Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“You have Saige this week?” he asks, knowing that unless I have Saige, I’m always the last one to leave.
“No,” I reply, “but I have something to do.” I don’t give him a chance to ask me anything before I walk back to my office and grab my keys. When I walk back out, he’s still there figuring out all the paperwork and where to put everything. “Leave that. I’m going to see if I can figure it out tomorrow night.”
“Nah,” he says, “I just finished my work order, and it’s too late to start another car, so I’m going to fix this.” He holds up the papers in his hand. “And then head out early unless you need me for anything.”
“I’m good. Take off early,” I say, pushing open the glass door and heading out to my truck. I stop by the grocery store before heading home. Marinating the steaks I bought, I wash the potatoes and then place them in the oven with some carrots before heading back to my bedroom, undressing, and taking a shower.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous before in my life. I don’t even know why I’m that nervous. At almost six o’clock, I open the fridge door to grab myself a beer when I hear a car door slam. My head turns and my eyes immediately go to the front window, where I see her standing there by the driver’s side of the car, parked on the street, looking at the house. I’m sure she’s looking at the changes I’ve done to the front. Like the big glass window that gives the whole house light. Especially with the extension of the two-car garage on one side. The house is painted a bright white with wooden shutters, which is different from the brown it was painted back in the day. I open the beer, watching her from the kitchen as she just looks at the house. I’m wondering if she’s thinking about running away, getting back into the car and taking off. I wouldn’t blame her. Fuck, I might do the same if I was in her shoes. But I watch her take a huge inhale, close her eyes, and then walk back to the back passenger door. She grabs a plate out of the back before making her way up the walkway. I take a pull of the beer and walk toward the door, making it at the same time that she rings the bell.
I pull open the door, and she looks up at me. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set my eyes on. She always has been. Her beauty used to take my breath away, but now it’s so much more. My breath is taken away, but my heart soars in my chest. I know right then and there that I will never love anyone like I love her. She was it for me, and I let her go. I ruined it all. “Hi,” she says with a smile and tears welling in her eyes as she blinks them away.
“Hi,” I say, moving out of the way for her to come in. She steps in, and I smell her perfume, and my dick stirs just by the scent of her. My hands itch to come up and touch her, but I can’t do it to myself. I don’t think I would just stop at touching her. “Welcome,” I add nervously, closing the door behind her. “Come in.”
“Wow,” she declares as she follows me inside and sees the open concept I made the house. “You’ve changed it quite a bit,” she observes. I nod at her, watching her turn, her long, flowered skirt floating around her. The tank top shows off just a touch of her smooth stomach, and I want to get on my knees to kiss her right in the middle and see if she still gets goose bumps from my touch. If she will still shiver. “It’s beautiful,” she finally says, standing looking at the big family room that faces the kitchen. “I made my new donuts.” She holds up the plate, and I lean forward to grab it from her, hoping I can touch her fingers, even if it’s just grazing them. Nothing happens when I take it from her as I look down and see the sugary goodness.
“Do you want something to drink?” I ask as I take the plate to the island, and she looks at me.
“Are you having something?” Her voice is soft as she fidgets with her hands nervously.
“I’m having a beer,” I say, putting the plate down next to the open bottle of beer.
“I’ll have one too, I guess.” I walk over to the fridge, grabbing her one and tossing the cap in the trash before turning to her.
“Cup or bottle?” I know she would always drink out of the bottle back in the day, but she is older. It’s suddenly dawned on me that she had a whole life without me, and I know nothing about it.