Page 68 of F*cking Shattered

I wave her on. “Why not?”

We sit and have an easy conversation while she writes things down on my list. When she stands to leave, she slides over the notebook.

“The next time I see you, you better have this with you so I can see what you’ve managed to check off.”

I grab it and slide it into my pocket. “Yes, Ma’am.”

She pulls me in for a hug. “See you in three months, bro.” She lightly punches me on the shoulder as she pulls away.

“When does your plane leave?”

“Five A.M. Saturday. I’m spending the day with Jovi tomorrow.” She grabs her purse and runs away as quickly as she appeared.

Once she is no longer in my line of sight, I turn and walk in the opposite direction.

Chapter Seventeen

I’m stock still, watching as he watches me. He looks perfect as he stands there, bag hanging from his strong shoulder. His hair is disheveled and his jaw is cocked, his blue eyes are darkening as he watches me intently. This look of brooding makes him look dark and sexy. I hold the strap on my shoulder even tighter, waiting for what’s sure to come.

He slowly starts moving towards me, and with each step, my heart pounds harder. My legs feel weak, like they are going to buckle at any minute. And my stomach is doing flips, filled with nerves about how this meeting will go. All I pray for is that he forgives me. I love him, and I’m ready to say it.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him, barely above a whisper when he closes the distance between us.

“Can we talk?” His voice is deep and rough as he looks down on me through his thick lashes.

I don’t want to talk. I just want to feel his lips against mine. I don’t care why he lied. All I care about is somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him.

I nod and he grabs my hand, leading me towards the hotel that is next to the airport. He doesn’t stop or talk until he lets us into the room he had already rented for the night. He must have gotten a ticket on the same plane as me.

I let my bag slide from my shoulder onto the floor as I walk to sit on the foot of the bed.

I want to tell him everything that’s been running through my head since I left him only a few hours ago, but I want to hear what he has to say.

When my eyes land on him. He’s holding out a red, spiral-top notebook. “What’s that?” I ask him.

He takes a step closer, holding out the notebook. I take it and open the cover, revealing Katie’s handwriting. A shock jolts through me, burning a trail right to my heart.

She made him a list too.

“What is this?” I know, but I want him to say it.

“It’s my list.”

I look up at him briefly. “Katie made this for you?”

He nods slowly, eyes downcast.

I read over the first page. “Kiss a girl on the dance floor?” I quirk an eyebrow at him.

“That girl was you,” he says as he moves to my side, taking the place next to me. “After her funeral, I needed to forget for a little while. I went to that bar intending on getting hammered so I could sleep, but then I saw you on that dance floor and it was like she was giving me a sign. I knew I had to do this list.”

“Help someone who’s grieving?”

He nods once. “That was also you.”

“Meet me on the beach?” I look over at him suddenly realizing. “When did she make this list?”

His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. “Two days before her crash.”

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