❝ Ṡ𝗶𝚗cₗǟ𝗶ℝ❞

Did I overdo it earlier?

I was full of food and relaxed, and my thoughts drifted to earlier and the kisses both inside and outside the car. Viola had been on one of her cute rambles and a strong urge had overtaken me. I’d wanted to grab hold of her and kiss her silly. It had just been a thought, but then, she brought up money.

I wanted to stop her from asking about money.

I hadn’t offered to be Vie’s boyfriend tonight for a paycheck. I wanted to spend time with her, to help him, to see into her world a little more. A family dinner seemed one way to do that.

But then we kissed more, and it felt good.

Kissing Viola had been easy, so easy it had led me to suggest maybe there was something real between us.

A real first date. I did say that.

I glanced at Viola. We hadn’t had any time to ourselves since reaching her parents’ home. In some ways, I was glad. Watching Viola spend time with her family was eye-opening. I didn’t think I had seen her smile as much as she had tonight. It seemed she really did enjoy being in her family’s presence. From her parents to her brother's kids.

Viola slipped easily between devoted daughter, big sister, and heart-eyed aunt when with the two children. Her cuteness could take more than one form, but Viola being in her own head and going off at tangents-cute was my absolute favorite.

I found the habit charming.

“I don’t think we should,” Viola’s mother said as she rejoined the group around the dining table.

Though various members of the family and I had offered to clear up after the meal, she had insisted we stay seated.

I blinked and refocused on the conversation at the table. I glanced at my hand in Vie’s. Our fingers were intertwined, and Vie’s palm was warm against mine. Our interactions had become natural and easy throughout the evening. I was getting used to the feel of her hand in mine.

“Come on, Mom. It’ll be fun,” Erin said.

She grunted as she lifted one of the children onto her lap.
Her mother shook her head.

“You say that now, but you know at least one of you will be sulking before the evening ends.”

“Yeah, usually Vie,” Joel said with a chuckle.

Ah, I completely missed what they’re talking about.

Viola breathed in as if she were about to defend herself. But instead, she said in a solemn tone, “He’s correct.”

Joel was sitting on the other side of Viola and patted her shoulder gently. Then he leaned forward to speak to me.

“Her favorite square is ‘Go to jail’.”

So, they’re talking about Monopoly.

Joel smirked as he stared at his sister.

“Also correct,” Viola said with a sigh.

I chuckled.

“I suppose you can’t science your way through a game mostly based on the luck of dice rolls.”

“Trust me, she tries,” Joel says. “Sadly, for her, knowing the probability of rolling a seven doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”

“It doesn’t help you buy everything you land on,” Viola pointed out.

Joel sat back.

“And that’s the fun part.”

“So, that’s a no for Monopoly?” Erin checked. She bounced her knees, jiggling the child and earning fistfuls of giggles. “How about something the kids can play too?”

Joel’s wife stood.

“It’s okay, you can play whatever you want. The kids and I are going to watch a movie” She held out her hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go pick something to watch together.”

The child hopped off Erin’s lap and went to her mother, taking her hand as they left the dining room. The remaining family members slipped into silence for a moment before Erin spoke up.

“So Monopoly?”

A couple of people groaned and I chuckled.

“Feel free, but we’ll probably not stay for much longer, as we need to drive back” Viola spoke.

“Tonight?” Joel asked. “You’re not staying over?”

His sister shook her head.

“Not this year.”

“My fault,” I said and raised my hand. “I need to go back.”

One night probably wouldn’t have been a problem as far as my parents were concerned, but I still felt uneasy at the thought of being away for extended periods, at least until my dad was completely healed.

Viola had decided that she would return as well. She could have easily stayed with her family for longer, but it seemed she was happy either way and decided she wanted to keep Felix company on the drive back.

“Maybe next time?” her mother said with a smile. She shifted her focus to me as she added, “You’re welcome anytime.”

“Thank you,” I said. “It’s been great to meet you all.

“You, too. You know, Vie never introduces us to any of her boyfriends. It was a lovely surprise when she said she was bringing you tonight.”

“Mom,” Viola whined.

“What? It’s true. Not even once” She folded her arms. “I wouldn’t have even known you’d dated anyone at all, if not for Marcelina.”

“Marcelina?” I asked.

“Mmm. I called Viola one night, and Mars hadn’t realized she was talking to me and started talking about this boyfriend who’d left his towel on the floor, again, so I might have heard a few things.”

