Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
While that warmed my heart, I still felt very much in limbo when it came to Tristan and me. “Where does that leave me, though? Pining for the one living man who truly cares for me but won’t allow anything more to happen because of my history with his son?”
“You don’t think that the fact that Jacob seemed to move on from his heartbreak regarding you changes anything for Tristan?” my mother asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure. But Tristan has to get back to L.A. for work very soon, and I need to start getting used to not having him around.”
“Have you actually ever made your feelings clear to him?” Leah asked. “Maybe part of his hesitation is that he doesn’t realize how strong your feelings are. Maybe if you told him, that would make a difference.”
She was right. Despite Tristan showing me how much he cared, I’d been holding back in reciprocating, mostly out of fear of rejection, and a little out of lingering guilt over Jacob.
I couldn’t let Tristan go back to L.A. without telling him how I truly felt, even if he still believed we couldn’t be together. It was a risk I’d have to take.
***
I didn’t tell Tristan I was coming when I showed up at his rental home late that evening.
He beamed upon answering the door. “Hey. This is a surprise…”
“Is this a bad time?”
“No. Of course not. My door’s always open for you.”
“I was hoping we could go somewhere and talk, actually. Not here.”
“Yeah. Of course. Anywhere you have in mind?”
“There’s this restaurant I’ve been wanting to take you to. They’re still open, I think.”
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s jump in my car and go.”
Tristan drove as I directed him to the restaurant, and when he saw what it was, he cracked up.
“McDonald’s.” He laughed. “Good one.” Tristan pulled his hood up and put on sunglasses so he wouldn’t be recognized.
As we entered the McDonald’s, I asked the cashier, “Are you closing soon?”
“Yeah, in fifteen minutes.”
I winked at Tristan. “Perfect.”
We ordered our food and sat down at a table by the window that offered a view of the dark and nearly desolate parking lot.
“I can’t believe this.” He chuckled.
“Well, you said you wanted to eat a burger alone at a McDonald’s at closing time. Except you’re not alone. I’m here. Hope that’s okay.”
“That’s more than okay, beautiful.” Tristan grinned.
“Needless to say, we have to eat fast.” I popped a fry into my mouth.
A woman mopped the floor around us.
Tristan spoke in a low voice. “Did you arrange for her to be mopping the floor, too? Because that’s a really nice touch to the whole closing-time thing.”
“Pure luck. Can you believe it?”
He bit into his burger and spoke with his mouth full. “You’re adorable.”
“Do you feel normal right now?”
“You know?” He wiped his mouth. “It’s not what it’s cracked up to be. The only thing I really love about this moment is the person sitting across from me. I don’t think I would’ve been happy here alone, despite my previous, depressing fantasy.”
I smiled.
“I’m glad you came by tonight, Emily. I’ve been sort of stuck in a rut, not sure what to do. I have to get back to L.A., but I don’t want to leave you. It feels like an impossible situation.”
“I don’t want you to leave, either. That’s one of the reasons I came to see you tonight. I need to tell you how I feel before it’s too late, Tristan.”
Before I could say anything else, the woman who’d been mopping the floor interrupted my pivotal moment.
“I’m sorry, I’m gonna have to ask you guys to leave,” she said. “We’re closed.”
“Sorry…” Tristan said. “We’ll go.”
We promptly threw our trash away and headed out the door. “Are you satisfied now? You’ve nearly been kicked out of a McDonald’s.”
“Not sure anything can top that.” He put his arm around me as we walked to his car. “Let’s finish this conversation back at the house, though. Okay?”
The ride to Tristan’s was quiet as I attempted to gather my thoughts. He took my hand in his and held it the entire way there.
Something shifted between us. He held my hand with confidence. He’d asked me without hesitation to come back to his house. Something told me I wasn’t going back home tonight.
After Tristan parked, I followed him inside, but we barely got a few feet into the place before he put his hand at my hip, gently rubbing my side.
“Finish what you were about to tell me at McDonald’s.”
I took a deep breath. “There’s only one thing to say. And that’s that I’m crazy about you, Tristan. I don’t know where to begin explaining why because there are so many reasons. You make me feel like I’m the most special person in the world. Watching how you’ve shown your love for Jacob these past weeks has only made my feelings grow. You’re a damn good man.”