Page 38 of Easton

“Just like old times,” Easton replies.

“For sure.”

He smiles over at me, and for a beat, I’m lost in his blues, leading me to blurt out, “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but you have the coolest color eyes.”

“Thanks,” he says, chuckling. “But you know what? I kind of like yours too.”

“Nah.” I wave my hand around. “Mine are old boring hazel. You have nice icy light blue.”

Sitting up straight, he declares with passion, “No way. Your eyes are not boring at all. There are little flecks of gold and green in them. They’re super pretty. Claire.”

I bite my lip.

Wow, I had no idea Easton ever really paid that much attention or that he felt so passionately about my eyes.

But I am flattered, so I murmur a quiet “Thanks.”

He flops back against the sofa, and this time he closes his eyes. “Claire,” he breathes.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He opens his eyes and turns his head toward me.

“Oh, come on,” I press. “You’re clearly thinking about something.”

“All right. What the hell.” Looking up at the ceiling, he runs a hand down his face. Then he says, “Is there anything about our past that you regret?”

Okay, we’re moving into serious talk here.

But I’m up for it. There are things I want to share with Easton, just thoughts about all those years ago. Like things I think he should know.

I don’t plan to divulge everything tonight, but there is something I’ve been meaning to tell him about for a while now.

“I have some regrets,” I reply honestly. “But probably one in particular that weighs on me.”

Looking over at me with deep interest, he asks, “What’s the one that weighs on you the most?”

“Nope. No way.” I shake my head. “You brought it up. You go first.”

“Okay.” He blows out a breath. “Here goes one—I regret that I never asked you out back then.”

Holy crap!

Softly, I say, “I didn’t know you ever felt that way about me.”

Chuckling, he gestures over to me. “Come on, Claire. Look at yourself. You’re beautiful, and you always were. It would have been weird if it had never crossed my mind.”

Ahh, so he was attracted to me.

But that was back then, I remind myself.Not now.

Though could it still be?

“Claire?”

Easton’s voice breaks me from my reveries. “Yeah?”

“What’s your big regret?” he asks.

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