32. Amelia
32
AMELIA
A s I blindly explored the other side of the bed with my fingertips, making contact with skin finally spurred me to shift back to savor Gray's warmth for a few more minutes before waking up completely.
However, no warm, large hand moved across my side to firmly press against my midsection. There was also no gentle kiss on my neck nor the usual erection pressing against my rear.
Puzzled, I opened my eyes, propped myself up on my elbow, and looked behind me.
It wasn't Gray lying next to me.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," called Manon. The next moment, I was buried under her, enduring an embrace that was far too rough and nearly suffocated me.
"How did you get in here?" I muttered, struggling to breathe. "Where's Gray?"
"He let me in."
"Did he now?"
My joy was tempered for the moment. I longed for a leisurely morning with Gray, not Manon, who probably had enough caffeine in her to power a whole village with her energy.
"Yes, so we could spend some time together."
"How did you even get here?" was my next question, thrown her way skeptically since I was still a bit dazed.
"Well, I hopped in my car, punched Wolf Creek into the GPS, and drove here. But… that's not what you meant, I understand. After you didn't respond yesterday, I decided to make my way here. By the time you called, I was already almost there. And before Gray came over last night, I caught him briefly and…"
"You ambushed him," I concluded.
Should I laugh or cry?
"No. I just told him that he was an idiot. But he already knew that himself. We agreed to keep my presence a secret for a bit longer so it wouldn't be too much for you all at once."
And yet there she was, on Gray's side of the bed, unleashing a barrage of words on me when I had just woken up.
"So… spill the beans. Every detail. And I want to know what you guys were up to last night. You can practically smell the sex in these sheets."
I grabbed my pillow and threw it right in her face. "Manon, I really love you, but if you open your mouth one more time in the next thirty minutes, I'm going to commit a murder."
Her soft giggle assured me that she didn't take my statement to heart. Instead, she jumped up and clapped her hands. "Great. Then get ready. I saw this café, and I'm hungry, and you look like you could really use a big, chocolatey doughnut."
I blinked slowly. "Enough talk," I gritted out between my teeth, wrapped myself in the blanket, and shuffled out of bed before disappearing into the bathroom.
And because I really meant it, I took almost half an hour to get ready. When I finally reappeared, I felt at least halfway presentable. Enough to leave the house with Manon by my side and head toward the parking lot.
Unfortunately, we didn't run into Gray, which meant my mood hit rock bottom for the first five minutes of the drive, but as soon as we left the hill behind us and headed toward downtown, that was forgotten.
When my gaze settled on the paths and streets lined with colorful flowers and the sparkle of the sun on the gently flowing river to our right, I forgot why I had been grumpy in the first place and turned to Manon.
"Thanks for coming. I'm so damn happy to see you, honestly."
She gave me a knowing grin. "There she is," she replied, teasing me a bit. "I'm also glad to be here. I couldn't stand it in Toronto for another second. Although I must say, this place really is out in the boondocks."
"But it's a pretty nice boondocks if you ask me."
"I can't deny that," she muttered before slapping her thighs. "So, I want the most detailed update you've ever given. Where's your ex?"
"Hopefully in Toronto." I had only briefly mentioned that part of the story. "After he was so disrespectful, Gray practically threw him out with a threat."
Not that I could imagine the two of them sitting together at the kitchen table, having coffee and cake under any other circumstances.
"How did he even get here?"
"Apparently, he tracked my phone because I forgot our accounts were connected. So much for blocking him everywhere." This fact still sent shivers down my spine.
Fortunately, there was a free parking space right in front ofBrewtiful, the only café in the entire town. I heard Manon inhale sharply beside me, though not because of what I had just told her.
"Okay, if this café were in Toronto, it would be the hottest spot in the city, and you'd probably need to be on a VIP list just to get in," she said, her eyes scanning the building.
For me, it wasn't the first time I'd seen the café. Just the first time I'd be entering it. Like all other shops in Wolf Creek, the café had its own unique charm.
A gigantic variety of climbing roses completely engulfed the storefront facing the street. They shimmered in pink, hosting countless butterflies and other insects, and gave the dark wood of the fa?ade an almost mystical touch. Several tables and charming wrought iron chairs stood in front of the huge windows. However, the real magic began inside as the high ceilings provided ample room for warm hanging lamps and several potted plants that dangled down. In some places, the greenery hung so low that it tickled one's head as they walked underneath.
As in a bar, there were several chairs at the counter and a huge shelf along the back wall. There was no alcohol, but countless varieties of coffee, syrups, and teas—essentially everything a connoisseur's heart could desire. There were plenty of seating options available: small couches with side tables, high tables by the windows, or ones that accommodated several guests.
Toward the back, the entrance opened up to a courtyard that was not visible from the outside but seemed to offer the same type of oasis.
Manon was already at the register, chatting with the barista who was handing her a menu. Apparently, she was serious about wanting to have breakfast here. I didn't complain; after all, I could already hear my stomach growling.
