Page 132 of Return To You

Mixed Emotions

You and Justin discussing your business made me feel so happy for the both of you, and excluded at the same time.

What is he talking about? When did I discuss my business with Justin? I can’t remember. Could have been anytime. My heart pinches knowing Ethan feels excluded now.

Day 14 Love Note:

Feeling Complete again

You having coffee with Mom and Dad on the porch, waiting for me. Been wanting this my whole life.

There are no envelopes left, and Ethan is not back yet.

But he calls that night.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Ethan!” The sound of his voice never fails to excite me. There’s background noise I can’t really make out, but I don’t dare ask him where he is or what he’s doing. Top-secret stuff and all that. But he sounds tired. Worn out. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to hear your voice. God I missed you. Tell me what happened. Just tell me anything. I need to hear your voice. How’s work? Any news on the lease?”

I’m not ruining a phone call with Ethan with my work problems. Especially since they now involve Amy Keller. “I’ve had better.”

“Tell me everything. Every single thing.”

So I do. I pop a gold-flecked chocolate in my mouth, not really caring about the shit that was my day anymore, and I tell him I got officially notified about the impending sale, and that I had a certain time to let the owner know if I wanted to buy the house. I tell him I decided not to answer, just to scrape a few days or weeks. I told him that according to Ms. Angela, Cassandra and other women did some kind of woo-woo chanting around the house at night. She knows because someone called it in and Declan took his sweet time so as not to interrupt the ceremony, according to one of Ms. Angela’s friends who has insomnia. Also, he flashed his lights so everyone had time to scatter before he got out of the car.

Ethan’s low chuckle on the phone makes everything right.

There’s a sound of an engine, muffled, and his voice is a little tinny when he asks, “And how’s my boy?”

Damian stretches on the deck and looks at me as if he knows Ethan is asking about him. “He’s been trying to unhook all your little love letters.”

“Unhook?”

“Yeah…. They had the cutest little thing at the general store, to hang pictures? It’s like a thin black cable, and there’s little pins in the shape of birds, to hold the cute little envelopes? It’s been driving him nuts. Nuts! He managed to snatch some, but he didn’t damage them.”

The low rumble of his soft laughter is about to undo me. “Did you like my little notes?”

“Oh, honey. They’re the best. You’re the best.” I sigh and pluck another chocolate from the box. Looks like chocolate and a sexy voice are good for the mood. Just like Kiara said. Well, the chocolate part at least.

“Are you eating?”

“Chocolates,” I answer, my mouth full.

“Keep some for me.”

“I don’t know if I can. They’re so good. Kiara is a magician.”

He sighs. “How many chocolates in there?”

“I dunno.”

“Babe.”

“Mm?”

“I’ll be home soon.”

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