Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
brOCK
I watch her walk to her car, or better yet, jog to her car. She doesn’t look back when she gets into it and all I can do is watch her drive away. I hate she is leaving, but I’m happy she was here for as long as she was, especially since it wasn’t supposed to be like that.
I felt her head get heavy on my shoulder as we watched the darkness, neither of us saying anything. I was too scared to say a word and then have her leave, so I just stared into the darkness, and for the first time in a long fucking time, I wasn’t angry. There was no anger left inside me, and it felt like a fifty-pound weight was lifted off me. Her head slipped from my shoulder and I softly laid it down in my lap.
My arm then came down and rested on her arm, she curled up in a ball and slept with her head in my lap. I put my head back, looking at the stars, and thanking whatever forces of nature for bringing her back to me. I didn’t think I would be able to fall asleep, but I did and woke when my neck was sore. As I looked down at her, still with her head in my lap, seeing her, feeling her, my cock was awake even before I had a chance to talk it down. Looking at my watch and seeing it was two thirty, I knew she had to get up. I had no choice.
I wasn’t going to kiss her. That was never my intent. Did I want to kiss her? You bet your ass I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to spend the night kissing her on my couch. Wanted to spend the night lying with her in my arms. Just that, lying with her, nothing else, and I would have died a happy man. She got on her tippy-toes and kissed my cheek. It was one of the sweetest kisses I’ve ever gotten. My arm moved before I knew what was happening, and I buried my hands in her hair. Hair that felt like silk on my fingers. I wanted to just peck her lips. My head, however, wanted so much more, and it took it. Fuck, the kiss was everything I remembered it would be and more.
I watch the car until the lights disappear from view and walk back into the house. Picking up my phone from the counter, I text her, pulling up the group chat that Ryan has me in when he was discussing things for the truck.
I save her number to my phone, wondering if it’s the same number she had all those years ago. After she left, I deleted everything about her, almost everything. There was a locked part of my phone where I stored all the pictures I had of her. Someplace I never opened. I pull up her name and text her.
Me: Let me know when you get home.
I walk toward my bedroom, not wanting to take off my shirt that still smells like her, so I just fall on the bed. The phone beeps ten minutes later with her text.
Everleigh: Home.
I put the phone down on the side table and close my eyes, dreaming of her. Always fucking dreaming of her. This time, the dreams are with her smiling and laughing. I don’t even hear the alarm when it goes off, so when the phone rings, I open my eyes, snatching it up and seeing it’s Saige.
“Morning,” I answer, putting the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Daddy,” she says cheerfully, “you didn’t call me.”
I sit up in bed and look over to see it’s almost seven thirty. “Sorry, baby, I overslept,” I say something that I’ve never done. “Did you check your spelling words?” I ask, getting up and walking back into my closet and peeling my shirt off, putting the phone on speaker.
“Yeah, Mommy and I did them yesterday and I got them all right,” she says, “and I am on chapter twelve of my book. Mommy said I had to put it away until all my homework was done.”
“Well, Mommy is right,” I agree with Karla even though we both know Saige is reading at a seventh-grade level, even if she’s only eight. She started reading before kindergarten and was always with her nose in a book. She still is that way. Sure, she has playdates and plays outside, but if she’s inside and the television isn’t on, she’s got her nose in a book.
“She said we can’t see you this week,” she whispers softly, and I close my eyes. “We are having dinner with someone else.”
“That’s okay,” I assure her, trying not to show her I’m pissed about it. “We get to see each other in four days.”
“I know,” she mumbles sadly, “but I miss you.”
“I know, baby girl. How about we have movie night on Friday?” I try to change her mood. “We can order pizza and camp out in front of the television, and we can watch whatever movie you want to watch.”
“Ohh!” she squeals with glee. “Okay, let’s do that.” I hear Karla yelling at her in the background that she needs to get dressed.
“Call me tonight when you get home and let me know how the test went. I love you, Saige.”
“Love you too, Daddy,” she replies and then hangs up before Karla starts in on her again.
I know I shouldn’t text her, but I do anyway.
Me: Hey, can you call me when you have a minute?
I get dressed in my Dickies pants and black T-shirt before rushing out of the house. I get to the garage at the same time as Ryan gets there, and he looks over at me like he’s confused.
“Are you getting here just now?” he asks.
“I’ll let you know when you become my boss,” I snap, and he rolls his lips to stop from laughing at me and my guilt of coming in later. My eyes move up to the bakery, and I see about ten construction men standing by the truck, some of them waiting on their order, a couple of them already with their coffee but eating a donut beside the truck. “Did you get coffee?” I ask Ryan as my feet start to walk toward the bakery.
Ryan rushes over to walk beside me. “I did, but something tells me I need to come with you.”
I turn in the parking lot and spot her right away, leaning out of the side of the truck with a smile as she hands the man in front of her a coffee. My jaw gets tight. “She’s fucking gorgeous, and she can make a mean donut.”
I don’t even feel my jaw getting tighter. “Maybe we should come back.” Ryan tries to pull me away from the construction men who should be fucking working.
I stand in line behind two men, who are also standing behind a man, as they talk about some game that was on last night. But my eyes are on her as she pours two more cups of coffee. The man in front of them tells Everleigh, “You are going to have to let me take you out, or better yet, let me cook for you.” He winks and smirks at her, and she just smiles, not saying anything as she turns and prepares his coffee. “I’ll see you later, Everleigh,” he says, and she nods.
“I’ll be here until three thirty.” I don’t think she’s flirting back with him as much as she’s just telling him what her hours are.
The two men in front of us walk up to the window to order their stuff. She goes to prepare their items. Her eyes meet mine when she sticks her head out again and the smile that is on her face goes even bigger. “Hi,” she says over the two guys in front of her, taking one more look at me before turning to the guys and telling them how much it is. They each give her a five, which is double their bill. She puts it in the tip jar in the front, which I see is almost full, and she’s only been open for about an hour.
“Hey.” She leans on her elbows on the counter inside the truck. “What can I get you guys?”
“I’ll have a coffee,” Ryan orders, “and one of the donuts.” She nods and then turns to me.
“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.