Page 31 of The Mistakes I've Made
“You want to die of a broken heart?” I asked, making the final touches on the chicken salad I’d thrown together.
“No,” she explained. “No one wants that. I want a love that endures the test of time. A love that lasts forever.”
“You have it,” Aiden vowed.
And I turned away once again.
Not because I was jealous or hateful or even embarrassed.
No, I turned away so they wouldn’t see the doubt in my eyes.
Nothing lasted forever. Especially love.
I had a dead father to prove it.
After leaving Millie and Aiden’s house, I went home and spent the majority of the night planning the next day.
My brother might have asked me to reach out to Leilani on behalf of the town, but it didn’t mean I had to do it his way.
On the outside, I’d be cordial and a fucking bishop for change, but on the inside, I’d be figuring out any way possible to thwart her and her plans for that hotel.
Before I left Millie’s, she had asked me why I felt so impassioned to take on this mission myself. I’d asked what she meant because, as far as I could see, the fate of our town should impassion all of us.
“I agree,” she said. “But it seems to affect you more than anyone else.”
“That hotel is right next door to me,” I explained.
“Yes, but I’m not that far away either, and honestly, it affects me just the same. You don’t think she hasn’t considered having an upscale gift shop in that fancy hotel?”
My mouth searched for the words.
“We’re all passionate about this, but you’re”—she shrugged for a moment—“something else. Do you think it’s maybe not a why but a who?”
“What?” I exclaimed, completely taken aback. “You think I have the hots for her?”
Her eyebrow simply rose, as if that was enough of an answer.
“You’re insane,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re all fucking insane.”
But part of me knew they weren’t. As much as I was looking forward to besting Leilani, a small part of me—which seemed to double every time I saw her—was just glad I had a reason to seek her out.
To be around her.
And that part of my obsession had nothing to do with this town or the people in it. She was a risk I couldn’t afford, and I needed to keep my head in the game. I needed to stay focused.
So, I did the only thing I could think of.
It was stupid.
It was crazy.
And possibly life-threatening.
But it was necessary.
“Good morning,” Sierra yawned, stretching out next to me on the living room sofa.
I’d been awake for a while, staring up at the ceiling, berating myself for this latest mistake.
