Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“She didn’t come to work this morning. I haven’t checked, but I’m guessing she’s left LA.”
Halley and I stared at each other across the table, the breadsticks cooling between us. “I hope you don’t expect me to help you track her down,” she said, her voice still cold and unforgiving.
“That’s not why I came.” I signaled the waiter and asked for the check.
He blinked at our empty table. “Do you want your food to go?”
“No.” I handed him my credit card.
Halley watched the exchange with growing surprise. “You’re just going to drop that news on me and leave?” she asked in disbelief when the waiter walked away to run the card. “Really going for that father of the year award, aren’t you?”
“Hals, I’ll always want to be the best father I can, but you’re an adult now, and if I’d realized that sooner, I’d be better off.” I kept my voice level. “I’m in love for the first time in my life, and I have to get her back.”
“Even if it means losing me?” She meant to toss the words out as a challenge, but her voice broke, and her eyes filled again.
I hesitated. It was so fucking hard not to comfort her, to tell her she’d always always come first. But I couldn’t leave my future with Lily in her hands. It was time for both of us to grow the fuck up. “I get it if you need time and don’t want to see me for a while, but I’ll always love you more than life and I’ll always be your dad, Hals. It’s just not all I am anymore.”
I stood, hoping she would too. Wanting her to throw herself into my arms like she would when she was a little girl and I was her whole world. But I wasn’t anymore. And that was okay. We both had to learn to let go. When she crossed her arms mutinously–another throwback from her childhood–I nodded once and turned to go.
I had to find Lily.
30
LILY
I didn’t wake up to the smell of apple turnovers or pumpkin bread like I was expecting. Instead, it was the rich, nutty smell of coffee brewing. I rolled over in bed and inhaled deeply, appreciating the scent even as I wondered about it. My mom kept coffee in the house for her best friend and neighbor, Lorraine, but the two of us preferred soda or tea. This seemed like an odd time to take up brewing it for us.
I pulled on an old, tatty robe from high school and padded out, half expecting to see Lorraine sitting at the table. Instead, I saw Con.
His back was to me, but I knew him instantly.
My mouth dropped open, and I looked from his broad shoulders to my mom’s face. She smiled at me. “Good afternoon.”
I stared, completely discombobulated. It couldn’t be the afternoon, and that couldn’t be Con.
I looked first at the clock over the stove and saw it was 12:01. I looked back at the man who had turned and stood from the table. It was really Con. Anger replaced disbelief, elbowing aside the happiness that had tried to surge at the sight of him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m getting that question a lot.”
“Yeah? What’s your answer?” I self-consciously tightened the belt of the robe. Why hadn’t I kept the beautiful silk robe that matched my eyes? Why was I wearing something with ducks printed in irregular intervals instead? My anger took the edge on my happiness. Why was I worrying about what I was wearing when he’d treated me like dirt?
I put my hands on my hips, giving him an unobstructed view of the ducks. “Well?” I asked belligerently.
My mom quietly slipped out of the kitchen. I saw sunlight slice through the living room as she opened the front door. When she shut it behind her, I forced myself to meet Con’s eyes.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his gaze fastened on my face.
I doubted that. My face had to be puffy from all the crying I’d done the past thirty-six hours. “You look like you’re in the wrong place,” I said coldly.
“You asked what I’m doing here,” Con said, shifting directions so quickly I felt disoriented again. He stepped closer. I put my hand up, palm out, warningly. “Halley asked me the same thing when I went to see her. I told her I was there to tell her about you. I told her I never wanted to hurt her, but that I’d fallen in love with you.”
My mouth fell open in surprise.
“When your mom threatened to brain me with a lawn gnome if I didn’t get out of her yard, I told her I wasn’t leaving until I saw you, because I’m in love with you.” Con took another step closer until my hand was resting against his chest.