Page 12 of An Unexpected Everything
“I’ll take a doughnut too.”
I rolled my eyes and took my seat at my desk, knowing I had tons of paperwork today before I could get my hands dirty.
However, a thought couldn’t quite leave my mind, so I picked up my phone and hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.
Me:
Just checking in. Did you rest up and go to the doctor?
I hit send and ignored the bile running up my throat. She had probably changed her number. There was no reason that she should even text back. This was lunacy.
Three little dots formed before they disappeared, and I let out a sigh, resigned to know that she wouldn’t be texting back. Maybe if I saw her passing through town because her family was here, we would walk past one another like strangers. Maybe it would be better if we did that.
I had already hurt her once before and I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to win her back.
My phone buzzed and I looked down, my heart in my throat.
Isabella:
I’m fine. I did rest. Thank you for checking in.
My lips curved into a smile, and I swallowed hard.
Me:
Just stay away from the edge of cliffs from now on.
Isabella:
I don’t think I’m going to be standing on anything too high anytime soon.
Isabella:
How are you?
And with that, my heart shuddered. Because this was her reaching out.
I had messed up so many things in my life, Isabella being the main one.
A part of me couldn’t help but text her back, an ache for what couldn’t be. And maybe, what could.
Chapter Four
ISABELLA
A smile playedon my face as I put my phone in my purse and headed into my new place of employment. I still couldn’t quite believe that I had texted Weston back. Maybe it was just the shock of seeing his name on my phone to begin with. He hadn’t texted me in all these years. Eight years of no contact, and one single fall from a cliff, and here we were, texting again.
I wanted to hate him, to hate what had happened, and maybe I still did. Yet part of me couldn’t help but want answers to the questions that I was never able to ask.
It surprised me I could even smile with the headache brewing at the moment. I hadn’t slept all that well the night before—constant dreams of what William had done echoing in my head. I had hoped the respite in Cage Lake would help, but if anything, knowing I’d have to come back to the city where it all happened had made it worse. I had to push that all aside though because I needed to focus. I had to prove to myself and the other Cages that I deserved my new position.
If I visited Cage Lake again, which was a high probability, I would probably seehim. It wasn’t like the town was that big. There would be no hiding from him when I went with Blakely to the lake.When, not if. When had that changed in my mind? Iwasn’t even sure how today was going to go at work and here I was, wondering what could be.
That was so unlike me that I pushed it aside and made my way through the parking garage and to the main building. I walked inside Cage Enterprises, my shoulders rolled back, and smiled at the doorman in security.
“Hello, Ms. Cage. I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Blue skies.”
My name was Dixon, not Cage, but people tended to forget that—especially here. I smiled at the man and nodded. “Yes, Jeff. It does seem like a nice day. But of course now that I’m saying that I’m glad I brought my coat.” I held it out and we both laughed before I made my way past reception toward the bank of elevators. A few people stopped me to say hello, and it was only slightly awkward this time
