Page 10 of The Opposite of Romance
Next to him stands a black-haired girl, looking bored out of her mind.
“Kayla!” Olivia exclaims in a tone I haven’t heard since she was a toddler.
The black-haired girl looks up, her face transforming into a grin. “Liv.”
“What are you doing here?”
“This is my dad’s shop,” Kayla responds, side-eyeing her dad.
“You must be the girl my daughter hasn’t stopped talking about,” the dad says. “How about I give you some ice cream and you can both sit down and chat for a bit?” His gaze lands on the booths, and Liv nods excitedly.
One tropical blast and two cookie crumble ice creams later, the kids slump into the booth.
“Sadie Summers,” I say, reaching my hand out. His hair is honey-colored, and so is his neatly trimmed beard. His warm brown eyes are boring into me with something like interest in them, despite my current, definitely unappealing, looks.
“Will Carter.” His hand is big and warm, his handshake the perfect amount of pressure.
“This was a lucky coincidence.”
“It’s a small town. They were bound to run into each other.”
“Well, I was just talking to Liv about asking Kayla to come play at our house.” The ice cream is slowly melting in my hands, but it feels comical to lick it right here in front of this guy I find attractive.
“She’d love that. Maybe we should exchange numbers so we could make that happen.” His tone is hopeful, but he doesn’t sound creepy.
“Sure.”
I recite my number, he gives me a quick call, and I save his contact. My hand is a sticky mess by the time we’re done, so I rush to finish the rest of my peanut butter swirl. He’s cute and nice, and it might have been for the sake of our kids, but it felt good to give someone my number.
A wave of hopelessness washes over me, drowning the thrill. How pathetic am I? Getting my hopes up after an innocent three-minute conversation. Am I so desperate for attention that even a crumb of it made my day? By the time we get home, my shoulders drop, and my eyes are watery.
I do my best to keep Asher and Olivia from noticing, though they’re probably already used to it. Scalding hot water pours over me as I take a shower to wash off the sweat from the nature walk and pull myself together. The divorce has been a rollercoaster. My poor little heart swells with joy and hope of a new beginning, only to be crushed by the deadly weight of my sadness a few seconds later.
It’s not missing David. Not really. But it hates the fact I let myself be invisible for so long. The fact he was able to not see me for so long. The fact he didn’t evenwantto see me.
Now, being seen is a temporary comfort, followed by the crippling fear of blending into the background again.
Sandy would have a field day with this. She would list a hundred reasons why what I’m feeling is bullshit, but I don’t think it is.
David knew me better than anyone (another thing Sandy would object to). He was by my side when my mom died while I was pregnant with Liv. He watched me birth two of his children. He was there, supporting me when I started my author journey. And I still became invisible to him.
The bathroom fills with fog, and my skin turns red before I shut the water off. The burn grounds me, helps me gather my thoughts as I put some clothes on and exit the bathroom.
One look at Asher and Olivia laughing on the couch is enough to make my heart swell again.
It’s fine. We’re going to be fine. I’m going to be fine.
Right?
Chapter Six
“I can’t believeyou’re starting the deck today,” I practically squeal as Logan opens the back doors to his van.
He shoots me a small smirk, displaying just a few of his perfect, pearly white teeth. He’s wearing another flannel today, but he accessorized it with a mustard-colored tool belt, completing the perfect porn star construction guy image.
I remove my gaze from his tool-belt-covered ass, shaking my head.I’m such a creep.He’s a guy in his twenties—my employee, for fuck’s sake—and I’m thirsting over him like a desperate cougar.
I am a desperate cougar.
