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“I understand. Is she still here?”
Mike nodded. “Go on, have a seat. She’s cleaning the floor tonight.”
I took a seat at the bar. No sooner had Mike disappeared than she walked out dragging a garbage bin behind her and a couple beer cases to put empties in. She stopped at the first table and began clearing it. She looked a little thin to me. As she leaned over, I couldn’t help but check her out. I longed to feel her tight ass pushed up against me in bed while I pulled her into me. I watched as she walked back to the bar and turned on the music. Nick Santino’s “I Just Wanted You to Know” filled the bar. The only song in the world at this time that made me think of her. I watched as she swayed to the music, mouthing along with the words. I watched her for as long as I could and then I stood and walked up behind her.
“Hope,” I said as softly as my deep voice would allow.
She turned abruptly. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her eyes all watery.
“I came for you.”
“What about Felice?” she asked, wiping at her cheeks, freeing them of tears with the palm of her hand.
“What about her?” I asked.
She looked at me, almost as if she wasn’t sure what to think. Was I with her or wasn’t I?
“Hope, just listen.”
“I’m sorry, Carter. I’m sorry I didn’t meet you that night.”
“I get it. You may be with him, but if I don’t say exactly what I came here to say, then I’m going to lose the last shot I may have to be with you—forever this time. I owe it to myself to tell you even if I’m not the one who ends up walking away with you. I’m not about to carry around the regret of ‘what if’ with me for the rest of my life, never knowing what could have been.”
She stood there looking at me, giving me time to put the words together. I couldn’t help it; I was nervous. There had been nothing in my life up to this point that made me as nervous as this moment. I gripped her by the waist, pulling her into me. She came willingly, pressing her little body up against mine, where she fit perfectly.
“These eyes, those lips, and this body...I want you forever. It’s taken me a long time to figure it out, but I don’t think I can live my life without you. You’re the one meant for me, Hope. I know I have only ever said it once, but I’m in love with you. I can’t fight it any longer. I know you are with Trent, and I want you to be happy, but I can’t...”
“I love you too.” Her soft voice rang out.
I stopped and looked at her, tears in the corner of her eyes. “What?”
“I love you too. I’m not with Trent. That was what I was trying to tell you months ago. All of this is my father’s fault. When he sold his business, he agreed that I would marry Trent and that was when he would be paid for his company.”
I looked down into those beautiful eyes. She looked heartbroken. “Seriously?”
“Yes, I found the contract. He almost died, Carter, and for the four months that I spent by his side, helping my mother, I fought with myself. It took me a long time, but I have forgiven him. He didn’t do it to be mean; he did it to save us. I guess he was in a lot of financial trouble, and he doesn’t actually hate you.”
I didn’t give her another chance to say anything more. My lips just crashed down on hers, my tongue sweeping through her mouth.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Hope
Present Day
“Ihonestly don’t think youhave anything to worry about, Hope. These boys are a different breed. Carter loves you so,” Autumn said, shoving a couple more pieces of popcorn into her mouth.
“Deep down I know that, but I also know just how persuasive Felice can be.”
“Seriously, I don’t think you need to worry about her. So, whatever happened to Trent?” Autumn asked, drinking down the last of her tea.
“He ended up marrying my friend Carly, and five years later, they were divorced. He turned out to be quite the player,” I laughed. “However, now he is going to prison.”
“Did Carter ever speak with him again? You did say they had been best friends.”
“Yeah, one night we ran into him at Joe’s place. I guess Trent had always been jealous of Carter. He had seen how happy we were together when he had come home at the end of the summer, and so he demanded his father add that into the contract when they purchased my father’s business.”
“Wow. Just wow.”
