AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was the first time he’d heard her voice since that day. When he thought he’d lost her forever. Today was the first day he’d seen her face. It healed a little part of him to know she was okay, to see for himself what Evie, Cait, and Libby had already confirmed.
She agreed to let him pick her up, something else that felt like progress, but she hadn’t encouraged much conversation, giving him one-word answers until he finally gave up. He had so much he wanted to say to her; if she didn’t want to talk, she could listen instead.
She didn’t realize they were driving in the opposite direction of her parents’ house until he pulled onto a dirt lane and followed it through a dense copse of trees that opened onto a stretch of barren land.
“This is a field.”
He climbed out of the truck and rounded the hood, reaching in to help her down. She hesitated but ultimately took his hand and hopped to the ground. When she was clear of the truck, she dropped his hand and put distance between them.
“What are we doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
He surveyed the thick grove of trees ringing the knee-high grass. He hadn't been out here in years.
“My dad left this plot of land to me when he died. Told me to use it to build a solid foundation. I had no idea what the fuck he meant. I thought it was some stupid, cryptic message about basements.”
He turned to study her profile. “Then I met you.”
“Callahan...” she sighed.
“You've let me apologize, but you won't let me explain. I'm not sure if it's because you don't care enough to hear it.” He blew out a breath at that possibility. “Or if you won't believe whatever I say. But I need to say it. You don’t have to say anything. You can just listen.”
She waved her hand, indicating he should continue, but her face gave nothing away about what she might be feeling.
“I didn't want you.” When she moved to return to the truck, he dove to the side to block her path.
“This is hard enough, Callahan. There’s no need for you to rub salt in the wound.”
“I’m not doing this well.”
She snorted. “I’ll say.”
He raked a hand through his hair and tried to organize the jumble of his thoughts. “I didn't want marriage or commitment. With you or with anyone. It’s so much easier to be alone.”
His fingers itched to reach out and touch her, but he kept them at his sides. He had to get it all out first.
“But ever since you sat down at that damn table at Scarpetta, there was something about you. Something that pulled at me. I thought it was lust because God knows I feel plenty of that for you. But even then, it was more. I just didn’t know what it was.”
He swallowed hard. “I’ve been falling in love with you since the first moment I met you. With your eyes and your laugh and your brain and your smart-ass mouth. I love how you call me on my shit and how you know what I’m thinking before I even say it.”
His gaze darted over her shoulder at the trees swaying in the breeze. She tugged her jacket tighter around her, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He might not be able to finish.
“I’ve been falling in love with you, and I didn’t know it. I didn’t think I was capable of it. And when I realized what it was, it scared me. Because it meant you could hurt me. It meant I could lose you.”
He was quiet for a minute before whispering, “Maybe I already have.”
“I didn’t want you either.”
His gaze snapped to her face, but he didn’t see rejection there. The softness in her eyes gave him hope.
“When Papa told me about all of this, I laughed—literally—in his face. Once he made it clear it would happen whether I was a willing participant or not, I decided I’d try to make the best of it. I figured maybe we could find some common ground. Be friends.”
She blew out a breath. “You set fire to that idea pretty much right away.”
“Viv, I—”
“Wait. You said yours. Let me say mine.” He nodded. Shoving his hands in his pockets. “After that dinner, I sort of hoped you’d take a long walk off a short pier.” She chuckled. “There was lust there. Obviously. I mean, look at you.”
It took everything he had to keep his hands in his pockets when she dragged her eyes down his body and back up to his face.
