Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97386 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97386 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Me: So, instead of doing me against your brother’s office door, you wanted to do me at your place. Nice. Classy move. I’d rather let Lane take me against any door than have you touch me ever again!
I stared at my phone for a minute, but it was clear he wasn’t texting back. Fine by me.
I’d almost let my emotions take control again earlier. From this moment on, I was putting a wall around my heart, and Mitchell Parker was not going to break through.
Mission move-on-from-Mitchell-Parker begins tonight.
“Hey, you okay?” Lane asked as he stopped walking.
I forced a smile. “Yes, sorry I was being rude.”
He glanced down at my phone. “I didn’t even notice. Guess I was talking too much!”
We both let out a chuckle.
“If you need to text them, go ahead.”
“No, it doesn't matter anymore.”
Lane flashed me a huge smile. “People who don’t make you happy don’t belong in your life, Corina.”
His words hit me hard. I dragged in a shaky breath. “I know, but sometimes it’s hard to let them go.”
He nodded like he knew what I meant. “When you do let them go, you’ll find you can breathe easier.”
I looked at the ground. The idea of letting Mitchell go didn’t cause me to breathe easier; it was the exact opposite. My chest pulled with an ache so strong it felt like it kept the air from moving in and out of my body. I needed to let him go. It was clear he didn’t want the same things I wanted. Which was us. Me and him, exclusively. The future that I longed for was not the same future Mitchell wanted.
Pulling in a breath, I glanced back up at Lane. “You know what?” I asked with a wide grin. “I think I do want to eat those pies on my front porch.”
I don’t think I’d ever seen a guy’s eyes light up like Lane’s did. At some point I was going to have to inform him that we needed to keep things on a friendship level only. I wasn’t going to risk my job by dating another teacher.
Lane laced his fingers with mine as we started walking again. Peeking down, I looked at our hands. I knew I needed to say something, but a part of me wanted to pretend things were different—that I hadn’t just had one of the worst nights of my life by being rejected by Mitchell yet again. Mitchell’s words hit me newly. He had wanted me to go back to his place. And he seemed so pained when I left him at Cord’s. The way he called out. Had I jumped to conclusions?
Sirens lit up in the distance as we kept walking. A truck raced by, and I had to do a double-take because I swore it was Mitchell’s truck.
“Was that Mitchell?”
“Is that smoke?” Lane asked.
My heart dropped as I followed his gaze. “Yes! It’s coming from the direction of the street I live on. I hope no one’s house is on fire.”
Lane picked up his pace as I joined him. We rounded the corner, and I let out a gasp.
“No,” I whispered. I stared at my house; the second floor was in flames.
“Milo!” I screamed as I started running toward the front door.
“Corina! Wait, where are you going?”
Running as fast as I could, I screamed out my cat’s name. Onlookers turned to see me running like a bat out of hell. The fire department was there and so was…Mitchell?
It had been Mitchell’s truck.
I didn’t stop. I focused on getting to Milo. Strong arms grabbed me, and I knew in an instant who had me. “Mitchell, let me go! Milo is in the house! Milo’s in there.”
He cupped my face and forced me to look at him. “Corina, I need you to calm down.”
Tears streamed down my face for the second time tonight as I looked at him.
“But…Milo.”
He glanced at the house and then back to me. “Wait here.”
Mitchell ran up to the front porch. The firefighters ran after him, calling out for him to stop.
“Mitchell!” I screamed as he kicked in the door and disappeared. Two firefighters went in after him.
“Holy shit, did Mitchell just go into the house?” Lane asked.
“He did what?”
Spinning around, I saw Tripp. “Oh my God, Tripp, he went in after Milo!”
Tripp placed his arms around me as I buried my face against his chest. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to him,” I cried out.
“There he is!” Lane called out.
I pulled away from Tripp to see Mitchell coming out along with a firefighter. He had something in his arms, and I struggled to see what it was.
“Milo,” I whispered.
“What a damn idiot! He could have gotten killed for a cat!” Lane said.
“Shut up, Lane,” Tripped said in an angry voice.
I ran to Mitchell, and he handed Milo over, but I threw myself into Mitchell’s body. I was so relieved he was okay.