More Issues In Aruba | ✔️

Chapter 25

"Haley?"

I blinked, my mirage of caressing Nate slowly fading. He was holding his hand out to lead me towards the car.

"Right, sorry. I was just...distracted."

We walked out of the lobby and towards the front of the hotel where a black car was waiting for us.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked me.

"Uh, just guessing what we're doing tonight. Are we headed to another adrenaline rushing adventure?" I asked him, hopping into the back of the car with him.

"No, tonight, we're doing something a bit more relaxed," He winked at me. "Dinner at a restaurant overlooking the water."

I closed my eyes and smiled. "I already feel the relaxation."

"I figured we'd need it before coming back home and being thrown back into the chaos," He said with hint of sadness in his voice.

I exhaled a deep breath. I wasn't looking forward to going back home as much as he was. I wished that life could be just as easy and breezy as this retreat has been. "I'm definitely on board with you on that."

"Just thinking about the amount of paperwork stacked on my desk waiting for me makes me want to consider buying a hut here and never leaving," Nate chuckled, grabbing my hand in his. "But, let's worry about all that tomorrow. Tonight, we focus on us."

I mirrored his smile. "Agreed."

Once at the restaurant, I experienced first hand that when Nate said something, he meant it. Our single table was literally settled on a small dock that was right above the water with a perfect view of the sunset. Above it, they had hung string lights tied to the posts of the dock which illuminated a round table that was a size perfect for two. There were rose petals thrown around the dinner settings and candles as a centerpiece.

Nate, like the gentleman he was, held out my chair and scooted me into the table before he sat down.

"You always do it big or not at all," I commented, feeling a warm breeze gush past us. It was an extraordinarily beautiful night, and I couldn't' believe that this was how I was spending my last night in Aruba.

In absolute peace.

"Nothing is too big for you," He said, reaching across the table for my hand. "I wanted to do something special for our last night here."

"You know I don't need anything special, right? As long as it's just us, it's special enough," I reminded him.

Oh, who are you kidding Haley? You are loving this.

He nodded, the wind blowing his hair back and highlighting that tantalizing smile that makes me melt. "Of course, that's what I like most about you. You could care less about all of this. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve it."

Jesus, what was he trying to do to me?

"Good evening, I will be your server tonight," A young girl arrived at our table in a server's uniform.

She read the specials and went over the wine list, all of which I hadn't even paid attention to because Nate and I couldn't take our eyes off of each other for a second. He apparently was listening carefully to what she was saying because he ordered some seafood dish and a bottle of wine for the both of us since I was rendered completely speechless.

"Something on your mind?" He asked once she left us to ourselves.

I cleared my throat. Was I going to act like a complete idiot the whole night? "Just...in awe, that's all. You never fail to surprise me."