‘It’s not just my mind. It’s my heart. You really got to me Mia, like no one else has. I know we can’t be together, but seeing you again, having you here, I just wanted to tell you how muchthat night meant to me, and how I haven’t stopped thinking about you.’
I look down. ‘Jason, I—’
‘You don’t have to say anything. I know you’re leaving. I just didn’t want you to go without me telling you how I felt. I didn’t want you thinking that night was just sex.’
‘I know it wasn’t,’ I whisper, my eyes tearing up. Damn pregnancy hormones. Then again, I’d probably tear up even if I wasn’t pregnant. Hearing Jason say he hasn’t stopped thinking about me confirms I wasn’t the only one who felt something that night. I was telling myself I made it out to be more than it was, hoping it’d make me get over Jason. But we both felt a connection that night, something that doesn’t come along every day.
I wish I could convince him to move to Boston with me. Maybe when he finds out about the baby he’d be open to at least talking about it. But he’s so happy here—happy with his job, his family. I don’t want to take that away from him.
‘Mia, are you okay?’ Jason asks, noticing the tears in my eyes.
‘Yeah.’ I laugh and wipe my eyes. ‘It’s allergies. I get them in the spring.’
‘But we’re inside.’
‘I know. It’s probably just something in the air.’
‘You sure that’s all it is?’ he asks with concern.
I nod, smiling. ‘Yes. It happens all the time.’
‘You want to get out of here? There’s not really anything to do other than watch TV.’
‘Where do you want to go?’
‘We could go to Sawyer’s place. You like beer, right?’
‘I do, but—’
‘You’re not drinking. I forgot. But we could go there anyway. You could meet Sawyer, see his brewery.’
I agree to go because being here alone with Jason is way too risky. My hormones are on overdrive and if we don’t get out of here I’m afraid something will happen.
What was I thinking? I shouldn’t be staying with Jason. But it’s just one night. We can get through one night without anything happening.
Chapter 8
Jason
‘Hey!’ Sawyer yells from the bar, smiling at me.
‘That’s Sawyer, my brother,’ I say to Mia. ‘We can sit over here.’ I lead her to a high-top table by the bar. It’s the only open table. The placed is packed, like it always is on Friday night, so I texted Sawyer on our way here, asking him to save us a table if one opened up.
‘You must be Mia,’ Sawyer says, coming up to her.
‘Yes. It’s nice to meet you.’
‘Welcome to Haydon Falls.’
‘Thanks. I like what I’ve seen of it so far.’
‘She’s sticking around tomorrow,’ I say. ‘I’m going to take her to the orchard and the falls.’
‘What about your game?’ Sawyer asks me.
‘She wants to go.’ I smile at her. ‘I don’t know why. I already know we’re going to lose.’
‘I think it’ll be fun!’ Mia says, smiling back at me.
