Page 49 of Forever Love-Reimagined

“Oh, my boyfriend and I are going on a little getaway. He said he was tired of the city, and we needed some alone time. He has this cabin upstate. Well, it’s not technically a cabin. It’s a house made with bricks, not logs, but it’s secluded and small, so we always call it a cabin.”

I chuckled to myself at how Haley chattered away, but Blake seemed to be following along with an “Oh really” and “I get what you mean” thrown in for good measure.

“But anyway, we were planning on going there to relax and unplug. I think we could both use time away, and there isn’t anything better than cutting off from the outside world. It’s crazy how we all rely so much on technology, and frequently, it’s at the expense of nurturing personal connections.”

“I get that. I hope you two have a safe and fun time.” Blake sounded sincere, and I was pleased that she was concerned for Haley’s well-being.

She constantly surprised me with her charm, and it was one more reason I had fallen so hard for her.

As I rejoined them in the front, I saw Haley with her arms wrapped around Blake, who appeared shocked by the display of affection but still returned the gesture.

“Do I need to worry about you two?” I said, hoping to save Blake without making it obvious she was slightly uncomfortable.

Haley jumped back at the sound of my voice. “No, boss. I was telling Blake thank you.” Haley seemed worried that I was serious.

“I know. I was kidding. Why don’t you get out of here so you can pack or whatever else you need to do before your getaway?” I patted her on the back.

“Oh, that’s okay. I like to finish my work before leaving.” She was way too hard on herself, and she needed to learn to accept gifts when they came.

“Nope. You are not staying any longer. I’m kicking you out.” I picked up her purse and handed it to her. “I want you to enjoy yourself. Blake and I will close up, and whatever isn’t ready for Monday, I’ll take care of it this weekend.”

“Boss…” Haley pleaded, but this time, Blake cut in.

“Go on. You do so much. Let Leia show you her appreciation. You deserve it.”

For some reason, Blake saying it made the difference, and Haley took her bag, hugged me, and said, “Thank you both. I’ve never had friends who cared so much about me.”

My heart hurt hearing that. Blake and I would need to hang out with her outside of work. I was getting the impression Adam was her sole source of companionship.

“You’re a very special person, Haley. I’ve always got you.” I moved out of her embrace. “Why don’t we all head out now? I don’t like you walking out by yourself.”

As I punched in the code for the alarm, Haley switched off the lights, and we all walked out before I locked up.

We escorted Haley to her car and then parted ways. She drove off to Adam’s, and Blake and I left to grab food. With her warm fingers laced through mine, my pulse began racing as I thought about how much I wanted to say to her, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have the courage.

Once we got back to Blake’s place, we ate our New York-style pizza and then sat on the couch to drink a glass of wine. While discussing our days, I contemplated telling Blake how I felt, but I noticed something still seemed off with her.

I took a small sip and waited to see if she would speak. When she didn’t, I asked, “Is there something wrong?”

She appeared startled by the question. “What? No. I’m sitting and talking about work. Same as you.” Her tone was a little higher than expected, and it seemed like she was holding back.

“Okay. I wasn’t accusing you of anything. But you’re acting a little different, and I wanted to check in. You’re even doing that thing where you chew on your bottom lip, which usually means something is bothering you.” I reached over and grabbed her hand. “I’m here if you want to talk about anything. I mean, there is nothing off-limits.”

She squeezed my fingers and sighed. “I appreciate it.” She finally seemed to calm down a bit and gave me a shy smile. “Nothing is bothering me, per se. I talked to Ty today, and I guess I’ve been a little in my head.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant. In her head about us? About work? But she didn’t elaborate.

“I’m all ears.” I wondered if I gave her another chance, if she would fill me in.

“You meant to say that you’re all mine.” She set her glass down and cupped my cheeks, pulling my lips to hers.

She slid her tongue to the seam of my mouth, and I could tell she was deflecting, but I wasn’t sure why. I let her deepen the kiss for a moment, but I couldn’t let things get carried away. Even if she wasn’t ready to talk, I had some things I needed to say.

She seemed confused by me moving back, but I took her hands in mine to calm her nerves.

As I gazed into those green eyes that held so many memories, I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart.

“Blake, I…” This was the perfect moment to say my feelings, but I froze. “Am excited to meet your friends.”

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