Page 101 of Come Back to Me

My jaw works. “I’ll tell you after the interview.”

“No, you won’t. What did he do? Was he mean to you?”

I sniff. “No.”

At least, not the other day.

A flush tinges my cheeks hot pink—I don’t have to glance in the mirror to know that. I can feel the heat. I’d warm up the entire house from them alone.

The fact that I don’t want to tell Zee prods me into sharing the truth. I always keep her updated on this stuff. Holding these feelings in will serve no purpose, even if the last thing I want to do is add to her stress.

“I’ll tell you if you eat some trail mix.” The crinkle of the wrapper is my answer. Clearing my throat, I mutter, “He’s Butch.”

“Butch? Who is?”

“Cody.”

“Butch?” Her eyes widen. “YourButch?”

My Butch.

But he isn’t.

“Yes! Butch.” My mouth closes when the word ‘my’ settles at the front of my brain like a surgeon’s scalpel on the brink of performing a lobotomy, but I swallow it. Because he isn’t mine. “The soldier.”

“Wait.” She wobbles her head from side to side like she’s trying to get water out of her ears. “I’m confused.”

“It’s not that complicated, Susanne,” I hiss. “He’s Butch Cassidy.”

“Cody is the pilot you’ve been talking to for years?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “Yes.”

“WHAT?!”

Her outrage is so wonderful to witness that it lets me inhale deeply. “It’s fine,” I attempt to soothe.

“The fuck it’s fine!” she snaps, twisting around in her seat to yell, “COLTON KORHONEN!”

“Jeez, Zee, chill!”

Their bedroom door slams open and Colt rushes in with...

Damn, he’s sweet.

A can of soda and some gummy bears.

He brakes so fast that he skids when he realizes she’s sitting there, with me, safe and sound.

Well, not sound,furious.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your brother wrote my best friend a ‘Dear John’ letter.”

He steps deeper into the office and places the snacks on her desk. “Why would he do that?”

“You tell me.”

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