Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“Okay, that makes sense.” Primrose bit her bottom lip. “There’s something I want to ask you, but I’m afraid.”
“Ask me anything, please. It’s what I’m here for.”
“Whatever happened with Candace?”
Now, that was a question I was more than happy to answer. My mouth curved into a smile. “You mean, Candace, Chandler, and their two beautiful babies?”
“Really?” Primrose covered her mouth. “Oh, thank God.”
When she lowered her hands, I could see tears in her eyes. She hadn’t shed a tear until now, even if at times she’d looked like she was about to cry.
“I’d been so worried that things didn’t work out. I was always afraid to look her up, not only because I didn’t want to inadvertently get information on you, but because I preferred to imagine her happy and healthy.”
“Well, it seems you manifested that.”
“She’s in remission?”
“Yes. She finished all of her treatments and adopted a very Zen lifestyle. She runs a yoga studio now. She and Chandler had frozen her eggs before she started cancer treatments, and they were able to use the embryos and a surrogate to have two kids.”
“What do they have?”
“A girl and a boy. Maya and Mitchell.”
She beamed. “I’m so happy for them.”
“Me, too.”
“Did they know the truth about you all this time?”
“I did eventually let them know. They were the only friends besides Benjamin who knew what was going on.”
“Gosh, I’d love to see Candace.”
“I’m sure she’d love to see you, too.”
“Do they know you’re here in Ohio?”
“Oh, yeah.” I laughed.
“Why do you say it like that?”
“They’ve been texting me for updates. They’re driving me crazy.”
“That sounds like them.” Primrose closed her eyes and leaned back into the sofa.
Making myself more comfortable, I used the opportunity to stare at her beautiful features. “What are you thinking about?”
She opened her eyes and spoke softly, “I’m thinking that despite the fact that I should be tense around you, I feel pretty at peace right now.”
“I’m surprised you can feel that way in my presence.”
“I’m slowly getting used to you again.”
I grinned, and she returned it.
Her smile faded. “Have there been a lot of women in your life in the years you were away?”
“Is that what you imagine?” I asked. “That I’ve been out there all this time fucking away my sorrows?”
“I have no idea.”
“There was only one woman, actually.”
Her eyes widened. “One?”
“Yes. Those first two years, I couldn’t fathom being with anyone who wasn’t you. And I actually hadn’t planned to.”
“How would that even be possible?”
“It was simple. I didn’t want anyone else and had it in my head that when I was out of danger, I would come find you and tell you I’d waited for you, even if you hadn’t waited for me. I was still committed to you, even though you didn’t realize it.”
She frowned. “What changed?”
“I found out you had moved on and had a child. I thought it was over for us. And I met a woman in Greece. Annabella eventually became my girlfriend. She was a really good person, but...” I shook my head. “She wasn’t you. I couldn’t replicate what I’d felt for you with anyone else.”
“So you broke her heart like you broke mine?”
“It wasn’t the same thing, but yeah, I broke up with her before I left.”
“I’m sorry.” She looked down. “My comment was rude. And uncalled for. My emotions are all over the place right now. I’m engaged with a child, and I’m getting jealous over some woman you dated in Greece. It’s like I’m one person when I go home and another person altogether when I’m in front of you.”
My chest filled with hope at the prospect of her jealousy. I warned myself not to get my hopes up, though. “From the get-go, I knew the thing with Annabella wasn’t going anywhere. She lived in Greece. All of her family did. She was close to her mother and sisters, and I knew she’d never leave them. It was probably one of the reasons I gravitated to her. Because I knew it would end, and I didn’t want a true commitment. I never hid the fact that I planned to go back to the States. I always made that clear.”
“Did she know why you were in Greece?”
“That was the other thing. I was still using an alias. She knew bits and pieces of my actual life, but no, she didn’t know everything. Not even my legal name.”
“That’s crazy.” She stared into the fire, deep in thought.
“Talk to me,” I finally said.
“I’m sorry. I still don’t know what to say. To understand that everything I believed for the past five years was a lie… I just don’t think I can process it that quickly.”
“I don’t want to make you sad, nor do I want to make your life difficult. I just needed to get this load off my chest. I couldn’t live with it anymore. If somehow getting another chance with you was part of the equation, that would’ve been a dream. But I also know that this situation is very complicated and that expecting that dream to come true could be a delusion. I’d settle for your forgiveness and your friendship. I don’t want to live in a world where you pretend I don’t exist because the thought of me causes you pain. I want to see you happy and know that you understand that I love you, not just as your former lover, but as your friend.”