Page 46 of Sacrifice
Chapter Eighteen
Haelynn
My phone dings with a text alert as I’m climbing back in my car. I hadn’t thought ahead about what I wanted to do with the night to myself. It’s been a long week and I could use some “me” time.
When I see Corbin’s name on my screen, my heart sinks into the pit of my stomach.
He’s tried to reach out to me all week, but his messages were met with no response. If I’m being honest, I didn’t know what to say to him. I still had so many thoughts swirling through my mind after my conversation with my mom. I could barely wrap my head around how I’d begin to explain it to him.
Corbin: Please talk to me.
As soon as he sees I’ve read his message, another text dings.
Corbin: Haelynn… please.
He doesn’t deserve for me to keep pushing him off, and knowing that’s what I am doing makes me feel even worse. He deserves to know the truth about why our relationship couldn’t go any further. I just don’t know if I have the strength to break it to him yet.
It wasn’t fair of me to put him through this, though. I didn’t want to hurt him or myself any more than I have already, especially when he’s been so good to me and Huxton.
Me: Can I come see you?
He responds right away with a “yes” followed by his address. I have an idea of where he lives after he mentioned living in one of the farmhouses along the main road leading out of Arbor Creek. There weren’t too many other houses it could be.
It took me less than five minutes to make the drive from my mom’s house to his place. On one hand, I could’ve used more time, but I knew one way or another this had to be done. Avoiding it wasn’t going to change the reality of the situation.
It’s early September and the leaves have begun to change. The sky is continuing to grow darker by the minute as the daylight hours dwindle down. The wind whips through the trees lining the property, a clear sign the storm brewing was going to be a wicked one.
I pull my car into the driveway, parking in the open spot next to Corbin’s pickup. There’s a large garage sitting on the backside of the property. You wouldn’t see it if you were driving past, but something about seeing his truck makes me feel closer to him, knowing he wasn’t too far away.
It’s a beautifully crafted farmhouse with a wraparound porch. The swing on the front, just below the second-story balcony, gave all the small-town farm life feels. Immediately my mind drifts off to thoughts of Huxton growing up here, playing in the yard and swinging with me on a warm spring day. My heart aches with dread at the thought of losing the future with Corbin I can so clearly see.
The paint on the old house is chipping, the wood worn and distressed over the years. When I round the back of my car to climb the steps, the deep timbre of his voice has me stopping in my tracks.
“Hey,” he says, sending chills through me.
I turn to look at him from where he stands. He’s holding a dirty rag, wiping off the dirt or oil marking his hands covering the front of his pants.
He’s wearing a long sleeve plaid button-up shirt with the top few buttons undone, showing his tan skin beneath the material. My eyes drop to the hint of chest hair, biting down on my lip before my gaze finds his.
Once again, my own thoughts reign terror on me as I picture him stalking in through the door as I’m making dinner after he’s been outside working in the yard. My mind filters back to how sexy he looked standing in my kitchen the night he stayed over, memories of him shirtless leaning over top of me.
“This is a pleasant surprise. I was starting to wonder if I’d ever see or talk to you again.”
Seeing him now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to work up the courage to walk away from him. I hate the thought of him looking at me differently than he does now, knowing once I break down and tell him the truth, it would change how he’d see me forever.
There was a part of me that wishes I could push all the thoughts and fears piling up in my mind and soak up this feeling with him for just a little bit longer. I know how selfish it would be of me to do, though.
He shoves the rag into his pocket and crosses the driveway toward me. I suck in a quick breath, twisting my fingers in my hands. The urge to reach out and touch him is making it impossible right now.
His gaze drops down to my hands, bouncing back to where my bottom lip is caught between my teeth. A smile lines the edge of his mouth, and he knows he’s got me.
“We have so much we need to talk about…” my voice trails on.
He flicks his thumb over his chin, nodding his head before he looks back at me. Sweat dots his brow, and he raised his forearm to dab it off.
“We do.”
He takes a step toward me. The closer we get to each other, the more intoxicated I feel.
