Page 142 of Where Roads Lead

“Thank fucking God for that,” he blew out. “Because, to be honest, I don’t think I’d handle it as graciously as I handled you being with Theo.”

I huffed a short laugh. “You think that was you being gracious?”

“I could’ve been a hell of a lot worse,” he grumbled.

“I’d like to see that sometime.” I smirked.

“Yeah, well, I hope the situation never arises again,” he said and then nodded toward the door. “Come on, I’ll make coffee.”

“Fine,” I said. “But it’s totally not fair that you know you can distract me from any conversation by offering coffee.”

“Yeah.” He laughed. “I have a feeling that’ll come in handy in the future.”

Chapter Forty-One

Will

For the first morning in months, I wasn’t spending my ride to work wondering where Elsie was. If she was awake or still sleeping. If she was wearing pajamas or already dressed. What she looked like when she woke up in the morning. What time I might see her that day—if I would see her that day.

I didn’t have to wonder, because now I knew. I had answers to all of my questions, and it felt like I’d gained some secret key to a universe I hadn’t thought could ever exist.

And there was something bizarrely prideful about the fact that it was my house she was starting her morning in. My kitchen table, I’d left her writing at. And my shirt she was still wearing when I left.

I smiled at the memory.

For the first time, in as long as I could remember, life felt worthwhile again. Like I wasn’t just going through the motions, but had something real to look forward to at the end of it all. Something to work toward. Someone to go home to.

The only problem was standing behind the counter, a living reminder of exactly how much of an asshole I’d been to a guy I’d known since elementary school.

“Morning,” Theo said without looking up from where he frowned at the espresso machine. “Did you have a good—wow, you look…like you had a good night.”

“I did,” I said, shifting under the weight of his smirk.

I cleared my throat.

“Hey, thanks for opening for me today,” I said, sounding as awkward as I felt, because how the hell was I supposed to apologize for my behavior the night before? And probably for the weeks leading up to it as well?

“No problem,” he said before his eyes narrowed on me. “Is that a hickey on your neck?”

“What?” My hand shot up to cover a tender spot that Elsie had paid extra close attention to last night. “No.”

“Jesus, Will.” Theo’s laugh erupted out of him, far more pleased than I’d been anticipating him being. “Is this the first time you kissed a girl since college?”

“Of course not,” I told him.

It’s just the first time I felt anything when I did.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What? You wanted me to call you after I kissed her?” I busied myself with the morning routine.

“No, jackass. I meant, why didn’t you tell me you liked her?”

I shrugged, not knowing how to even begin to explain my behavior over the last few months. I’d never been the type of guy to screw a friend over for a girl. I’d never been the type of guy to even do it to an enemy. Because, in all honesty, girls had never mattered that much to me in the first place.

If one I liked was taken, then there were plenty of others to choose from. That’s how it had always been.

But now? With Elsie? It was like there were no other women to choose from. It was only ever her. Every direction I looked, thought or dreamed, it was all red hair and green eyes and chatter that could last for days.