Page 59 of Check the Halls
And then she reappears.
She’s taken her hair down and loose waves curling slightly at the ends fall past her shoulders. My t-shirt and sweats swim on her frame. And somehow I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful.
I don’t know how it’s possible for anyone to look that good in a t-shirt and sweats. Maybe it’s because they’remine—and for the first time in ten years there’s a sliver of hope that someday she might be mine again, too.
“Hey.” My voice sounds like plywood against sandpaper.
“Hey.”
“Do you need anything else?”
Anything? Like, an-y-thing? Anything at all?
“Maybe some Advil?” She laughs in a self-deprecating way.
“Of course,” I huff a laugh and head for the kitchen. Maddy trails close behind me. I grab the Advil from the top shelf of my cupboard and hand it to her before pouring her a glass of water.
She pops two pills into her mouth and washes them down. Then she lifts on her tiptoes to put the Advil back but she can’t quite reach.
“I’ve got you,” I say, stepping in behind her and helping her push the bottle the last few inches onto the shelf. Our fingers brush and I expect her to pull away, but she doesn’t.
Maddy shocks me instead by linking them as they come down. She turns so she’s facing me, eyes downcast on our joined hands. She studies mine like she’s never seen it before, holding it gently, turning it over in hers. I stop breathing altogether.
Slowly, her face tilts up and her eyes meet mine. Our faces are inches apart, so close I feel her breath against my lips. Her mouth is open slightly and my eyes drop to it, hungrily.
We don’t speak. We don’t move. We just stand there and stare. Maddy’s expression is not only longing, it’s an invitation. She’s looking at me like she wants me to kiss her.
And God do I want to. My blood roars in my ears and my cock hardens at the mere thought of it. She’s righthere. Open, ready, and willing. All I need to do is lean forward and taste her. Reclaim what was once mine.
But even as much as I want her, I know deep down that she’s not mine. And kissing her now, when she’s just uprooted her life and left another man, wouldn’t only be wrong, it could ruin any shot I have with her.
She places her hand on my abdomen as she steps closer, her touch light but electrifying. My muscles tense instinctively, a sharp inhale betraying the effect she still has on me.
I force myself to pull back.
Maddy’s hand drops, her fingers curling slightly as if she can still feel me beneath them. Her eyes flicker downward, avoiding mine, and she sinks back.
“You should get some sleep.” My voice sounds distant, like someone else spoke the words.
“Okay.” Her response is hesitant but she doesn’t linger. She’s already moving away, putting more space between us.
And I let her go. Because I have to.
“Goodnight, Madness.”
She doesn’t respond. I hear the door to the spare bedroom close and I sink to the floor, putting my head between my knees. Not only am I not sure how I got here, I have absolutely no clue what the hell to do next.
CHAPTER 20
MADDY
Is it possible to wake up on the wrong side of the bed when you didn’t even sleep?
What. A. Day.
End a three-year relationship? Check.
Drown my sorrows at a bar, spilling my deepest, messiest secrets to a random bartender and my cat? Check.
