“Holy shit, man. She’s hot. You nailed both of them?”
I turn just in time to see my mom clock Noah in the back of the head.
“Ow! Fuck, Mom.”
“Language, Noah.”
“So, is your girl a Hooter’s girl? Didn’t know a town as small as Sycamore would have a Hooters restaurant.”
“They don’t.” I inspect the photo a little closer and realize Addison is wearing some type of uniform. There are several other girls meandering behind her with similar skimpy outfits.
“Let me see that,” Noah stammers. “Good grief, you dumb fuck. She’s working there. She’s a Nascar girl.” He points to the two girls in a different photo leaning on a race car on either side of a dude with a dad bod. “Ow! Jesus, Mom!”
“Language, Noah. And stop calling your brother names.”
“All right. Shit, man-” I laugh as he covers his head and corrects himself. “I mean, shoot. I hope you can fix this.”
“There’s nothing to fix. She’s too good for me. If I can freak out and break up with her like that.” I hang my head in shame. “She deserves better than me.”
“You’re probably right,” Noah says just before my mother’s hand connects with the back of his head again. “Damn. Glad I wasn’t taking a sip of beer. I could’ve lost a tooth.”
“Trevor Laurence. You were only acting out of fear. Now, she deserves an apology and a hefty serving of groveling. But if she’s the one, get your act together and go get her back.”
“Are we even going to remember this conversation tomorrow?” I ask, looking at all of the empty beer bottles strewn about the coffee table.
“All bets are off for me,” Noah replies, rubbing his head. “I think I might have a concussion.”
Chapter25
Trevor
Pulling up to my apartment, I have a sense of peace I haven’t felt since my breakup with Ashley. Odd, given my main objective, winning Addy back, seems next to impossible after the way I’ve treated her. Hell. I’ll never know why she ever gave me a chance in the first place after all of the snark I’ve given her. Groveling will be no easy task, and I need to accept whatever she dishes out gratefully. Whatever it takes to prove to her, I’m in this for keeps.
Taking a fortifying breath, I enter the bakery, the metal clink of the door’s bell bouncing against the rustic wooden walls of the space. “Hello?”
Alden comes darting out of the back. “Hey, sorry to-” He quickly halts his steps. All pleasantries are abandoned once he sees it’s me. “What do you want?”
Fuck. Here we go.“Hey, Alden. I came to apologize.” This guy is intimidating. He’s like her surly older brother. The kind that’d take you out for daring to look at his sister the wrong way, much less dump her. Pushing my sweaty hands into my pants pockets, I continue. “I’m really sorry, Alden. I misinterpreted something I saw and let my fear and anger over a prior girlfriend’s cheating get the best of me. I know I don’t deserve her. But I owe it to her to say I’m sorry.”
“You really hurt her, man. I’ve watched every single guy in this town hit on her. Even a few not-so-single. But she never looked at any of them the way she looks at you. I’m not sure if I’m willing to let her risk it with you again.”
Hanging my head in shame, I know he’s right. “I get it. But I’m willing to do anything. Time away made it clear how much she means to me.”Or so drunk the truth poured out.“Do you know when she’s scheduled to work again?”
He hesitates momentarily before answering. “Weeks from now. She left for a modeling shoot in Paris right after you left. She was planning to go away afterward. Try to figure out the meaning of life.”
“Paris? Holy shit. I had no idea she modeled. I think that was half of the trouble, being broad-sided. The last girl I lived with was a model who’s now shacking up with a married Washington football player. I saw a picture of Addy with the two of them at the Nascar race and freaked.”
“Ah. Okay. I’ll give you some latitude on that one. But you’re going to have to come up with something grand to have a chance at winning her back. Real men who want a future with you don’t cut and run.”
This statement hits me like a sucker punch to the solar plexus. “You’re right. I have a lot of growing up to do. But I swear I’ll make it up to her.” Something he said earlier now niggles at me. “What did you mean? She’s trying to figure out the meaning of life. If she’s modeling in Paris, why is she moonlighting in a bakery.”
“Fuck, man. I shouldn’t be telling you this.” Alden massages the back of his neck in consternation. “But Addison fell hard for you. You better be in this for-”
“Hell, yeah. I’ll do anything.”
“Addy’s complicated. She’s all the things you know, with a layer of self-loathing underneath. She hates modeling. She’s the only member of her rotten family not in academia because she has dyslexia. It’s pretty severe. She’s tried to make a life for herself despite her limitations. I think she’d love to have her own cake shop. But managing a business would be nearly impossible without help. She never does anything on the computer here. She’s rarely on her phone. Even basic math and reading are tough for her.
“I could help her.”
