Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Before I can decline, Cole is jumping up and down. “Mom, please, can we go?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say no, but Cole looks so hopeful I don’t have the heart to say it. I loop my arm around his neck and look around at Holden’s family. They’re all looking at me expectantly. I glance at Holden, and he nods his head at me. “Okay, if you’re sure we won’t be intruding.”
Dom comes over and puts one arm around me. “Intruding? No way. We want you to come… right, Holden?”
Holden looks at his brother and growls. “Yeah, we do.”
Dom has a huge smirk on his face when he says to me, “And you and Cole can ride with me.”
Holden looks as if he’s about to rip Dom’s arm off his shoulder, but his voice is very steady. “They came here with me. They’re going home with me so they’re going to ride with me.”
Even though Holden is holding himself tensely, he smiles when he looks at me. “You ready to go?”
I nod. “Come on, Cole. See you at the restaurant, everyone.”
They all say bye as we walk the different directions to our cars.
Cole runs up ahead of us as Holden falls into step beside me. “I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that we rode here together. I should have driven separately so you could have enjoyed lunch with your family.”
He blows out a breath and seems frustrated. “I like being with you and Cole. Why do you find that so hard to believe, Cat?”
With my head down, I mutter, “Because my ex, Cole’s father, walked out on us without a second glance, and I promised myself that I would never put him, put myself, through that again.”
“So this is not about me or because you think I’m some kind of player… this is about you and your fears.”
“Does it really matter, Holden? This is all this can be. We’re from two very different worlds, and once you get back to your real life, you’ll realize it.”
He opens his mouth just as Cole hollers from the side of the truck, “Hey, Mom, can I get a piece of the cinnamon apple Blaze cake?”
I pick up my pace because being alone with Holden makes me want things I know I can’t have. “Yeah, and you know what? I think I’ll get me a piece too.”
Holden gets into the driver’s side of the truck, and Cole asks him, “What about you, Holden? You getting a piece of the cinnamon apple cake?”
He shrugs. “I'll snag a bite from someone, but my boss says I'm training and gotta watch my sugar.”
Cole seems to think about it. “Why don’t we get one piece of cake and all three of us can share it together?”
I agree with Cole. “That’s a good idea, let’s do that.”
Holden turns in his seat and gives Cole a long look and then does the same to me. The way he stares at me hits me right in the chest. It’s a look of longing and wanting to belong, and even though Cole just offered to share cake with him, it seems like it means so much more. “I like that idea,” he mutters, his voice thick with emotion.
I want to reach for him and hold his hand. I want to tell him that I like spending time with him and give him everything he wants just so that sad look on his face will go away, but I don’t do any of that. I can’t. My son is already so attached to him that he’s going to be sad when we return to our home on the other side of town. I’m already grieving that the “fling” is running out of time. I remind myself again that this is temporary and force a smile to my face and then look out the window as Holden drives us across town.
25
HOLDEN
It’s been two days since I’ve had Cat in my arms, and I miss her. She’s determined to keep things on the up and up when we’re doing therapy, and we haven’t had any extra alone time. The need to talk to her is intense.
I stare up at the ceiling of my bedroom, debating what I should do. Fuck it, what have I got to lose?
I pick up my phone off the bedside table. I take a deep breath and text her. “Hey.”
I roll my eyes as soon as I hit send. Real smooth, Gray.
She texts back almost immediately. “Hey.”
Encouraged that she didn’t just leave me on read, I reply, “I want to see you.”
My phone lights up with her reply. “You saw me all day.”
I lean up. “Are you coming to me or am I coming to you?”
The dots pop up that she’s typing, and then she stops. I type out really quick. “Don’t think about it. Just come to me, Cat.”