Page 63 of All Your Tomorrows

“Thank you, Nora,” Mrs. Fletcher said. “We owe you the world.”

I stepped outside, feeling as though I didn’t deserve their praise. I was just doing what I always did—giving comfort to those who needed it. I just never expected to stumble upon such a bombshell in the process.

“So that went well,” Kyler said once we were back in my car still parked out front.

I laughed nervously because I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” He leaned over and cupped one of my cheeks with his hand, his fingertips gliding gently over my skin like he was memorizing my features. “…because of you.” He pressed his lips to mine and, at that moment, his kiss was all I needed.

I pulled away first and assessed his tired eyes. “What do we do now?”

“We go home,” he said, even though he knew that wasn’t what I meant.

“You sure?” I asked.

“There’s a lot I’m not sure about. And this is not one of them,” he assured me.

CHAPTER 15

Izzy’s car wasn’t in the driveway when we returned to my house. Kyler headed straight for the stairs. I followed, eager to be alone with him after the trying day we’d had.

There was a knock on the front door.

“What the hell?” Kyler grumbled.

I stopped and moved to the door. Once I pulled it open, Rick stood there staring at me with glazed red eyes.

Dammit.

“What about our last conversation made you think you could just show up here?” I began to close the door but his hand shot out and stopped it.

“I need to talk to you,” he said with a slur in his voice as he pushed his way unsteadily inside my living room.

“Jesus Christ,” Kyler huffed, coming back down the stairs.

I looked to him, just as confused as him by Rick’s drunken intrusion.

“What’d you just do?” Rick said, his words slurred. “Is one of your ghosts here?”

“Spirits. And yes. So, you can leave,” I said.

“Why won’t you hear me out?” he growled.

“There’s nothing to hear.”

“Yes, there is. I love you, Nora. I want you back and you’re making this so damn difficult.”

“This guy’s completely lost his mind,” Kyler said, crossing his arms and eyeing him like a hawk.

“I don’t love you, Rick,” I assured him.

“How can you even say that? We were together for a year. A fuckingyear, Nora. That’s got to mean something.”

“It didn’t mean anything to you when you cheated on me,” I said.

Rage flared in his eyes. “Fuck you.”

My head hitched back. “Excuse me?”

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