“Ah.”

I was sure Mars had gotten a telling-off over that. Viola huffed a breath.

“As I said, we weren’t that serious, so I didn’t see the point in telling you about him” She glanced at me. “Not that we are—” she shut up and winced. “What I mean is, well, we just started dating so...” she looked at her mom. “Besides, you and Erin wouldn’t shut up about those reunion photos, so it’s not as if you left me much choice but to bring him.” Then she scratched her cheek. “I really should review my settings on these things and who can see stuff and tag stuff and—”

I squeezed her hand, and she stopped talking.

“Stop being so dramatic,” Erin said with a smirk. “We only asked if you wanted to bring him along.” She turned to me. “Seriously, we asked her maybe three times” She chuckled and added, “Each.”

“You kept ignoring my messages,” her mother said to Viola. “And I needed to know how many people to expect for dinner.” Her expression was gentle. “Those pictures from the reunion were lovely though. Everybody seemed to be having fun. Must have been nice to catch up with people.”

Nice?

I felt tense all of a sudden. Viola and I hadn’t spoken about the reunion or anything that had happened.

I don’t want to bring up anything unnecessary.

I only wanted to see Viola smile. Just as she had been doing tonight. I smoothed my thumb over her wrist. My tension eased when the conversation moved on.

Erin jumped in, “I think I remember Sia who tagged you. She came over a few times back at the old house, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” Viola said with a smile. “We paired up most of the time when we had papers to write.”

Viola seemed fine.

I was worrying over nothing.

The conversation continued for another forty minutes until Viola decided it was time to excuse ourselves.

“I think that went okay,” she said a short while into the journey home.

“Mmm,” I focused on the road as I drove slowly, following at a distance the car in front of me. At least it wasn’t snowing, and the roads were clear. “Your family all seem nice.”

Viola shifted in the passenger seat. “I think they are.”

I was relieved. Not everyone had a loving family around them, supporting them.

“What about you?”

“Hmm? Me, what?”

“Your family. You haven’t really told me much about them.”

I gripped the steering wheel.

“There’s nothing much to say really.”

I couldn’t remember what details I had shared in preparation for the school reunion. And they had only come up once that evening when Viola’s dad had asked about Christmas, if and how I celebrated, and with whom.

“It’s just me, Mom, and Dad.”

“Right,” Viola said.

“My dad has family in Nebraska, but we’re not close” I paused. “It’s more of a Christmas card, weddings, and funerals kind of thing.”

I leaned forward when the car in front braked, it and the vehicles in the other lanes slowing together. It didn’t make sense at first, and then a few flakes of snow fell on the hood.

People overreacting as usual.

I relaxed a little, adding, “Mom has some close friends I call auntie and uncle. They get together now and again, usually on birthdays.”

“Right,” Viola said again. She stayed quiet for a while, then noted, “It’s snowing.”

A few more flakes fell, but it wasn’t exactly Snowmageddon, yet everyone was braking, and the car stopped just short of the turnoff for a hotel.

“We could stop for a coffee” Viola murmured. “Get back on the road when the traffic starts to move?” she was staring at her phone and the map app on there. “It’s red for the next five miles, an accident I think.”

“Would you be okay with that?” I checked. “We could keep going, slowly, but we might as well get that coffee.”

Viola shrugged. “I’m not the one driving. You decide.”

Thoughts of my parents came to the forefront. As much as I wanted to be home and close by if anything came up, the traffic wasn’t moving, and unless we went back twenty or more miles to the last turnoff and went cross-country, we were pretty balked right now.

Making the decision, I put my blinkers on and turned off the road. I parked and turned off the engine. Viola and I sat together for a short moment and considered the rest area and the motel.

“What do you want to do?” she asked.

The snow had picked up, a swirling mess of white that blocked our view of the Hotel sign.

“Maybe I should get back on the road? If it keeps snowing like this...” Wind buffeted the car, and an icy blast rocked us

At least we were off the road and not stuck out there with the rest of the traffic, because if it kept snowing like this, then being on the freeway wouldn’t be fun.

“Does it say anything about the weather?”

“Freak storm, blah blah, accident, blah blah.” Viola glanced at me worriedly. “We should have left earlier; I’m sorry.”

A few more cars joined us in the parking area, then a couple more, and the parking lot was filling quickly.

“Do we get a coffee and wait to see if it stops or...” her gaze was on the hotel.

“Give up and get a room?” I finished for her.

