Page 77 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

I stared at her for a beat. Her eyes were clear and honest. There was no doubt in my mind that she meant every word. Maybe she was right. I’ve spent the last few weeks questioning everything. Perhaps it was time I started believing in her again. In us.

The wind whipped her hair around, so I tucked it back behind her ear. “I’ll try.”

Her lips parted slightly, like she wasn’t expecting me to give in so easily. “Thank you.”

Then, before she could say anything else, she leaned in and kissed me. It was sweet, soft, and everything else. It was as if she were trying to make up for all the years we’d wasted. I held her tight as if my life depended on it. In fact, I was pretty sure it did.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

HARLOW

The roar of the motorcycle filled my ears as Brooks and I made our way along the winding roads. I tightened my grip around his waist, holding on for dear life as the warm air whipped against my face.

I always loved riding on the back of this bike. It’d been years, yet I was surprised at how natural it felt to hold on to him like this.

We didn’t talk. I didn’t ask where we were going, because we had traveled this road so many times, I already knew.

The second he pulled down the dirt path, my breath caught in my lungs.

The same willow tree stood tall along the shore of the lake. The dock we spent many hours on was still there, looking worn and weathered.

I slid off the bike; my hands trembled as I removed my helmet.

Brooks swung his legs over the bike and set the kickstand down.

He grabbed something from the saddlebag, and my heart almost tripped over itself when I saw the picnic basket and blanket in his hands.

“You planned a picnic for us?”

He shrugged, trying to play it off. “I figured it was a nice day out. We don’t have too many of those left, so I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon outdoors.”

He could have taken us anywhere, but he chose this spot. A place that mattered to both of us.

I wrapped my arms around my middle and stood a few feet back, taking it all in. Brooks spread the blanket out under the tree. The same spot where we spent so many hours talking about the future. This was where we shared our first kiss and spent countless hours staring at the stars in the sky.

I knelt beside him as he unpacked the fruit, cheese, and crackers and placed them on a little cutting board.

“You remembered?” I asked, kicking my white sneakers off and pulling the bottle of wine from the basket. I held it up and stared at the label. It was from the same winery where we went on our last date before I left to go back to school.

He stretched his jean-clad legs out on the blanket and tilted his head to the sky. “Of course I did. You drank the entire bottle and cried about how bad you were going to miss me.”

I laughed, covering my face. “I was a mess.”

He reached inside the basket and pulled out a corkscrew. “You were a cute mess.”

I looked out at the water. “Have you been here since I left?”

I don’t know why I asked. Why it was so important?

He sat back, bent his knee, and rested his arm casually around it. “I used to come here a lot. I thought maybe if I sat here long enough, I’d find some peace and stop being so damn angry.”

I took a small sip of my wine. “Did it help?”

He shook his head. “No. Not one bit.”

My chest squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

He ran a hand along the back of his neck. “It’s okay.”

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