And all I can think about is her.
Tabitha.
The memory of her is so fresh it aches. The weight of her body against mine, her breath warm at my ear, the way she whispered my name, the way her face looked in the throes of passion. Her hair spilling across my pillow, her nails leaving faint red trails down my back.
We made love in here. On this bed. A week ago, while the house was full of wedding guests and laughter, we stole hours that felt like a lifetime.
We made love again in her guest room, drawn out and perfect that time.
And then it ended.
I told her we had no future. I left her to wake up alone.
And she left.
What did I expect?
I lean back, staring up at the ceiling. Why did I let her go? Why did I tell her we had no future when every cell in my body screams that she’s mine?
The answer’s obvious.
Because I’m broken.
Because I’m the man who killed someone, the man who can’t shake the weight of it, the man who nearly let a house beam split his skull because he was careless and didn’t bother putting on a hard hat.
Just when I’d decided to go after her…
I close my eyes. For a moment, I can almost feel her here again. Hear her soft laughter, feel her hand brushing across my chest, her kiss pulling me back to life.
But when I open them, it’s just me.
Me, the trophies, and the ghost of Tabitha.
And Zach, of course.
Good old Zach.
“Love you, boy.” I caress his soft head.
This dog quite literally saved my fucking life. My life.
I have a second chance, and I can’t blow it.
A knock rattles my door before it pushes open.
“Still moping?” Sage’s voice. She steps in without waiting for an invitation, her dark hair twisted into a bun and a book tucked under her arm.
I groan. “Don’t you knock like a normal person?”
She smirks. “We’re family. Privacy doesn’t exist.” She sits at the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle me. She flicks her gaze to the scar. “Looks cool. You should keep it. Chicks dig scars.”
“I think I’ll let my hair grow back,” I say, “but thanks. I think.”
She sighs. “You scared the hell out of us, you know.”
“I scared myself.” My voice is quiet.
“You’re alive.” She scratches Zach behind his ears. “Thanks to this amazing canine. That’s what matters.”
