Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 75720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I can’t think about all this right now,” I said. My throat tightened. If I hadn’t already cried so much, I was sure more tears would have made an appearance. But I was as dry as a husk. “Come with me. Let me show you this cool spot down the way.”
I led Jake down the stone path, the trees creeping in on either side for a couple of minutes before they suddenly opened, the path ending on a large outcropping that looked down onto a bubbling river. Mountains climbed on either side of it, a natural-made border that turned sunsets into works of art as the blues and purples of dusk painted the natural canvas. A few wildflowers broke through the rocky dirt, reaching up toward a bright and ever-present sun.
“I’d come here sometimes just to read,” I said, going up toward the edge of the ledge and sitting down. It wasn’t very high up, so it didn’t trigger my fear of heights, but it was high enough to create a weird tickle in my core. I let my feet dangle, and Jake did the same, sitting next to me, his hand coming to encase mine.
“It’s peaceful here,” Jake said. His eyes turned forward, following the curving river as it disappeared around a bend. Evergreen pines grew on either side of us, dancing slightly in the gentle breeze. A squirrel fought with another one as they spiraled up the trunk, chittering and chattering to each other.
“Peaceful. As if I even know what that is right now.”
“It’s whatever I feel when I’m with you. I know that much.”
I smiled at Jake and was surprised at how genuine it felt. It had the effect of turning a light in on a dark room, erasing the cobwebs and imaginary demons that lurked in the corners. “I seriously don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without you,” I said, allowing the honest emotions to rise to the surface. “You could have turned around and left at any moment. A lot of guys probably would have, but you stayed. And you keep me from losing my mind on a daily basis.”
“Anyone who would have left when you needed them most didn’t deserve you in the first place.” Jake’s hand squeezed around mine. His thumb traced soft circles against my skin. It created another sense of warmth and comfort that I wasn’t really ready for. It blew down any defenses or barriers I had left between us, if there had even been any left.
“Franky wouldn’t have stayed past that first night at the book club.”
“Pfft, Franky wouldn’t have even been at the book club. I thought we agreed that guy was trash?”
I chuckled, leaning into the solid column of man that sat next to me. “Very true. Thank God the trash has been taken out.”
“It has,” Jake said. He kicked his leg out, twining it around mine. I picked up a rock in my free hand and lazily tossed it toward the river, landing painfully short of it. Jake wore a thin gray hoodie that made him look more handsome than he already was, even though it hid some of his more muscular attributes. I had a feeling Jake could wear a trash bag and still make it look good.
“How did I get this lucky—well, and unlucky, I guess.”
Jake’s chuckle was soft. “Let’s focus on the lucky part. Because I keep asking myself that same exact question. I really didn’t think I’d find someone this perfect for me, not after the road bumps I had in getting to you. From a failed engagement to cheaters to a couple emotional abusers, I’ve dealt with it all, and I was getting to my breaking point.
“Then you come along, buying wine for your book club, and my entire life changes. My perspective shifts, my heart fills. I feel like happiness is attainable again.
I know it sounds poetic and dramatic, but it’s all true.”
Did it sound poetic? Yes. Did it sound dramatic? Maybe.
Did I love every single fucking word he was saying? Absolutely.
“I think we were both in the same spot, relationship-wise. I didn’t think it was worth putting myself through all that again. I was about to just go on without any strings attached, messing around and seeing what happens. But you came along, and any desire to mess around completely vanished.”
Jake batted his long lashes at me. “So you don’t want to mess around with me?”
It was my turn to laugh. “Not what I meant.”
“I know,” Jake said, leaning in and giving me a kiss that landed on the edge of my lips.
“You’re special,” I said as I turned to fully face him, resting our foreheads together. I could see the specks of diamond dust that made his eyes glow as bright as the sun. The gentle touch of his breath gliding over my lips and down my chin sent a tingle down my spine. My hand closed tighter around his. “I’m so—I…” The words started to race out of my mouth, becoming tangled in a tongue-tied mess. “I just—” had to get it out. Had to say it. Jake needed to hear it, and I needed to say it.