Page 56 of Tangled Up In You
But how much would it crush his spirit in the process?
I’d be a horrible person if I just let that happen for the sake of my happiness. When you loved someone—truly loved them—you’d sacrifice anything if it meant they were happy. Corbin would be miserable settling for a simple life, one where he had a regular eight to five job and couldn’t play football.
I knew that even if Icouldgo back to that day seven years ago when I’d broken up with Corbin… I’d do it all over again. As much as it’d hurt me, I’d done it so he could live his dream.
I’d set him free so he could fly.
And I refused to be the one to clip his wings now.
Chapter 18
Corbin
One Week Later
“Everything looks in top notch,” Jerry, the inspector, said as he approached me. He looked to be in his late forties, with graying brown hair and a kind smile. “I’d suggest maybe another coat of paint on the deck just to add to the appearance, but the condition of the place is great.”
Usually, the buyer would pay to have the house inspected, but I thought it’d help the house get a better price if I did it myself. So that way, the buyer would know of any issues up front and be willing to pay more for it. Not that money was an issue for me—I had way more than any one person should—but I just hated the thought of the house not getting what it deserved.
“Thanks,” I said, shaking his hand.
“You should have no issue selling the place, Mr. Taylor. It’s a beauty.”
After he gave me the inspection sheet and I paid what was due, he got in his truck and left. I walked down the steps of the front porch before turning around and looking at the house.
It really was beautiful; a two-story manor with maroon paint, decorative columns, and a vast amount of windows to let in the light of a gorgeous sunny day. A sunroom set off to the left, connected to the house by a breezeway lined with ivy. The house was made up of several different styles, including Greek and plantation architecture.
There was a terrace out back that Grandpa had worked on a lot through the years to make it look like some kind of enchanted garden, with a small fountain in the center and flowers and smaller trees all around it.
“What are you doing, Taylor?” I asked myself as I took it all in.
I hadn’t listed the house for sale yet, because I’d wanted the repairs to be done first, as well as the inspection. But I couldn’t deny that I’d purposefully put it off over the past month. As if some part of me knew it was a mistake.
After walking to the terrace, I sat down on the cushioned bench and looked out over the backyard. Even though it was technically still winter, the weather had shifted to an early spring. It was the twentieth of February and in the upper fifties. A somewhat chilly breeze blew, but the heat of the sun helped balance it, and I only needed a long-sleeved shirt instead of a jacket.
I checked the time on my phone and saw it was almost eleven-thirty. If I wanted to make it on time for lunch with Hunter, I needed to get moving. As I went back into the house and put on a different pair of pants, I thought about how Hunter had been acting a little off lately. Or maybe that was just my paranoia at play because I still hadn’t told him about the upcoming photoshoot with Veronica.
Which I planned to tell him; I just hadn’t found the right moment.
I arrived at the school with only two minutes to spare and went into the main office.
“I was wonderin’ if you’d be here today,” Kelly said as I walked through the door. She was the receptionist and always seemed to have a big smile on her face. It was infectious.
“Yeah, I left a little late,” I answered, leaning on the counter and winking at her.
“Always the charmer you are.” She shook her head before handing me the sign-in sheet. “You know the drill.”
I signed my name and the time I got there before taking the visitor sticker from her and slapping it on my chest.
“Don’t cause any trouble now, ya hear?” She gave me the up-down.
“You never know with me, Kelly,” I said with a smirk before leaving the office and going down the hall.
Students greeted me along the way, and a few of the football guys chest-bumped me. One of the girls squealed and waved before running to her group of friends and giggling. I’d come to know a lot of the kids, and the way they looked up to me was kind of endearing.
Daniel, one of the football guys, was probably the one I was closest to. He was the quarterback, but that wasn’t the only reason we were close. He was genuinely a good kid, and I got the feeling he didn’t have the best home life. When I sat with him and talked at lunch, it seemed like it made his whole day. And it was kind of an amazing feeling to be able to have that impact on someone.
Funny that when I attended there, I couldn’t wait to leave…and now I enjoyed being back.