I gestured to her that she should order for me as well and took another look around. The plants in the hanging pots bore yellow flowers, which matched with the light wood that was predominantly used in the furniture and the floor. The ceiling beams were made of the same dark wood as the fa?ade. I was drawn outside as this place was second to none in coziness.
On the windowsills, pot followed pot, each containing a different green plant. Gray would have surely been able to identify them, but for me, everything except for the fern, which hung above the windows in pots on the broader beams, was a mystery. Even the yellow cut flowers on the low tables were unfamiliar to me.
The only decision I was ready to make this morning was which table to sit at. I claimed the bench for myself, sank into the light-gray cushions, and took a deep breath.
The scent of flowers filled my nose, as did the aroma of herbs on the window sill behind me. I smelled coffee and the various dishes being prepared in the kitchen.
We were not the only ones who had decided to have breakfast atBrewtifulthat morning. But surely, we were the only ones about to recap the last few weeks, during which Manon would dissect my entire life.
Just as I was thinking about her, she came out the door with two ceramic mugs. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she spotted me. A second later, she sprawled out on the chair opposite me, set the mugs on the table between us, and reached back to adjust her pillow.
"Food will be here in ten minutes. Where did we leave off?"
"With my ex, who has discovered his stalker side."
Manon made an agreeing noise before rolling her eyes and taking a sip from her mug. "As if I hadn't told you from the start that he was no good. And yet you had to fall for him and…" She waved her hand dismissively. "Let's drop it. You got rid of him, right?"
"Will you tell me the same if things ever end with Gray?"
"Let's not paint the devil on the wall. Gray would never behave like that jerk. Besides, I just wanted to say that sometimes, love just isn't enough for a relationship. You should have kicked that idiot to the curb months ago."
Despite her rather outspoken opinion, I cherished her support every second. I loved her all the more for it.
"But then I would never have met Gray. In a way, I might even owe him a thank you card."
"For cheating on you? Please don't put him on a pedestal. He's still a jerk." She took another sip from her cup. "But back to Gray. Did he apologize properly yesterday?"
"I can hardly remember why I felt miserable in the first place," I replied, struggling to suppress a smile.
Manon's gaze drifted around until a slight frown formed between her brows. "Is it just me, or are we being watched?"
This time, I waved it off. "Standard. I'm something of a celebrity in this small town."
If we lived in different times, they would have dragged me naked through the marketplace and pelted me with rotten fruit.
Manon looked around skeptically again. "And the gossip?"
"That's normal too."
"I wouldn't call it normal to constantly feel the need to badmouth others," she retorted a bit too loudly.
A moment of silence followed, and I witnessed some of the bystanders shamefully look away.
"What's it about?"
"The age difference between Gray and me."
"Pfft. Remember when I bumped into my professor at one of those kinky parties during my first year? With his wife? And his ‘pet’? God, what a night."
I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a soft laugh. Someone nearby choked on their scrambled eggs.
What was Manon up to? I neither remembered the story nor recalled her ever attending university. I gave her a warning look, but it didn't stop her from unabashedly continuing.
"I don't see the appeal of being led around on a leash, but I bet if I were the one leading, I'd have quite some fun. Oh, and do you remember Zara? The one who sold pictures of her feet?" By now, it was obvious that Manon was making up stories. At least to me. The rest listened intently, probably bursting because they had to withhold the rumors and gossip.
She leaned forward and winked at me. "They'll have forgotten all about you by tomorrow if I have anything to say about it."
I would have loved to kiss her for her effort. However, since the next rumor was just around the corner, I would have to repay her by answering her questions instead.
"I didn't realize that growing up out here came with so many prejudices," she continued. "Like people can’t live their lives the way they see fit. You're not using him, he's not using you, and even though I haven't really seen you two together, I'm damn sure that what exists between you is the real deal. Soon, you’ll be like those famous couples in literature."
"Because you've decided to write a book about us?"
She wrinkled her nose. "No, but I'd read it."
"Do you even know a couple from any famous books?"
"Romeo and Juliet."
"Yeah, but that's a poor example."
"Helen and Paris." Manon thought she was triumphant. "Orpheus and Eurydice. Bonnie and Clyde. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Uhh… Napoleon and Josephine."
One couple more tragic than the next. Amused, I shook my head. "Maybe we shouldn't compare Gray and me with any couples from classic literature or history. They all had unhappy endings."
I simply ignored the fact that there would be no happy ending for Gray and me either because growing old together wasn't in the cards. If he died at some point, I might still have half my life ahead of me. Or… he could just keep living so that we could leave this life together someday.
What tragic romance , I mocked myself.
"So, Gray has apologized, and now…?" Manon brought the conversation back to the main topic.
"I belong to him."
"That sounds like he owns you."
Oh, he certainly owned a part of me, and I couldn't be happier about it.
"When you say it, it sounds like I'm a pet. We are together, okay? Officially."
"Did you make him suffer a bit for his foolish mistake?"
I shrugged. It depended on how you looked at it. Initially, he had made me suffer with all the orgasms he had given me. And then I had tormented him a bit by making him wait. But that was probably not what Manon meant when she talked about making a man suffer.