People were hurrying to the front door of the tiny motel, and I watched the snow settling on the front of the car.

Was it going to stop any time soon?

“Screw it,” I said. “Let’s just get a room for the night. It’s pretty late anyway. It’s probably better to sleep than drive tired in this weather. Would you be okay with that?” I met Vie’s eyes.

She bit on her lower lip and nodded.

“I’d be okay with that.”

There was a shift in her tone, and I was left not wanting to turn away.

Had Viola really needed to sound that seductive?

And what the hell was with that lip-bite?

I cleared my throat and zipped up my jacket. There were no belongings to grab, so after checking that I had my phone and wallet secured, I got out of the car.

So cold.

I hunched up my shoulders as I waited for Viola to exit the car, and then together we made our way through the snow and to the hotel. After the others on the road had called it quits on their journeys, too, Viola and I found ourselves in a line, with other people who were all talking dramatically about what they’d turned off to avoid.

“Heard a truck jack-knifed...”
“Blocked for hours...”
“Ugh, snow...”

All in all, it seemed we’d made the right decision. There was a chance to get two rooms, but the queue was long behind us, so it made sense to share. I didn’t even think about the only one-bed thing... or at least I did, but I was determined not to be that guy because Viola didn’t seem worried at all.

We could easily keep our hands off each other, take things slow, and maybe talk chemistry equations from opposite sides of the bed.

After a short wait, we were able to get a room and were checked in for the night.

“Oh, it’s nice and warm in here,” Viola said as she kicked off her shoes, then shuffled inside to make way for me.

I shut the door, shook the last of the snow from my hair, and shrugged off my jacket. I glanced at Viola, who had taken a seat on the end of the huge bed.

Some pillows down the center and it would be absolutely fine.
I won’t kiss Viola.
I won’t roll over accidentally in my sleep and snuggle her. I’m a grown-ass man.
I have control.

“I guess this will do us for tonight.”

Viola smiled.

“I guess.”

I toed off my shoes and stood for a moment, my eyes on her. I swallowed, my mind not missing the fact it was the two of them, alone, sharing a bed for the night.

“Erm” I thread a hand through my hair. “I need to make a quick call. Is that okay?”

“Oh of course. Go ahead.”

I headed to the back of the room and into the bathroom. I pushed the door closed, leaving only a small gap. Pulling out my cell phone, I first contacted Mars.

“My parents have your number so, though I’m sure it won’t be necessary for them to use it. But if anything comes up will you be okay to handle it?”

“Of course,” she said. “And youʼll take care of Vie for me.”

“Will do.”

“Did you get one room or two?”

“One, there were so many people lining up, families too—”

“One room, one bed...”

Is that a warning?

Was Mars warning me not to mess with Viola?

“That’s not a thing,” I muttered, but Mars ended the call after a snort of laughter.

Clearly, not a warning then.

Asshole.

I then went on to call my mom, explaining in length about the accident, the snow, and the hotel, and she didn’t stop me.

“I’m just glad you’re safe, baby,” my mom said when I took a breath. “Thanks for letting us know.”

“Everything’s okay, yes?” I needed to be there.

What if my mom needed me, and my dad couldn’t help?

“Of course, it is.”

I leaned back against the basin.

“I’ve let Mars know, so if anything does happen, you can call her. Do you need her phone number again or—”

“Sinclair Travis Bergman” she stopped me. We have Marcelinaʼs number. And weʼll be okay so stop worrying and go get some rest, okay, baby?”

I sighed.

“Yes, Mom,” I said with a chuckle. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Sure, baby. Be safe.”

“You, too. Bye for now.”

“Goodnight. Iʼll kiss your grinch of a father for you.”

“Mom” I groaned with a small laugh.

I let my mom hang up first, then I straightened. I left the bathroom to find Viola where I had left her, sitting on the foot of the bed.

“All done?” she looked up at me.

“Yeah,” I joined her and sat next to her.

I rested my hand on the comforter, my fingers within reach of Viola’s. With a sigh, I stared around the room, trying to decide where to turn my attention. I was surprised when Viola rested her hand over mine.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, yeah” I flicked my tongue over my bottom lip and lifted my gaze. “Are you?”

Our eyes met and I was hit by a wave of desire. Viola’s ocean gaze was suddenly so intense. She tilted her head slightly, leaning closer.

What is going through her head? Is it the same thoughts, and feelings as mine?

Because the only thought I had right then was...

I want to kiss her.