Page 33 of What Comes After

Once I walked into her house and saw everything being packed up, once she confessed that she was going to be selling the house, I thought it was just the sign I needed. As shocking and unsettling as that news had been, something clicked inside my head.

I was leaving, I didn’t want to live without her, and she didn’t have a plan for where to live. I thought it was the perfect scenario to try to convince her to make the move with me.

It felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart when she turned me down.

But as much as she’d respected and supported me, I needed to do the same for her.

Unfortunately, now it was Thanksgiving Day, and time was passing far too quickly. If nothing else, I was grateful for the fact that my mom and dad had made sure to convince Devyn to join us for the holiday. There was nobody else I would have wanted to spend the day with besides her.

I was days away from embarking on the opportunity of a lifetime.

I should have been feeling nothing but excited and eager and overwhelming gratitude. And I did. But as grateful as I was for the journey I was about to be on as well as the relationship I had with Devyn, I’d have been lying if I said I wasn’t worried about how things would change between us.

The doorbell rang.

Like a warning alarm, letting me know time was running out, that sound rattled around in my brain.

She was here. It was both good and bad.

Because as each minute passed, we got closer and closer to the time I’d have to leave her.

I opened the door and vaguely noticed what had to be a pie dish in her hands. I couldn’t be certain, because I refused to take my eyes off her beautiful face.

It still blew my mind just how pretty she was. Without even trying, Devyn was remarkable. She was, quite literally, the girl next door. But she was that taken up a few notches in my opinion.

She had long, brown hair that she’d so often pulled back into a ponytail when we were younger. Somewhere along the line, she’d started wearing it down and styling it in a way that left waves in it.

Devyn started wearing makeup. Not a lot, but just enough to enhance her natural beauty. Stunning cheekbones, a heart-stopping smile, and a pair of eyes that matched the color of the cognac I’d seen my father drink on rare or special occasions.

On top of that, I often found myself trying not to stare or allow her to catch me staring at her body.

It had certainly changed a lot since we were both eight years old. She was no longer a little girl. Devyn was a young woman. She’d developed curves, and I’d wished I was immune to the sight of them.

I wasn’t so lucky.

I stepped back, allowed her to come inside, and the moment I closed the door, she said, “Happy Thanksgiving, Theo.”

Careful of the dish she was holding, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly. “Happy Thanksgiving, Devyn.”

God, I desperately wanted to hold on to her forever, and as it got closer and closer to the time for me to leave, I was finding myself more and more tempted to tell her the truth about how I felt about her.

I wanted her to know. She deserved to know.

But there was a part of me that believed she deserved to have the guy who loved her here with her. What kind of man would I be to tell her I’d fallen in love with her only to take it away from her days later?

Nothing about this was easy or fair.

Though I didn’t want to, I loosened my hold on Devyn, smiled at her beautiful face, and urged her, “Come out into the kitchen. My mom has been out there all morning.”

“Oh, no. Does she need help?” she asked. “I could have come over sooner to give her a hand.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Mom does this every year, while my dad and I kick back and relax. Usually, we’re watching football, and she’s cooking.”

“That’s not nice. You should help your mom, so she can sit and relax, too,” Devyn reasoned.

We made it to the kitchen, and before I could respond to her, Devyn made a beeline for my mom. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mary. I’m sorry I wasn’t over here sooner.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright, dear. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. What did you bring with you?”

---