Chapter Five #2
She looks surprised for a moment, then narrows her eyes slightly and pushes away from me, looking equal parts sad and pissed off. “What are you doing here? Are you drunk again or something?” She asks, crossing her hands over her chest.
Her words sting, but I deserve them and more.
“No, sweetheart. I’m not drunk,” I tell her, rubbing the back of my neck.
I want to apologize, but I really don’t want to do it in the middle of a bar while a bunch of strangers stare at us.
“Look, do you get a dinner break or anything? I want to talk to you but a little more privacy would be appreciated.”
Georgie looks hesitant, but walks over to the bar and nods at the grizzled looking older man behind it. “Hey, Knuckles,” she says sweetly. Knuckles? What kind of bizzarro world did my little honey bee trip into? “Can I take my ten a little early?”
The man smiles nicely at Georgie and nods.
When he turns to me, his expression is decidedly less friendly.
“Sure thing, darling. Just make sure you stay nearby in case you need anything,” he tells her, eyeballing me like I’m some kind of thug when he’s the one with a skull and crossbones tattooed on his neck.
“Will do,” she tells him, placing her tray on the bar and leading me over to a two top well within sight of the bartender. I guess this is as much privacy as I’m going to get, but I can work with it.
“What did you want to tell me about?” Georgie asks, her expression blank.
“I, uh,” I stutter out nervously. In my head I imagined a much different scenario with me bursting through the doors to rescue her and bring her back home, but she’s actually holding her own here and it’s throwing me for a loop.
Keeping the future I want in mind, I push aside my nerves and start.
“First off, these are for you,” I tell her, passing over the bouquet of brightly colored flowers.
Georgie takes them and inhales their fragrance, smiling for a moment before her hazel eyes hit mine. “Thank you,” she says, setting them on the table. “Was there anything else? I have to get back to work.”
I knew this would be tough, but I don’t plan on giving up.
Not when she’s the only thing I want. Reaching across the table, I grab onto her hands and hold them in mine, enjoying the warm feel as her tiny hands are swallowed up in my much larger ones.
“Yes, there’s more.” After a deep breath, I start to explain everything.
“I’m so sorry for what happened on your birthday, Georgie,” I start, but stop when she tries to pull her hands away.
“I already know you didn’t want to kiss me, Wyatt. You don’t need to tell me again.” She continues to struggle against me, and I press on before mister beefy bouncer gets the wrong idea and comes over here to toss me out.
“No, honey bee. That’s not what I’m talking about.
” At the endearment, her head whips over to me, her brow furrowed with confusion.
She’s stopped struggling, so that’s something and I take advantage of it as quickly as I can.
“I meant I’m sorry for what I said after the kiss.
I wasn’t drunk that night, Georgie. I was as sober as a nun and wanted to kiss you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. ”
She looks skeptical. “Why did you say it then?” It’s a fair question and I don’t ever plan on lying to her again, so I answer her honestly.
“Georgie, you are the most thoughtful, caring, hard-working person I know,” I tell her, watching as her eyes widen in shock.
“You’re also the most beautiful and sexy as fuck too.
You deserve better than me, and I felt bad for taking what I wanted without giving a thought to what was best for you.
What I said was stupid and hurtful, but more than that it was a lie and I promise never to lie to you again, honey bee.
Please forgive me and come home.” Since I’m here and this may be my only shot at this, I decide to lay it all out on the line. “I love you, Georgie.”
Georgie’s mouth open and closes like a fish for a few minutes while she processes what I just said. “You love me?” She asks, her voice filled with disbelief, disbelief that I put there when I acted the way I did. “Since when?”
I give her hands a squeeze and smile sadly.
“For the last year or so, probably long before that if I’m honest.” Her mouth drops open again and I reach over and shut it for her with a finger under her chin.
“You’ve always been the best thing to happen to our family.
I’m sorry it took me so long to figure out that you were also the best thing to ever happen to me. ”
“You’re serious?” The fact that she even has to ask lets me know I still have a lot of work to do until she believes me.
“Dead serious, honey bee,” I tell her, smiling and bringing the back of her hand up to my mouth to kiss. “Will you come home and let me prove to you how much I love you?”
Georgie looks around the room and when her eyes meet mine, they’re still a little hesitant.
“I want to come home, but I can’t just quit my job and uproot my life again,” she says, her eyes wandering around the room.
“They’ve treated me really well here and I don’t want to leave them in a lurch without a really good reason. ”
“My loving you not reason enough?” I ask, trying to hide my disappointment.
“Its reason enough,” she says, standing and gathering her flowers.
“I’m just…” She trails off and I stand up and go to her, gathering her in my arms. As her head tilts up to mine, I catch a bit of her cinnamon sugar smell.
Even in a dive bar she still smells like my girl.
“I’m worried you’ll change your mind again,” she confesses, her voice low.
Fuck. I really put my foot in it this time, but I can make it right.
I will make it right. Warring with myself about whether I should just throw her over my shoulders and make her come home or respect her wishes, I ultimately decide on the latter.
Patience has been my ally so far, and I don’t want to blow it.
“Then I’ll just have to prove to you how serious I am,” I say, leaning down and kissing her forehead.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the bracelet I made for her and slip it over her wrist. “You forgot something when you left. You may not have had my bracelet with you, but you had my heart, Georgie, and you always will. I’ll see you soon, honey bee. ”
I turn to leave, but Georgie stops me with a hand on my arm. “Wyatt,” she says, a small, sweet smile on her face. “I love you too. Just so you know.”
I clutch a hand to my heart as if trapping her words there forever and smile at her.
“Thank you, honey bee. I won’t let you down.
I promise. Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.
” She nods and I turn to the door, shooting one last grin at Georgie over my shoulder before I’m in front of the bouncer again.
Whipping open my wallet, I pull out a few hundred dollar bills and pass it over to him.
“Keep an extra eye on my girl, will you?”
“No payment necessary for that,” he tells me, but he shoves the money in his pockets anyway, grinning at me. “But money is money.”
“Have a good night,” I tell him, making my way back to my car to start the long ride home. Leaving Georgie doesn’t feel right, but as I do, I make a plan to show her again and again how much I love her and plan on being there for her. Now, and for the rest of our lives.