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)
“I’ll have the same.” I motion with my head toward Ryan, and she pushes back as she makes the two cups of coffee, placing them on the stainless-steel ledge I know Ryan and Eddie soldered on there. I look behind me and see a couple more guys coming out to get some coffee.
“Are you okay?” Ryan asks, looking around.
“Yeah, why?” I answer.
“You look like you are about to go all Hulk.” He snickers as she comes back with two donuts wrapped in a white bag.
“There you guys go.” She hands me mine.
“Thanks, baby,” I say, and as soon as I say it, it feels like everyone around us stops talking and looks over to us. “I’ll pay you tonight, yeah?” I tell her, and she smirks, looking down at her hands. “Have a good day.” I wink at her, turning and walking away from her, knowing everyone, and I mean everyone, saw, including the douchebag who flirted with her.
“Oh my God,” Ryan finally blurts when we are on the sidewalk as he huffs out a deep breath. “I thought we were going to get pummeled to death with stones and hammers.” He looks over his shoulder. “What the fuck, dude?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I take a sip of the coffee.
“You are one crazy son of a bitch.” He shakes his head. “I thought you didn’t like her.”
“We dated,” I finally tell him and he stops walking, literally stops in the middle of the sidewalk.
“What?” he shrieks, his voice high and pitchy.
“A long time ago,” I explain to him. “Didn’t end well.”
“Wait a second.” He holds up his hand.
“Before or after Saige?” he asks, trying to piece everything together.
“Before.” I don’t wait for him, so he has to jog to me. “Way before. Was going to marry her.”
“Shit,” he swears. “I’m so sorry, man.”
“Yeah, you aren’t the only one,” I reply, pulling open the door. “Now get your ass to work. You’re five minutes late.”
He laughs, shaking his head, walking into the garage while I walk to my office. I toss my keys on the top of it and look out the window to see the construction workers have also left to go to work.
I pull out my phone and text her.
Me: Have a great day!
It takes her a couple of seconds to send me back a text.
Everleigh: What was that all about?
I shake my head and smile.
Me: I don’t know what you mean! Dinner tonight, my house? Five?
I’m waiting for her to answer me, looking down at the phone, when a call comes in from Winston, and my hand grips the phone even tighter. I press the red decline button, sending him to voicemail, knowing the mailbox is full and he won’t be able to leave me a message.
My phone beeps in my hand, and I see I have a text from Winston.
Winston: You need to call me back, and we need to settle this.
But my eyes are on the next text that comes in, and I’m smiling even bigger than I did when I saw her.
Everleigh: We shouldn’t… but I’ll be there.
Chapter Twenty-Five
EVERLEIGH
I inhale and open my bedroom door, walking out and down the steps. I find my mother in the kitchen walking to the stove wearing cutoff jeans and a loose tank top. “Hey,” she says, looking over her shoulder as she bastes the chicken she has been roasting. “Dinner is almost done.”
“I’m not eating at home.” I stand here in the middle of the kitchen. “I’m going out.”
“Where are you going?” She tosses the dish towel on the counter beside her.
“This morning I couldn’t get into it,” I say, pulling out a chair and sitting down, “but now I can.” She eyes me. “What did you mean that you knew what it was like to let go of the one thing that you’ve loved?”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t about me.”
“What did you mean, Momma?” I ask softly. She’s about to say something when the door opens, and Oliver stops dead in his tracks, taking in the scene. My mother has tears running down her face, and she quickly wipes them away.
“What’s going on?” Oliver questions, coming into the room and looking at both of us.
I turn to him. “Oliver, how long have you known my mother?”
“Everleigh,” my mother snaps, and I shake my head.
Oliver walks over to my mother and smiles at her. “She’s old enough to know.”
“I would hope so. I’m in my thirties.” I about slap the table, losing patience with both of them.
“We’ve known each other since high school,” Oliver answers, wrapping one arm around her neck. “We dated back then.” My eyes open as I look at him and then my mother. “I got into medical school at the same time I asked her to marry me.”
“Oliver,” she hisses at him at the same time I gasp out in shock, my hand going to my mouth.