Page 11 of Lost and Found

I chuckle, but the sound is humorless. “I was an asshole, sweetheart, but I didn’t care. My world revolved around making money and spending lots of it. I had plenty of friends and a trophy fiancée. I thought that my life was perfect, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

She shifts closer to me, laying her head on my shoulder while rubbing calming circles on my chest. “So, what happened?”

“A fucking skiing accident—that’s what happened.” I feel her wince as her grip tightens around my bicep. “I was an advanced skier. Traveled the world to experience the best slopes. Then a newbie got on a black diamond trail they shouldn’t have been on and took a nasty tumble right in front of me as we passed by a densely wooded area. I veered to the side to avoid hitting him, but another skier collided with me, pushing me closer to the woods and into a huge boulder.”

Her chin lifts, and she gazes at me, but it’s concern I see in her eyes, not pity. The way she looks at me heals a part of my soul that’s been damaged ever since that fateful day. “You could’ve been killed. Or hurt far worse.” Her brow wrinkles as she stares at me with watery eyes.

I lean down and kiss her forehead, smoothing away her worry. “I could have, but I wasn’t. I got an ugly gash from a tree limb, and after several surgeries, I’m left with a slight limp. I’m lucky to be alive, so I didn’t think these things were a big deal. Evidently, others disagree.”

“What do you mean? Who disagrees?”

“Everything changed after that day.” I lift her hand, placing her palm on my wounded cheek. Closing my eyes as I continue to lean into her warm touch. “My chances at being a model were crushed,” I joke, and Molly rolls her eyes at me. “I had the most-skilled plastic surgeons in the world, but this is the best they could do. It’s not pretty, but it’s far better than what it could’ve been.” I hate looking in the mirror every day. Not because I think I’m ugly, but because it reminds me of the life I used to have.

“I won’t pretend I didn’t notice it when we first met.” Her candor is refreshing and much preferred to the lies I’m used to. “It’s a part of you—a part of who you are—but I don’t pay it any attention.”

“If it were just the scar, then maybe I could have dealt with it. It’s the bum leg too. My friends and I were all adrenaline junkies, pushing each other to take greater risks. Motorcycle racing, skydiving, cliff jumping… You name it and we tried it. Once I couldn’t do those things anymore, they stopped coming around.”

“Sounds like they were assholes and not friends,” she huffs with a cute scowl.

“You’re probably right, baby.” I tug her closer into my side with a squeeze. “But the nail in the coffin was Alyssa.” My ex’s name tastes like a mouthful of lemon juice.

“Alyssa. That’s the ex-fiancée, right?”

“That’s her. Guess the scar on my face was hideous and would ruin all her wedding photos.Herphotos. She didn’t sayours.” My lips curl into a sneer at the memory. “How could she be seen with me at lavish parties or galas when I lookedlike this? And heaven forbid one of the gossip columns posted pictures of us.She’d be ruined.” I feign the same horror Alyssa had at the thought.

“That bitch.” Molly’s lips pinch together into a glower. “What kind of person were you planning to marry?” Her tone is fiery, and it feels good to have someone offended on my behalf for once.

“I could ask you the same thing.” I raise a challenging eyebrow while I suppress a grin.

“I just can’t believe these people would treat you like that. It’s cruel.”

“Maybe. I told you I was an asshole back then. Guess I attracted other assholes in my life.”

“Sounds like it,” Molly mutters. “But you’re different now. Kind and generous. Funny and sweet. You shouldn’t hide that away up here like some kind of recluse.”

“Hey, I’m not a recluse. I come down from the mountain.” I pretend to be grieved. “I just needed to get away for a while—like someone else I know—but I ended up staying. The thought of going back seems so… foreign and strange now.”

She bites the corner of her lower lip and nods her head.

It’s true. I can’t imagine leaving this life and going back to the city. I’m not that guy anymore. I don’t belong there. And I love it here. This is where I’m supposed to be. It’s just a shame that it took a skiing accident to make me change.

Molly turns toward me, and I stare into her soulful eyes. “I hate that you were hurt, physically and emotionally, but I like the person you are now. And I like that I get to be here with you, even if it’s just for a little while.” The sincerity in her tone does nothing to pacify the ache in my chest from those last few words.

I don’t want a little while. I want forever.

7

MOLLY

Today’s the day. And I hate it.

My heart is heavy as I wake up in Wyatt’s bed. It’s time to go back to my real life and give up the fairy tale I’ve been living for the past ten days. I don’t want to, and now there’s a hole in my chest that makes it hard to breathe.

I lie on my side under the cozy blankets, admiring his handsome face. His breaths are deep and even, and his features are relaxed while he sleeps beside me. I long to brush a few strands of his thick hair off his forehead, to feel his smooth skin beneath my fingertips one more time. I won’t risk waking him, though. That’ll just make things harder.

I slip out of bed, moving slowly and quietly. Knowing that if I stay any longer, I’ll lose my resolve. I gather my clothes and toiletries, placing them in my suitcase while trying not to make a sound. Then I tiptoe out of his room and load my things into my car.

When I walk back inside for one last look, Wyatt strolls toward me, wiping the sleep from his eyes. A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down and slap on a fake smile, blinking away my tears. I want to commit this moment to memory, remembering him just like this: rumpled hair, low-slung gray sweatpants, his chiseled body and tanned skin on display. What I’ll remember most, though, is the way he looks at me, like I’m something precious that deserves to be treasured and worshiped. No man—not even James—has ever looked at me like that and I’m not sure anyone else will.

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