"We talked about it like adults and made up afterward. No one had to suffer more than they already had."
"Do you think he'll get cold feet again?"
"No." After last night, the talks, and everything that followed, I was sure there was nothing left that could change the relationship we had with each other.
Feelings didn't change because of a little argument or a difference of opinion. Just because he had made me wait didn't mean my feelings had suddenly disappeared. Rather, they became stronger than ever when Gray had explained why I was the perfect woman for him.
"Okay. You are definitely in love. I've never seen you grin like such a goof before."
"Yes. In love. Head over heels. Absolutely smitten. Call it what you will—it all applies."
Manon stood up, sat next to me, and gave me a tight hug. "I'm really happy for you. Gray is exactly what you deserve. What you've deserved for years now, if I may say so."
"You can always speak your mind with me, M. It's always been that way, and it always will be."
"He's good to you. He makes you happy. Clearly, you two have a close bond, and I've never seen you so completely relaxed. I approve of the guy. But what about Toronto?"
Chances were, this was the part she would hate me for. "Before I fell asleep last night, I sent my resignation to my boss."
Manon's face lost a bit of color. "You're not planning to move back to the city, are you?"
"No." I shook my head. I felt a twinge of regret, but not for the city or the years I had spent there. Not even for my job. "The only problem for me is you. Because you live in Toronto, and if I'm here, we're hours apart by car. Calls and messages are nice, but it's not the same. Who's going to show up on my doorstep Friday nights with a bottle of wine and a bag full of food?"
"I'm afraid nothing survives the drive to Wolf Creek, no matter what or how much I order."
Was she hinting at…?
A smile spread across my lips. "Only you would be crazy enough."
"Sure. Or I could just move here too. Maybe there's another hot daddy around somewhere?"
I ignored that comment for now. "It's not like I feel the need to look at other men, but I've encountered a few here who must have fallen into the same fountain as Gray."
"Now you've caught my attention."
"But it would be foolish to move just because I live here now. Toronto is your hometown, and your family lives there. Your entire circle of friends…"
Manon grimaced. "Maybe I'm craving an adventure?"
"After you landed your dream job last year, which you worked so hard for?"
"Well, sometimes dreams come true and then don’t turn out to be as good as you initially thought." That sounded like one of her little white lies.
"You're just trying to find a reason to justify a move."
"Yes. And what of it?"
"I could visit you every few weeks for an extended weekend." I offered this compromise because I didn’t like the idea of her turning her life upside down because of me.
"You could. Or we could discuss all the other topics that are still nagging at me."
With a simple gesture, I gave her the go-ahead to grill me again.
"Do you guys have plans for the future? I mean, if you stay here, you'll need a new job and all that."
"I'm helping out at the B and B. There's plenty to do, and the past few weeks have really opened my eyes. Seeing what you're working for…"
"Kids?" The question shot out like a bullet.
"Before anyone could get pregnant, certain medical procedures would have to be reversed."
"Sexy."
I wasn't sure if she meant it. "Also, Gray already has a son with his ex-wife."
"Do you know him?"
"No. Gray hasn’t seen him for ten years, and I doubt that is going to change." It hadn't been just that one conversation because I had noticed Gray took a particular interest in Declan.
Perhaps he was something like a second chance the universe had sent his way. Another young man he could take under his wing. The boy had lost his father, was longing for a role model in his life, and had found one in Gray. Both of them benefited from this arrangement.
"And your family, while we're on the subject?"
The question made me shrug. "They're enjoying their retirement somewhere in California. I think once we all moved out, they considered their parental duties over."
And I had never been close to my sisters, so it never even crossed my mind to call them and tell them about my new relationship. They didn't even know I was in Wolf Creek—simply because they didn't care.
Manon snorted but accepted my answer anyway. She didn't really have much choice. "May I ask one last question?"
I nodded.
"How are your insecurities?"
In the past few weeks, there had been plenty. I could now proudly say that I had left them all behind. However, that didn't mean I wouldn't face any in the future.
"That's one of the things I'm looking at realistically. They'll come up again and again, but as long as we talked about them and didn't leave each other out in the rain…"
"For someone who initially didn't even want to sleep with him, you've come a long way."
Amused, I shrugged my shoulders. What was there to say, really? I couldn't disagree with her, nor did I want to give her the satisfaction of agreeing with words.
"How long are you staying?" I finally asked her so I could plan how to spend time with my best friend most effectively.
"Three days. Then work calls again."
"Great. Then you can join the barbecue tomorrow night… and help me in the kitchen beforehand. Ever since Gray discovered that my desserts are out of this world, he insists I make them once a week." I rolled my eyes a bit, but secretly, I liked it.
If he had asked me, I would have been willing to serve him a different dessert every day—and for once, I didn’t mean myself.
Before we moved on to the next round of conversation, I gestured, with a rumbling stomach, at the breakfast platters that had been brought to the table a few minutes ago but had remained untouched until now. That finally changed.