her wrist so I could attach it to her bracelet.

  “What does it say?” she asked, brushing her fingers over the words “Mau Loa.”

  “That’s how Hawaiians say ‘Forever.’” I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her between my legs, pressing my back to the wall and bending my knees slightly until we were eye level. “Skylar, that place I’m going to in Hawaii isn’t home, not until you’re there. Because wherever you are, that is where my home is, forever.”

  She let out a strangled laugh before throwing her arms around me and attaching her mouth to mine. Our kiss was hard, demanding, and needy as we fought to pour every bit of the emotions we felt into each other. We pulled away, breathless and aching, my heart bottoming out when I realized I couldn’t wait any longer. I dropped my head to her shoulder and squeezed, holding her as close as possible. “I love you. I’ll call you as soon as I land.”

  “Okay,” she mumbled against my neck before dropping her arms and shifting away. “I love you too. Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  I pushed off the wall and headed toward the security line. I’d walked about ten steps when I heard her yell my name. I spun around, walking backward as I yelled back to her. “Yeah?”

  “I still say if this FBI thing doesn’t work out, you could make a fortune on greeting cards.” She laughed, twisting her wrist back and forth and pointing at her bracelet.

  “Such a smartass,” I mouthed, grinning at her.

  She smiled and nodded proudly, not the least bit bothered as she waved goodbye. Once I settled into my seat, I closed my eyes and tried not to think about her still standing in the airport. Instead, I reminded myself that next time I boarded a plane to Hawaii, she’d be with me and, hopefully, sooner than she planned.

  Life is all about timing… the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable… attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It’s all about timing. ~Stacey Charter

  January 2017

  I fell onto the sofa and downed my third glass of water. Sweat gathered at my hairline and slid down my face as I sucked in a deep breath of cool, air-conditioned air. When I found out I was moving to Hawaii, a million thoughts had run through my mind, but one thing I failed to consider was how fucking hot it would be. Even in January, the heat was almost more than I could stand. Growing up in the Northwest had left me severely unprepared, not to mention every piece of clothing I owned was basically useless.

  Aside from the heat and missing the fuck out of my girl, Hawaii and my new job were everything I’d hoped for. My first couple days were filled with introductions, tours of the office, and of course, more paperwork. After that, I settled into a routine of work, running, and unpacking the never-ending stream of boxes that showed up every couple days. Before I knew it, the month was nearly over, and I was that much closer to seeing Skylar. Proposing. Jesus.

  After I showered and made a sandwich, I lay across my bed, debating if it was too late to send her a text. I flipped on the bedside lamp, my notebook catching my eye. On the top page was a list of things I needed to organize before heading back to Seattle. I flipped over to a clean sheet of paper and settled in bed. Just like I had in Virginia, I wrote her at least two letters a week. She loved it, and it made me feel closer to her.

  Skylar,

  Your boxes arrived today. I was kind of excited to unpack a few of your things just to feel more of you here. That is until I noticed they were labeled “Bathroom.” You know I’m not unpacking boxes labeled bathroom, right? They’ll be waiting for you in the guest room.

  I managed to get out of the office for a little while today. A couple guys from work took me out for lunch. We went to this little dive bar close to the beach, and as beautiful as it was, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it because you weren’t there with me.

  I know that may sound stupid, but this will be our first home together, and I want all my firsts to be with you. I want my arm wrapped around your waist the first time I step onto the beach. I want to swim in the ocean at night and feel your warm, wet skin slide against mine. I want to fall into our bed together at night and pull you close, knowing I get to do the same thing the next night and each night after that. And then I want to do it all over again.

  I love you and I miss you.

  Brennan

  I fell asleep that night with vivid images of the life we would have in the very near future. Unfortunately for Skylar, she was not in the same place as me, thanks to Drew.

  “Your brother is being weird,” Skylar complained, her voice tinged with annoyance.

  “He’s always weird,” I reminded her, rolling my eyes. I should have known telling Drew to play it cool was as likely as a dog listening when you told it not to piss on a fire hydrant.

  “Yeah, but more so than normal.”

  I sighed as I scanned my to-do list. I’d put off telling Drew about my plans for this exact reason, but it was already the last week of January, and I needed his help. “How so?” I asked, crossing through the stuff I’d managed to take care of over the last couple days.

  “He’s being so pushy,” she grumbled. “He showed up here with Rachel before eight o’clock this morning, telling me they were here to help me pack. It’s Sunday, Brennan. That is not okay.” By the time she finished ranting, her voice had risen about three octaves, and I imagined her arm was waving around in the air, completely exasperated.

  I coughed to cover the chuckle I couldn’t hold back. When I’d told Drew, after his initial stunned silence, he was on board for whatever I needed. Unfortunately for Skylar, what I needed was for him to pack as many of her things as he could by Valentine’s Day.

  “Are you laughing at me?”

  “Of course not, baby,” I lied, my muscles straining from the effort to keep from laughing again.

  “Don’t ‘baby’ me. You’re totally laughing. I’ll just tell him I can pack my own stuff. I have plenty of time.”

  Shit.

  “C’mon, Skylar,” I reasoned. “He feels like he’s helping me by helping you. I’ll talk to him, okay?” That wasn’t a lie; he really was helping me, and if she gave his ass the boot because he was getting on her nerves, I’d never be able to pull this off.

  She hesitated for a second before blowing out a breath. “Fine, but if he shows up here that early again, blood will be spilled.”

  I smiled and played with the small black box sittin
g next to my chair. The box that held the ring I’d bought for Skylar. “I’ll take care of him.” After saying goodbye, I emailed Dr. Walsh to confirm everything was good to go. I’d taken a leap of faith and booked us return flights to Hawaii, a couple days after Valentine’s Day, hoping when I boarded the plane home again, she would be with me, as my fiancée.

  The morning of my flight was nothing short of a clusterfuck. I overslept, had to have the cab driver return to my apartment after realizing I’d left my wallet, and almost walked out the door without the most important item I was taking, Skylar’s ring. After hauling ass through check-in and standing in line at security, I was finally moving toward my gate. I cursed when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I knew without looking it was Skylar. Normally I’d be getting ready for my run before work, not shuffling through the airport. There was no way I could answer now with flight after flight being called for boarding over the intercom system.

  After I cleared security, I ducked into the closest bathroom, pulled up her name, and pressed send. I rubbed my sweaty hand up and down my thigh and took a deep breath as I waited for her to answer. I shook my head and huffed out a laugh as I thought about how ridiculous I was acting. I could handle blood, gore, and a million other things that terrified most people, but I sweated like a fucking sixteen-year-old boy getting to third base when I talked to Skylar.

  “Hey.”

  “Why me, Brennan? Huh? Why me?” She blurted into the phone as soon as I answered.

  “Uh—”

  “Seriously. There are plenty of people who work here who would be much more qualified than me. But no, I’m the poor, pitiful girl whose boyfriend is all the way in Hawaii, so there’s no way she’ll have plans for Valentine’s Day. We’ll make her do it,” she ranted, her voice sad and angry at the same time. I swallowed thickly and licked my lips. I assumed Dr. Walsh had told Skylar she’d be working tonight.