Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“I know what that’s like…being lonely. Sometimes, I think my life is defined by my loneliness. I’m surrounded by people all the time, but I swear I’ve never felt so alone being out in Los Angeles. So let me join you,” I told her.
She raised an eyebrow, confused by my comment. Honestly, I wasn’t certain I understood it completely, either.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, let me join you.” I leaned in toward her and placed my hands on her kneecaps. “We can be lonely together.”
Her eyes fell to my hands on her legs. Was the touch too much? Did she like it? Did she want it? Did I cross a line? I stared at my hand’s placement but didn’t move them. The heat radiating from her smooth brown skin was sending shock waves of light into me.
A few tears fell against my hands. That made me look up once more to those eyes of hers. Tears streamed down Hailee’s cheeks, and she was quick to try to wipe them away. She shifted her legs, making me remove my hands.
“Hails, if this is too much, we can—”
“No.” She cut in, shaking her head. “It’s just… There’s no one in this world I’d rather be lonely with.”
We talked for a while longer before lying down to count the stars.
One… two… three…
“Forty-five.” Hailee pointed.
“You already counted that one,” I exclaimed.
She tilted her head toward me and scrunched up her nose. “I definitely didn’t count that one.”
“But you did.”
“Didn’t.”
“Did!”
“Is this the hill you want to die on, Walters? After five years of bad cell phone service?” she questioned.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes, looking back up at the night sky. “Forty-five.”
34
Aiden
* * *
“Holy shit!” Hailee hollered as she walked out of the bakery the morning after our two-people-considering-a-friendship-again date, which, by the way, was a success.
“Sorry, did I scare you?” I asked.
“My gosh, Aiden. Are you insane? You scared me shitless!” she said, swatting my chest with her hand. “What are you doing here? How long have you been standing out here?”
“Not long.” That was a lie. I’d been there for forty-five minutes. I stood outside of the bakery the following morning with a carrying tray holding two coffee cups. Coffee that was probably cold. In my other hand was a brown paper bag with two croissants. And on my head? The IT clown mask. I didn’t want to risk her having to be seen with me in public.
“Oh no, I just so happened to be walking by. So weird running into you. I was just picking up my morning coffee and croissants.”
She gave me a deadpan expression. “Wearing an IT mask?”
“There might have been a small hope that I’d run into you, and I didn’t want people seeing us together—per your request.”
“That was very thoughtful of you, you weirdo, but I have to get to work.”
“Yeah, of course. By all means.” I gestured to the sidewalk.
She started walking in the direction of the inn, and I followed alongside her. She stopped her footsteps, and I stopped mine. “What are you doing, Aiden?”
“Walking.”
“I see that. Why are you walking near me?”
I shrugged. “We must be going to the same place.”
“I’m going to work.”
“That’s funny. I was just heading to the inn.” I lifted one of the cups of coffee and held it out toward her. “Coffee? Is your order still a caramel latte?”
“It is.” She narrowed her eyes at me but took the cup of coffee. She started walking again, and I continued next to her for a while. I hummed a tune as I moved beside her. Every now and again, she’d glance at me with that grumpy grump look she loved to sport early in the morning, and then she’d look forward again. That went on for about three minutes before her grumbles grew in volume, and she let out a growl. Was that a growl? Did Hailee Jones just growl at me?
“What are you doing? And no wise-guy stuff, either. Tell me why you’re following me!” she ordered.
I cleared my throat. “Well, last night, you said you were lonely. You mentioned you wake up alone, go to work alone, come home alone, and go to bed alone. I just wanted to cancel out some of those lonely moments. And I figured you wouldn’t want me to wake up with you, but I mean, if you want me in your bed in the mornings, by all means…”
“Aiden. Focus.”
“Right. So since I can’t wake up with you, I figured I could at least walk you to work.”
She huffed. “That’s stupid.”
“I’m dumb.”
“You’re not wrong.” Her eyes shifted to the brown paper bag in my hand. “Do you have an extra croissant for me?”
“I just so happen to have one, yes.”
“Give it.”
“A little demanding, aren’t we? You know, some men are into that kind of thing.” It’s me. I’m some men.