Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Sawyer
No journal anymore…just living.
I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
The past week had gone by in a whirlwind of excitement and fear, conversations with Dax about Carter, with Camden about my decision, with our friends. Cam was somehow the hardest and the easiest at the same time because I knew that no matter what, he would always have my back.
He’d asked me a million times if I was sure. I’d said yes each and every time, but now I felt like I was going to puke, and my head spun, and Christ, was I really doing this? For the first time in a while, I needed one of my anxiety meds.
“Here you go,” my Uber driver said as he pulled up at the curb of the busy street. “You okay, man? You look a little green.”
Great. Totally the look I was going for. “I’m fine. Thanks.” I got out of the car and shook my limbs out. I had this. I could do this.
“Who would ever want you?”
Fuck that. I wasn’t letting Julian inside my head. Not anymore.
I went into the brick-front building and gave the doorman my name. He smiled and let me up, thanks to Dax and his phone call. My damn hands were shaking the whole time, and I feared that I was dangerously close to having a heart attack, but I took deep breaths and fought to keep my fear at bay.
No matter what happened, I would be damn proud of myself.
When I knocked on the door to Carter’s apartment, I hoped like hell I wasn’t green anymore. It was a moment before it opened, and a big-ass muscular guy stood there. My heart tumbled, and I took a step back. Oh God, was I too late?
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m looking for Carter James. It’s Sawyer—Sawyer Burke,” I said, and a smile spread across the big guy’s face.
I’d already decided I wasn’t backing down. I’d fight for this if I had to, because it was worth it. He was worth it.
“Thanks for grabbing the door. I had to finish my call. I—Sawyer. Holy shit, what are you doing here?” Carter stood there looking dumbfounded. He was still inside the condo, watching me, and for a moment I froze.
Had this been a mistake? No, no it wasn’t. No matter what, I couldn’t regret this. “I probably should have called first, but I just…” My eyes darted to the guy, then back to Carter. “I needed to see you.”
“What? No. It’s fine.” Then he was walking toward me, and I was holding him in my arms, and fuck, how could I have thought I could walk away from this? How could I not have tried to move heaven and earth to keep it?
“I should have considered you might have company, but I can’t say I’m sorry I came.”
“I’ll leave you two alone,” the dude said. “Have fun.” He waggled his eyebrows and then slipped out. “Oh, and you can tell him why I’m here.”
“Come in. God, I can’t believe you’re here.”
“You and me both.” I chuckled as Carter closed the door behind us. “I hope I didn’t interrupt… Actually, that’s a lie. If anything is going on with you guys, I really fucking hope I interrupted. Sorry if that makes me an asshole.”
Carter grinned, and I swear I felt that damn smile in my chest. “That’s Miles. He wanted my advice on how to come out publicly. Yes, I’ve hooked up with him in the past, but now I…I can’t. I told him I was—”
“Shh.” I put my finger on his lips. “Can I talk first?” Carter had every right to be with someone. We had broken up. What was important was right now.
“Pushy, pushy.” He winked. “Come and sit down.” We walked to his white couch and sat down. How in the hell he kept that damn thing clean, I had no idea, but that was Carter. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he said again.
“I opened my eyes and realized what I wanted, and I couldn’t wait,” I admitted, even though the words were hard to push out. “I called Dax. He gave me your address and talked to your doorman so I could get in.”
“And he kept it from me?”
“Are you complaining?” I teased, and he grinned.
“No, but if you don’t hurry with this story, I’m going to take my turn.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that fell from my lips. God, I’d missed him. It was so damn good to be with him. “Did I ever tell you how I chose the name for my store?”
Carter shook his head.
“I was having a hard time once. I’d actually run into Julian. He lives in Atlanta. I’m not sure if I told you that, but I saw him, and that always makes me feel like shit. It’s stupid that I let him affect me so many years later.”