Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
She walked over and sat down beside him, covering his tanned, warm hand in hers. “I realize you may never forgive me but at least tell me you understand? I’m grateful enough you’re willing to help me but staying here with those walls you put up between us?” She felt the heaviness in her throat and swallowed hard, not wanting to break down in front of him. “It’s just… I missed you and I’d like us to at least be friends.”
She knew better than to hope for more. He had a life without her, although she wasn’t sure if that included a wife or girlfriend. Though she doubted he would have kissed her last night if he had someone in his life. At least, the boy she knew long ago wouldn’t have.
And she and her sister had their own lives, too. Dani had school and friends, and Hadley had her students to go home to… assuming she wasn’t fired and it ever became safe to return.
Even if a part of her heart would always belong to Zach.
* * *
Hadley’s explanation made perfect sense. All these years, Zach had resented her leaving and not contacting him, thinking he could have protected her, but she was right. Family and money wouldn’t have been enough to go up against a threat he probably wouldn’t have seen coming. He’d been a skinny kid with impressive computer abilities for his age. It wasn’t until she’d disappeared that he’d overhauled his entire persona.
Tired of being made fun of because his girlfriend had disappeared, and the jokes about her not wanting to be with a nerd so she’d had to pack up her whole life and leave, he’d hit the gym. Built up his muscles. And continued to search for Hadley, hanging out in Internet Relay Chat and honing his skills.
But her point was well-taken. The fact that she’d tried to keep him safe went a long way towards smoothing the sharp edges of his anger. When he stopped thinking with his emotions, he knew she had done the right thing by following the FBI’s instructions to cut all ties. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t keep his walls up and defenses high, for when she eventually left him again. Something she’d already told him she planned to do as soon as her father said it was safe to return.
“Zach?” Her hand was still covering his.
He exhaled a deep breath, feeling his resentment ebb.
“Yeah. Just thinking. It’s a lot to process.” And he didn’t believe rehashing things would help nor was he ready to explain his past after she’d left. They had time. “I’m working on getting over it,” he assured her. “And yes, I understand.”
“I’m glad.” Her eyes glittered with gratitude.
“How about we go phone shopping?” He changed the subject and she hopped up from her seat.
“Yes! Let me run and get ready.”
He nodded, appreciating the break from the intensity of their conversation, and escaped to his bedroom where he changed into a pair of cargo shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers.
A little while later, she came back into the kitchen wearing black leggings and a matching T-shirt with bright fluorescent colors that said, “Sorry, is my teaching interrupting all your talking?”
He grinned at the saying. “You followed your dream,” he said, impressed. “You’re a teacher?”
“I am.” Her shoulders straightened. “I was able to go to school on loans and qualify for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Plan.”
He nodded. “That’s great.”
“Except I had to leave without notice, and I’ll need to come up with an excuse for missing the last week of school and hope I’m back by the next year. But I’ll figure something out.”
“Ready to go out?”
“Yes.” She pulled the strap of her handbag up on her shoulder. “I just wish I had something better to wear. I packed so quickly, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t thinking, you were panicking.” And for the first time, he allowed himself to consider her feelings when he’d dropped her off at home only to find out life as she knew it was over at sixteen years old.
Now it was happening all over again and the least he could do was make things easier. She’d given him more insight that allowed him to lower his walls because he could finally acknowledge she’d suffered too.
She was waiting for a reply about her clothing. He already loved the saying on the shirt. Now he took in the tight fit of her outfit and thought she looked sexy in her clothes. But having sisters and sisters-in-law, he knew women cared more about these things.
“You can always go shopping.” As long as she was with him or his family and he felt she was safe.
She parted her lips. “Oh. I appreciate that but I need to find some kind of job to make money under the table before I can afford to go. I’ll just make do with what I brought.”