Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 69371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
I turn over from the middle of my bed, opening my eyes. The room is still dark, thanks to the blackout curtains I had installed when I moved in. My hand slaps the phone on the side table to shut off the alarm. I take a second to just lie here in the bed, looking up at the ceiling. The same ceiling I spent most of the night looking at, waiting for it to tell me what the hell to do. The same ceiling I focused on when I told her the words that broke me before they broke her. The same ceiling I looked up at while she got up and got dressed, storming out.
Throwing the covers off me, I walk over to the kitchen and start the coffee machine before going to the bathroom. I wash my face and brush my teeth, running my wet hands through my hair, then slip on some black jeans and a black T-shirt before I walk back into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee to go. Grabbing my keys and phone, I head out to the garage, pressing the button, then arming the alarm before walking out. The sun hits my eyes right away, and I have to squint a bit. The heat also hits me, making me shake my head. "Nothing like May in the South."
Getting in my truck, I make my way over to the pub, knowing they should be setting up for lunchtime. The meeting is shorter than I thought it would be, and when I get in the truck, the words keep going over and over in my head. "Clarabella has really pushed events our way." The minute they said her name, I was all messed up. It's like I couldn't even concentrate until I spoke to her. Not only did she keep working with my restaurants after I left but she also pushed them big-time. It just didn't make sense to me. Nothing about anything made sense. I knew coming back would be hard for me, but I didn't know it would be this hard. For my whole life, I never connected with anyone, and it was the way I liked it. Until that one night with Clarabella linked me with her on a different level, and I wasn't expecting it.
I pull up in the venue's driveway, knowing this is a bad idea. I even told myself it was a bad idea. I was heading to the restaurant, but my car drove me here. I park where I always used to park behind the venue spot, right off the kitchen. When I pull open the back door, the cold air hits me right away, and I put my aviator sunglasses on the top of my head. My palms are getting a touch sweaty when I think back to all the times I was here. Ignoring the way my heart is beating, I walk into the kitchen, and I have to stop when the memory of the first time I walked into this place comes rushing back to me.
The place had just caught on fire, and she was scrambling to get food for her brother's wedding. The two of us waited in the kitchen after the wedding got canceled, and I stood right in front of her. "So you finally caved and called me." I had to put my hands in my back pockets, or I would have been tempted to lean in and touch the curl in front of her face. It was a perfect curl, also one that you could have stuck your finger right through.
"I was at the bottom of the barrel." She didn't back down from me when I stared into her crystal blue eyes. I couldn't help but laugh. I took a step closer to her, her lips calling out to me to kiss her, but Travis walked into the kitchen, and in that split second, the moment was over.
"Just say what you need to say and leave," I tell myself and walk into the venue space. It's usually filled with tables and decorations. But this time, it's empty except for a table in the middle of the room. I look around, seeing if anyone is here because someone is usually always walking around doing something. But for once, it's eerily quiet. All you can hear is my boots on the wooden floor.
I walk over to the round table in the middle of the room. The champagne-colored tablecloth hits all the way to the floor. The gold chairs around the table have a sheer ivory sheet over the back, and it's tied with the same color ribbon as the table. White plates fill the table with white napkins in the middle with a ribbon tied to it. It looks fancy as fuck, especially with one crystal champagne glass, a wineglass, a water glass, and another shot glass. The ivory flowers in the middle of the table complete the look. I'm so entranced by the table I don't hear the heels clicking until they are in the same room as me.