Page 79 of Fall for You
No headshaking, Willow.
Wincing, she rubbed her temples and managed to rasp, “What are you doing here?”
His smile was…
Whatwasthat smile?
Oh holy cow, her insides just melted. She’d never seen this smile before. It was almost…bashful?
Was he even capable of that emotion?
This was too bizarre.
What was happening here?
He was scratching his jaw, which sported an uncharacteristic five-o’clock shadow, and he was wearing sweats that hung low and a fitted tee that was way too sexy for anyone’s good.
Willow wet her lips and tried again. “Eric, what are you doing in—” She paused, desperate to conjure up a name, but after an embarrassingly long beat, she gave up. “What are you doing in this house? Why are you here?”
He cocked his head to the side, his lips twitching as he studied her. “Well, I…” He paused to obviously gauge her reaction. “I live here.”
Willow’s mouth popped open, disappointment sharp and evasive as she choked out, “You live with Margot’s friend?” Her voice ended on a squeak, and for some weird reason, she suddenly felt like crying.
“Uh…no.” Eric shook his head, inching a little farther into the room. “I live alone. And this is, uh…this ismyhouse.”
There was a beat.
A silence.
A long pause as she waited for Antony to poke his head out of the closet door and shout, “Gotcha!” and then fill her in on the epic, yearlong prank he’d just enacted.
But no. No Antony.
“Wait…”
She looked around at the classy navy-colored walls, the dark-wood built-in bookshelves, then down at the expensive-looking duvet that was tucked around her like she was a child, and…
And…
Her chest started heaving, breaths punching out of her as she struggled to say something…anything.
In the end, all she could manage was a high-pitched “WHAT?!”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ronnie’s mind went into action even as her body froze.
Lying there on the icy snow, she stared at the pine trees just to her left, mentally scanning every part of her body. Nothing broken. She wiggled her toes, assuring herself that everything was okay. Sure, she’d have some aches and pains tomorrow, but nothing a little ice and aspirin wouldn’t fix. And yet…
She couldn’t bring herself to move. Some part of her was replaying last year’s accident, remembering the agony when she’d first tried to straighten her leg, then realizing with the help of the paramedic that yes, she was okay. Everything was fine.
She could keep going.
She could keep pushing to compete and be the best.
Until a few days later at the gym, when she heard that soul-shattering pop and knew it was all over.
Her shallow breathing fogged up the air in front of her face.
