Free Seeing Red by Sidney Halston Page A

to talk
about the island. This connection with another person is what she
craved and was the reason she agreed to stay when Alexander asked.
These were experiences that no one else could possibly understand
but her twins.
    It was close to midnight when they arrived back at
the hotel. “I had a great time tonight, Oliver. I almost forgot the
shitty last few days. Thank you.” He looked as if he were in
physical pain; Jillian could tell he wanted to kiss her. The
almost-kiss from the previous night still lingered in the front of
their minds.
    “Anytime, baby. Sweet dreams.” He leaned forward,
and she turned her head so that the kiss landed on her cheek—which
she could tell, by his grim expression, was not his intention. But
he didn’t stop. He opened his mouth, and even though it was only a
kiss on the cheek, it was long, lingering, and sexually-charged.
Her body stiffened. She was too emotionally drained to go down this
path tonight. Her body would definitely betray her if she didn’t
walk—no, run—inside her room immediately.
    “Good night, Oly.” As hard as it was for her to do,
she pulled away. She wanted to assure him that she was not
rejecting him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but not
tonight, or maybe not ever, but it was not for lack of desire. She
opened the door to her room and went in without looking back. After
closing the door, she threw herself on the bed, frustrated.
    The next few days were a mix of waiting, pacing, and
feeling angry. Jill tried to keep a slight distance from Oliver to
avoid the sexual tension that lingered, but in actuality, it was
building up more and more. They did not repeat the attempted kiss
nor talk about it. She knew that he was trying to give her some
space. He was probably waiting for her to make a move. The mutual
electricity between them was undeniable. By the third day, the
awkwardness had significantly alleviated, and they fell back into
their normal banter. By the end of the week, Alexander was to be
released. They still had not been able to see him. When they got to
the hospital, Alexander was gone.
    “What do you mean he isn’t here?” Oliver
demanded.
    “He checked himself out and said he would check
himself into rehab. He asked that the location of the rehab remain
confidential. Sorry, but that’s all I can say.” She walked
away.
    Oliver punched the nearest wall. “I can’t believe
it. He left. Fuck!”
    Jillian dialed Alexander’s number, but the call went
straight to voicemail. “Alexander Jacobs! Where the hell are you?
You left? We’ve been waiting. You need to call me back, right now!
You need to tell me where the hell you are. We’ve been worried sick
about you, and we deserve the courtesy of a damn phone call.”
    “He’s not going to call back, Jillian.”
    “I know.” Jill sighed. “I have to be on a plane
Sunday morning. I need to go back to San Antonio to get my stuff.
It’ll take us most of the day today to get back, and tomorrow is
Saturday.”
    “Okay. Let’s get you home.” He replied, looking
defeated. There was not much else they could do.
    “Home.” She mumbled underneath her breath. Where was
home? She would make her dorm at Georgetown her home for the next
four years. Her entire life, home had been transient. She hoped
things would change because, right now, she felt lost. She felt
homeless. When Jillian left boarding school a few days before
driving to DC, she had realized that her home of the last seven
years had never felt like home. Nothing had felt like home except
her years on the island. Now, she was an adult and would do her
best to make Washington, DC her home. She was going to leave Texas
with a new take on life: a determination to study hard and set up
roots in Washington, DC. She was determined to make friends and to
succeed.
    The drive back to San Antonio was long. She was
hyperaware of Oliver’s hand on her lap and the occasional hand
holding or brushing aside a stranded curl. They talked about