Page 28 of Sins and Secrets

She shakes her head before dropping her hands from her face and wrapping her arms around me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she sobs into my neck, hugging me tighter. “I feel lighter, freer somehow. It’s beautiful.”

My fingers brush against her exposed back, pulling her in closer. She’s small in my arms, and I love it. I want to keep her there, her chest pressed against mine, the smell of her shampoo wrapping around me. She’s resurrected a thousand dead memories, all of a life long gone. Can I have that life with her again? Do I even deserve it? Other darker thoughts try to push their way into the back of my head, but I push back.

“I'm glad you like it.” I open my eyes and brush my thumb against her cheek. “Please stop crying.” My voice drops. “Your tears are like bullets to me.”

She sniffs and wipes her tears with the palm of her hands, then she straightens her back and she’s all smiles again, warmth and light.

And damn. She’s a good listener, and everything I like in a partner.

I swallow hard.

She blinks rapidly as she tries to sound chipper. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” I say way too fast.

“No, I have to pay you.”

She tilts her head to the side confused. Her hypnotic, pink lips hover open. Her mouth is so warm and inviting. Does she still taste the same? There's a thousand different ways I could tell her to pay me, and not a single one involves money.

“More cookies,” I say. “They’re my favorite.”

“Done.”

She reacts like I’ve given her the greatest gift of all time. Which I very well might have, because my bills won’t be paid in cookies. I smile, trying to come up with something cool to say to her, but my thoughts run into a brick wall.

She walks over to the table to grab her purse, and for a flicker, I see the thin line of her stomach. I watch her pull her shirt down, and all my fingers want to do is graze that sliver of skin and slide gently under her shirt. I'm still on the stool, looking at her, wondering if my thoughts are written on my face, or my pants. This girl will be the death of me.

Waverly wraps her arms around her purse, clinging to it like it’s her only source of protection. Who is she protecting herself from? Me?

“It was good to have you back in my life, even if it was only for a few days.” She dips her head, her eyes trained on the ground.

“Yeah.” It's all I can say.

As she walks towards the door, she turns back and gives me a tiny wave goodbye.

“No.” Absolutely not. She’s not blowing up my life and walking out again, and I am not going to be a sad, old cartoon dog. “I don’t want you in my life for a little while.”

She flinches and her shoulders sink. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

She’s not getting it, and it’s my fault. We’ve been out of sync this whole time, and if it doesn’t get fixed right now, it never will.

“I want you here..for the foreseeable future. Before, during, and after the wedding. I’m not going to let another five years go by without you in my life, one way or another.”

Waverly tilts her head to the side. “Like friends?”

No. Fucking communicate and don’t let history repeat itself. “We can start out like that. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and if you need time to heal and process, I get it. But you’re back, and I’m not letting you leave again.”

Her whole body does a little shimmy shake, and I’m sure it’s completely involuntary. She lights up like a football stadium flood light. And God, her smile. It’s the greatest sight I’ve ever seen. “Come over tonight,” I say.

She bites her lower lip and nods. “Sure.”

ChapterThirteen

Waverly

He wantsme in his life!

The thought plays on repeat in my mind as I head over to Alana’s new building and stride into her office. It’s modern with hints of government oversight. Her desk is glass with sleek, black legs. All the wires for her computer are hidden somewhere. She’s got an amazing view… of an office park. There is a pretty little pond guarded by Canadian geese.

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