Page 30 of Commit

I should be thrilled that I found an alternate source of energy, but I’m not.

I pull my hand back and look away.

We wait in silence until the bell dings and the doors open. The elevator is empty, but it’s fine. I can be alone in a small box with Matt and feel nothing. It’s not like his cologne is my favorite smell or like it’s sparking memories of our past in the forefront of my mind.

I need to suck it up.

This is what happens when you break up with someone you love.

CHAPTER 17

MATT

EIGHT MONTHS AGO

I pull Remi closer, snuggling her into my chest as I point up to the night sky. We drove out to Brazos Bend State Park to the George Observatory to stargaze, but it’s closed today. Someone forgot to check the schedule. That someone is me. But it’s all working out. We’re lying on the hood of my car, cuddling together.

“That’s the Big Dipper,” I say, tracing the constellation.

She twists her head so that she can see me. “You work for the Johnson Space Center. You better come up with something more than the Big Dipper.”

“I will.” I grab her messy bun and shake it. “You’re not very patient.”

She pinches my side, making me squirm. Her playfulness is one of the things I find most attractive about her. My entire life is about meetings, deadlines, and launches. But then Remi came along and made me schedule living into my life.

I grab her hand and pull it up so it’s pointing to the navy sky with mine. “There’s Orion’s Belt, and Taurus, and Gemini,” I say as we trace each one.

“It’s amazing that this is what you do every day. You figure out a way for people to go up there.”

“It’s not just me. There’s a team of thousands of people.”

“I don’t care.” She shakes her head. “It’s still incredible.”

We lie there for a minute, soaking it all in. We’ve been together a year and a half, and I can see forever written all over us.

Her body shivers against mine.

“Are you cold?”

“A little.”

“We can’t have that.” I jump up and go to the backseat of my car, looking for something she can wear. I’m such an idiot. Every man knows they need a blanket in the back of their car for moments like this. Or does having a blanket make you seem like a jerk? Either way, I’ve got nothing.

“This is all I have.” I throw her a t-shirt that I had in my gym bag in case we played basketball at work. Since we didn’t, it’s clean and an extra layer Remi can put on.

She pulls it over her head and tucks her arms inside like she’s a turtle. Then, she dips her nose under the collar so only her eyes are visible.

“Are you that cold?”

She shakes her head. “I’m smelling your shirt.”

“Oh no. It’s been in my gym bag.”

She closes her eyes and takes another whiff. “It smells like you.”

Do I smell like a hockey locker room? Sweaty socks and B.O.?

Suddenly, I’m worried about what stenches are coming from my shirt. I lean forward, breathing in. The t-shirt has a strong scent of my cologne, reminding me that the bottle leaked in my bag last week. Hence the strong smell.

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