He ignores me, taking a few turns down a winding road, driving deeper into a neighborhood filled with large homes and fancy cars.
“Seriously, where are we going?”
He pulls to a stop in front of a house with a for sale sign on it, a bold “SOLD” stamped across the marker with some real estate agent’s corporate smile and her phone number.
It’s a beautiful home. A wide cobblestone paved driveway with in-ground lights along the edges leads up to a three-car garage and brick siding lining the side of the house. Small palm trees are planted along the curb, and the grandness of the house is near overwhelming with the large pane windows. Leading up to the entrance of the house sits a small set of stairs and a two-door entrance. And Everett.
He’s sitting along the steps with his elbows braced on his knees. He’s wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt, exposing his tan arms. He looks up at Josh’s car at the same time my eyes land on him.
“What is he doing here?” I ask Josh, the two of us still inside the safety of his car.
My reaction is to lock the doors and demand Josh to drive off, or even slouch down so Everett doesn’t see me, but then I see him watching me as he pushes himself off the steps and walks down the long driveway in our direction. Those jeans he’s wearing hug his hips and thighs almost indecently, and all I notice is the way his narrow waist sways seductively, no matter that it isn’t his intention.
His steps are intentional as he reaches the car and waits at the end of the sidewalk. He nervously shoves his hands in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet, and his triceps muscle bulges as he squares his shoulders. I almost roll my eyes at the absurdity of how attractive he looks, even with the confusion and uncertainty swirling in my head.
“He wanted to show you something.”
I look at Josh, unable to comprehend his involvement in this. “You planned this?”
“I just facilitated an opportunity.”
I huff a scoff. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours. Always yours,” he answers with no hesitation. “But I think it’s worth a shot to hear him out.”
“Don’t. Go. Anywhere,” I instruct him, using the same tone our mom uses when she’s told us something for the third time. “I’m coming back in five minutes.” I stamp the end of my sentence by holding out five fingers between us.
He raises his palms up in my direction. “I’ll be right here.”
I sigh, my breath coming out shaky and nervous, before I open the door. I gently place the box of cupcakes on the seat and throw one last glare at Josh. It’s a mixture of a warning and a death stare so he knows we’ll be talking about this whole behind-my-back setup when I come back, but also so he doesn’t steal one of my cupcakes.
“Hi,” Everett says just as I turn to meet him. His expression looks solemn and pensive, though there’s a softness in the way his eyes aren’t narrowed, and his jaw is relaxed.
“Hi,” I answer, squinting up at him from the blinding sun. I take him in, noticing that he’s trying to read me, and how it makes him look worried and sad. It causes my heart to soften, wondering if he’s okay. I want to ask him, but I know I shouldn’t. “Is this another property you’re renovating? Really digging into those real estate investments there, aren’t ya?”
He smirks, ducking his head toward the ground. “Can I show it to you?”
“Sure.” I sound the complete opposite of sure as I take one last glance back at Josh before turning away. He gives me an encouraging smile, and I follow Everett where he takes a key out of his pocket and unlocks the front door.
It’s even more stunning on the inside. A split-level staircase leads up to the second floor, and the foyer breaks off to a living space with a large open floor plan covered in a clean gray-toned white oak wood flooring. The ceiling has to be at least ten feet high, and hanging over the main dining area is a glittering chandelier that looks like it’s dripping with diamonds. Showcasing the glimmering pool and breathtaking cliffside view, the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the far walls cause a light gasp to climb up my throat.
“Everett,” I whisper. “I—” I press a hand to my chest, imagining Everett in this home. Building a life here, maybe even meeting someone one day and bringing her home and raising a family. “It’s a beautiful home.”
I peer over at Everett as he watches me take everything in with my hands braced along the kitchen counter. The way my eyes go gaga over the kitchen with the farmhouse sink and glossy wood grain finish on the cabinets, and more windows letting in natural light.
A sudden pang twists inside my chest, and it spreads through my entire body. Why am I here? Why did I get out of that car as if I’m ready to face Everett like this? I know I’m not ready to see him or talk to him. I don’t know if I’ll ever be. I need to leave.
“Everett—”
“There’s more outside if you want to take a look.”
I turn to face him, and I swallow back the tears making my throat tighten and my breath hitch. I’m ready to tell him no. To tell him that Josh is waiting for me outside. To tell him that I can’t do this. I need to be able to move on. But then I look at him, his eyes urging me in a way that I want to say yes. Because I don’t see the man I don’t know how to trust or the man who came back for me even though he wasn’t sure I’d be here for him.
Instead, I see the boy I fell in love with with my entire heart and soul. That menacingly messy hair that laid rumpled on his pillow and those brown eyes that watched me as I drifted off next to him, surrounded by the warmth of his arms. He promised me the world then. We talked about our future like we’d never not be a part of each other’s lives.
“Sure.” This time I sound less unsure and more placating, hoping that we can at least be in the same room without the reminder of how much hurt we’ve suffered through in our past. Because the thought of letting another twenty years pass without ever seeing him actually hurts more than this. It’s self-destructive, this idea that he can remain a constant in my life while believing I can actually move on, but the latter. The thought of never seeing him again…It suddenly feels calamitous.
He slides open the large glass door leading outside, and he takes a few steps ahead of me to what looks like a small pool house. I step carefully around the edges of the pool, noticing how beautiful it is with the infinity edge. He opens the door to the pool house, holding it out for me to enter first, and when I do, I see that it’s the only place in the entire property that’s furnished.
