Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
To think.
To remember.
To come to terms with the fact that something profound still existed between us.
Time was no match for a love like ours—even if tragedy had been a hurdle I’d failed to overcome.
“And good morning to you too,” I replied, fighting the urge to drag her into a hug.
She was gorgeous standing there in a pair of tight pink athletic shorts and a black tank top that hugged the swell of her breasts. Her hair was down, hanging just below her shoulders, and she’d changed her nose ring from a flat silver stud to a tiny pink gem that somehow unlocked the sacred middle ground between sexy and cute. I hadn’t been a fan of her piercing at first, but I had to admit it had grown on me.
Music played softly as she closed the door, locking it behind me. However, the second that lock clicked, an awkwardness blanketed the room.
My eyebrows furrowed as I looked down and found her fidgeting with her shorts.
Fuck. She was nervous.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. I, uh, just didn’t expect you to be here so early.” Her voice was flat as her eyes scanned the room, landing on everything but me.
Double fuck.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. No time like the present.” Or the four hours I’d been stalking you before that.
She finally tilted her head back to peer up at me, an emotion I couldn’t quite put my finger on clouding her eyes. “Yeah. It’s gonna be a long day. You sure you’re up for this?”
“I’ve never been more ready for something in my life.” When I’d formulated the thought, I’d meant it in relation to getting my hands dirty and whipping that restaurant into shape. But the moment the words came out of my mouth, the double meaning was not lost on me.
She winced and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
Triple fuck.
Okay, so maybe that kiss hadn’t gone as well for her as it had for me.
“Can you help me move some boxes in the kitchen?” she asked, walking away.
“Sure.” I followed after her, hoping like hell I was reading her wrong. I came to an abrupt stop as soon as I walked through the swinging door. “Wow,” I breathed.
She must have had a big delivery since I’d been gone, because it had only remotely resembled a kitchen when I’d left on Thursday. Now, brand-new stainless-steel appliances gleamed under the bright overhead lights. A massive commercial range dominated one wall, its burners and oven doors untouched, still covered in a plastic film. The prep station, expansive and orderly, stood in the center like the heart of the kitchen. All that was missing was the hustle and bustle of culinary excellence.
“This is incredible.”
Whatever was going on with her at the moment couldn’t mask her pride. “Right?”
The song playing through the Bluetooth speaker ended, fading into another slow, melancholy melody—each note dripping with sorrow and regret. The atmosphere in the room grew heavier as the somber tune filled the air. It was a far cry from her normal chaotic compilations ranging from of Outkast to *NSYNC.
“What’s going on with your playlist today? I feel like we should be at a funeral, not prepping for world restaurant domination.”
It was a joke.
Something I’d hoped would lighten the mood and engage her in a bit of friendly banter.
I had never—in my entire life—been more wrong.
A sharp burst of laughter erupted from her lips, but her face held no humor. “And how the hell would you know anything about funerals, Truett?”
My chin jerked to the side—and not just because of her sudden outburst. Her tone was downright scathing.
I lifted my hands in surrender, belatedly realizing the nerve I’d struck. “I’m sorry, I—”
“For fuck’s sake, can you say anything besides I’m sorry?”
I clamped my mouth shut, confusion crinkling my forehead. “Gwen, baby, I—”
Her eyes flashed wide. “Don’t do that. Don’t baby me with your sexy voodoo hypnotism shit.”
I swallowed hard, desperately trying to follow the bouncing ball of her emotions and failing in spectacular fashion. Drawing in a deep breath, I made sure to keep the frustration out of my tone as I pleaded, “Look, can we just take a second to breathe? Maybe talk this out? I genuinely don’t understand what’s happening right now.”
She threw her hands up in the air, slapping them against her thighs as she brought them down. “Me either. That’s always been our problem. I don’t understand anything. You kept me in the dark for so long, and now you’re back, kissing me, making me question my entire life. How am I supposed to process that when I still don’t even know why you left me?”
Infinity fuck.
I blinked at her, the boulder of guilt I carried with me at all times becoming so heavy it crushed my chest. She deserved answers, the truth, and most of all, closure. It was something I knew she’d been waiting for, so her question might have come out of left field, but it was no surprise.