Page 31 of Falling for My Ex Next Door

“Are you okay, Jacob?” My thoughts had prompted me to ask.

“Sure. Why?”

“You are not very much yourself,” I confessed.

He was quiet. I touched the bridge railing. It was cold, but I liked it.

“I won’t force you to say anything to me. It’s fine to say nothing,” I added, “My legs ache,” I murmured to myself, but he heard.

“Come on, let’s take these heels off.” He said, bending down to remove my shoes. I leaned on him, grateful for his support. He carefully removed the shoes, his hands gently massaging my feet. When he finished, I was relieved to get them off my feet.

Then he briskly walked to the car to get a pair of sneakers, leaving behind my heels.

“Wear these.” The sneakers never left the premises of his car. He knew how my legs were weakened by heels, he once told me.

After he had assisted me in putting them on, he cupped my face towards his.

“What would you do without me?” He teased me.

“What would I do without you?” I smiled.

He reached out to take my hand, holding it carefully, as if it were the most invaluable thing in the entire universe. I felt a rush of emotion. Could I ever be more loved by a man?

“You have the most beautiful smile ever; it’s like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky,” he affectionately pinched my cheek. “And the most gorgeous body.” He drew me closer. My breath kissed the nape of his neck while he inhaled the air around me.

“I want to take you home.” He whispered before gently pressing his lips against mine. As our lips met, I felt the heat of his breath. The kiss had been gentle at first, but then it deepened as our passion grew. I felt a sense of completeness, and the moment seemed to last forever. And on and on, we continued kissing, wanting each other, supported by the steel guardrails of the bridge.

Funny how I wanted the feeling to consume me as it had once done. At that moment, I never thought we would have to separate. It had been so sudden and heartbreaking for me.

I was so startled by the ringing of the phone that I bit on my lips, and blood began to trickle out in tiny dots. I simultaneously reached for the stove and switched it off.

It was an unknown number.

“Hello. Who is on the line?” I asked warily.

“It’s Lex, from Custom Builders on behalf of Joe Griffin,” The voice responded.

My heart leaped double fold. Is Joe Griffin again?

“How may I help you?” I tried to sound as collected as I could be.

“I called to re-present the offer on behalf of our CEO. Now, he is willing to double the bid for the coffee shop to two hundred thousand dollars,” the man said.

“I can remember telling you that I am not at all interested in your offer, Lex,” I expressed.

“I must let you know that this proposal is an exclusive deal. Don’t you think you are making a mistake by refusing such a hefty sum of money for an ancient building on the verge of foreclosure?” He sounded gruff and arrogant.

His wicked tongue ran on.

“I have no more to say to you. I do not care whether you listen to me or not, but I implore you not to bore me with your “generous offer” anymore.”

And I hung up.

My eyes suddenly grew heavy and began to shut by themselves. I couldn’t steady my weight, so I supported myself by leaning on the counter. The air around me had grown thick, and my body uncontrollably trembled. My heart pounded in her chest, and my breath came in short, shallow gasps.

My eyes welled up in tears as I painstakingly tried to steady myself.

A sore feeling arose from within me, and I hiccuped. A spell of dizziness came over me, and consequently, I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

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