Page 17 of Coming Unraveled
“Well, we can hire people to care for it. The Julian’s have that landscaping business and we can work with them.”
“Also, it’s ready for a family. I’m just me and I don’t want to take that from someone else.”
“Everleigh, if you don’t like the house you can just say so.”
“No…I…” she begins.
Something about this house calls to her and he’d be damned if he let this slip through her fingers.
“If she’s not interested I’ll take it. I love the house. It reminds me of a smaller version of my grandmother’s home in Atlanta.”
“Wait! I mean I’m still thinking.”
“You snooze, you lose, gorgeous,” Brooks mentions as he pulls a pen out of his back pocket, looking towards Austin ready to sign the papers.
“Dammit!” Everleigh shouts as she snags the pen from Brooks’ grasp. “I want this house. It's mine.”
He chuckles as she rips the offered papers from Austin’s hands and stalks towards the small table against the wall.
“I knew you loved the house and couldn’t give it up,” he laughs.
“I hate you,” she argues as she motions for Austin to step towards her to explain the paperwork.
“I’ll see you later, sweetheart,” Brooks declares as he opens the front door to leave.
Turning his head toward her one last time he adds, “Congratulations.”
She peeks at him over her shoulder and she smiles, her chocolate colored eyes shimmering in joy.
And he watches as her armor cracks just a little more.
Chapter Three
EVERLEIGH KNEW THIS DAY would come, the day when she will actually have to rely on people for help; not something she does very often. But as she steps from the title company’s office in Asheville, new keys in hand, she is at a loss on how to go about unloading the packed boxes of her apartment and moving them to her home. She only owns a two-door coupe and knows that she can only fit one or two boxes into the tiny compartments.
The pharmacy is opening late today so she could make it to her closing appointment and she hates that she needs to head straight there. She would much rather start packing up her apartment and begin unloading her life in her new house.
Just as she steps away from the sidewalk and steers towards the parking lot she runs into a wall of muscle causing a recognizable scent to burn her nostrils.
No, not today, she thinks to herself as she looks into the chambray colored eyes of the last person she wants to run into.
“Hello, V,” he begins, resting his free hand on her shoulder to steady her movements while the other holds a stack of folders.
“Hi, Rich. And please don’t call me V,” she insists as she steps from his grasp, the feel of his fingers on her body causing her stomach to churn in disgust and a note of fear.
“I’m sorry,” he confesses holding his hand in the air as if he had forgotten; had forgotten everything he put her through, forgotten the pain he inflicted on her, forgotten that he is the reason she is the way she is.
Stepping to the side, Everleigh tries to step around him, but he snakes his arm out and grips her bicep with a strength she had been all too familiar with.
“Let go of me now,” she orders as she jerks her arm, but his hold doesn’t lessen.
“Come on, I just want to talk. You always turn the other way when you see me in town.”
Yanking harder she finally frees herself and spins on her heels to face him as she seethes in anger.
“I turn the other way because I want nothing to do with you. You ruined my life, Rich.”
“I didn’t ruin anything, V. I fixed both of our lives. No need to hold it against me.”
