Wrecked (Dirty Air Series Book 3)

I spend three hours on the train nibbling my thumbnail, tapping my foot, and checking the time on my phone. Not even listening to music can settle my nerves. Talking to Carly took the edge off in the beginning, but now that I’m alone with too much time to think, the anxiety is back in full force.

Daniel leaving Naiad could be a huge declaration. No one leaves the job they enjoy unless they have a damn good reason. And if his reason is not wanting to hide his relationship with me… Oh God, that’s a lot. That’s big. That’s a confession without having to say the words.

That’s more than I ever expected.

I’m on my feet when the train pulls into Penn Station, and I practically trip down the steps and onto the platform. I drag my suitcase along behind me on the cracked concrete, making an absolute racket as I go, dodging and weaving around people who are moving too slowly. I need to get out of here, need to be out in the city instead of stuck in its writhing belly.

When the escalator finally drops me in the train hall, I stop and breathe. I can’t just storm to the Upper West Side and hope to run into him. I need a game plan.

Now that I have better reception, I pull out my phone to call him. He better fucking answer this time. If he ignores another one of my calls or texts, I’m going to—

“Selene.”

My phone nearly tumbles from my hand at my name. The sound of it rolls off the speaker’s tongue with such warm familiarity, yet it doesn’t stop my heart from racing. It takes a moment before I can will myself turn toward the voice.

“Daniel,” I exhale, so relieved to see him that I almost laugh, despite the furious disbelief coursing through me. All of this is so outrageous. I jumped off a train at midnight to see a man. How embarrassing. “You fucking asshole.”

He isn’t fazed by my insult or the way I storm over to him. I barely resist the urge to kick him in the groin like I’ve so desperately wanted to do for years now. All my rage has rushed back, replacing the nerves.

“I can’t believe you,” I seethe, only stopping once I’m in his face. “You quit last week? And you didn’t tell me? You better have a damn good explanation.”

“I do,” he says simply. His level of calm just makes me angrier. “I got a better job.”

I wait for him to elaborate, but when he doesn’t, I throw my hands up. Of course when I need him to actually talk to me, he goes back to his vague little answers. Un-fucking-believable.

“Okay, sure, let’s go with that!” I release a heavy breath after my outburst, trying to chill a little. We won’t get anywhere if I’m about to burst a blood vessel, and I really don’t want to be the crazy lady screaming in the train station. “Why quit so suddenly? Why not put in your two weeks? And why”—my voice breaks—“why not tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry.”

Is this man for real?

“A little late for that!” I snap. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the past twelve hours? Twiddling my thumbs?” I shake my head and press my fingers to my brow, once again trying to convince my blood pressure to come down. “You know what?” I say as I drop my hands, fighting to keep my voice even. “I’m happy for you. I’m sure this new position is better than your old one.”

“It is,” he says easily, still infuriatingly calm. “I signed the contract today. I wanted to wait until it was official to tell you, but I didn’t think it was going to take this long.”

I deflate a little, my anger dipping a notch. “I—Okay. But why not share this with me? I could have handled it. I could have kept a secret.” I swallow back the lump in my throat. “And why make me come all the way here to tell me when it could have been a phone call?”

“Because I needed to look you in the eye when I said it. So you’d believe me. I didn’t want you to doubt me.” He angles in a little closer, forcing me to either stand my ground or shift back. I don’t move. “I didn’t quit because I found another job.”

My heart picks up the pace, thumping hard, because I already know what he’s going to say. But I still want to hear it. “Then why did you quit?”

There’s no distance left between us now. He cups my jaw with both hands, forcing me to look at him. Whatever remains of my anger floods away when I meet his gaze. The look in his eye is so sincere that I don’t even care that this is happening in the middle of the busy train hall. Only the two of us exist right now.

“I quit so you wouldn’t ever have to worry about losing your job because of me,” he murmurs. “So that you would never have to choose between me and your career.” He strokes a thumb over my cheekbone, the tenderness of it threatening to reduce me to tears. “I know how much you love it. And I never want to jeopardize it. I want you to keep doing what you dreamed of.” He presses his forehead against mine. “Do you see now why I didn’t want to tell you this over the phone?”

“I think I get it,” I whisper, pressing my hands to his chest. Beneath my palms, his heart beats strong. “You quit for me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he says, but the hint of a smile on his lips softens the words. “I quit so I could keep doing this and not get in trouble for it.”

There’s no hesitation when his mouth finds mine. The kiss is slow, soft, teasing. It’s so quintessentially Daniel that I lose my breath in a split second. He slides one hand into my hair and the other to my waist, knowing instinctively that my knees are about to give out.

He knows me. This man I was once convinced didn’t know shit about me now understands exactly who I am and what I need. I don’t know how it happened, and I don’t know if I ever will. But I don’t care. I’m just glad it did, because this is worth every up and down and misstep and challenge we’ve faced to get to this moment.

This is everything.

Eventually, he pulls back, leaving me to catch the breath he’s stolen away. “I didn’t do this for you,” he reminds me, but the more he says it, the less I believe it. “I did it because I’m selfish. Because I don’t want to be told what to do. Because it makes me happy to give you anything you want, and I refuse to let anyone stop me.” He pauses and licks his bottom lip. “And also because this new job pays three times more than I was making before.”

“That last one is a pretty damn good reason on its own,” I commend. My voice is somehow level, even though my heart is threatening to burst out of my chest.

“It was the others that convinced me.” The honesty in his dark eyes nearly breaks me. “That first night we were together, after the holiday party…I told you my job was to look out for the company, not you.”

A wry smile twists its way onto my face at the memory. What a night that was. “I remember.”

“It was a shitty thing to say, but it was true,” he admits. “Now, though, I’ll never have to do that again.” He takes a breath, but unlike the way all of mine shake, his is steady. “No more having to take risks. No more hiding. What do you say?”

I let the question hang between us for a moment, but I’ve already got my answer. “I like the way that sounds.”

“Good.” I feel his smile as he kisses me again. His lips linger on mine, then he whispers, “Come home with me.”

I pull back. “To your apartment?” I ask, but of course that’s what he means. I try to make a joke of it instead. “That’s a…pretty big step, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve only ever been on a single date.”

He laughs softly, shaking his head. “I think we’ve already taken much bigger steps.”

“You’re right.” I give into him easily for what might be the first time—though not completely. “I mean, you did quit your job for me after all.”

He fights a grin. He knows what he’s getting into with me. “No, I didn’t.”

“Mm, keep telling yourself that.”

I can joke all I want. I can tease him and let him tease me back. But this is what I want. No matter how much I’ve tried to hide and disguise it. How much I’ve tried to deny it in an attempt to protect my heart.

But I can’t deny it anymore. I love him. I want to be with him. There’s no reason to shy away. He wants this as much as I do, and he’s made it abundantly clear.

Now the world can know too.

“Take me home, Daniel,” I tell the man I swore to hate forever. “I’m ready.”