“And that is?”
“Better than a coffee shop date, I’m going to pick up coffee and bring it to you! Voilà! Problem fixed.”
My heart sinks, wondering if Rhys will be in. I haven’t seen him all week, and I know that is normal, but I’m not ready for them to meet. She’ll read my face and know right away that something is going on between us.Even if it’s innocent enough. But I also can’t tell her not to come into the shelter because that will just make her more curious.
“As long as I get to see your face, that’s fine with me. I have a fairly slow day, which will make it easier.” Maybe I can lock us in my office, and we can avoid him if he does come in. At least until she leaves. My heart flips over in my chest thinking about him coming in today, wondering if he’ll show up. By not coming in every single day, it’s made me look for him everytime the door opens, wondering, waiting on bated breath. I’ve found that on days that he doesn’t come in, I miss him. Deeper than I should.
“Done. I’ll meet you at the shelter as soon as I leave Aspen Ridge,” she says, pausing and giving me a somber look, her deep brown eyes looking so sad. “Look, I know I’m being hard on you, but the thought of the girl I love more than anything in this fucked-up world spending more time wasted on someone who doesn’t make her feel like a fucking queen makes me irrationally angry. I just want to see you straighten your fucking crown and be the queen I know you are.”
I scoff. “I’m no queen, Kira.”
“Yes the fuck you are. You just need to be reminded of who you are and how much you have to offer the world.”
Kira and I say our goodbyes, and I reluctantly get off the bed, starting to pull myself together. I could have told her that I’ve already made up my mind, that I’m leaving Blake, but I want to do it on my own terms. I need to take care of the shelter first. I just don’t have any idea how long that will take. This whole thing just became so much bigger than just my needs and wants. I need to give myself the opportunity to handle it all without her pressing me to get it done. As much as I love her, she’s pushy as all hell once she’s made up her mind, and this is something that needs to be taken care of on my own terms. I want a solid, clean break from Blake, and that means separating him and the company he is so deeply involved with from my shelter.
Hopefully, once the time comes, Blake and I can have an honest conversation and separate amicably. Unfortunately, I know it’s not quite that easy. Our lives are tangled together. Not tomention, Blake has been getting very aggressive, not that I think he would ever physically hurt me, but in a way that makes me extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, he hasn’t tried to have sex again since the night his coworkers were over, but I don’t know how much longer I have before he tries.
Chapter Fourteen
BRISTOL
The moment I walk into Bloomfield Animal Haven two hours later, I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me lift. This is my happy place. How lucky am I to dedicate my life to something that gives me so much joy and fulfillment? There’s nothing I won’t do for this place.
Chatter fills the lobby as two families are here looking to adopt their new family member, while the staff helps them out.
I immediately look for Rhys’ face among the small crowd, wondering if he’s here already. My heart skips a beat as I remember being locked in the storage closet together, how he sat with Harvey for hours, all our talks in my office, and how easy it is to talk to each other. I want more of it. All of it.
Holy shit. The realization hits me like a Mack truck.
I’ve completely fallen for him.
The bell chimes from the front door as I’m lost in thinking about him, the way he looks at me like I’m the only person in the room. It’s heady, consuming, and . . .I love it.Love hi?—
“So, who is he?” Kira’s voice startles me as she sneaks up on my left, plopping two to-go mugs on the counter.
“What are you talking about?”
“The man making you smile. I don’t mean to be mean, but I am going to point out what’s obvious, and right now? There’s a sparkle in your eyes that I haven’t seen in years, and I just talked to you this morning, where you looked like you sucked on a lemon. I know you aren’t suddenly getting fucked within an inch of your life, so spill.” I can’t control the heat that flames on my face, and I know Kira sees it. “Oh my god! Are you being railed?” I wrench Kira’s arm and drag her into my office, closing the door behind us.
“Keep your voice down! Jesus! No! I’m not being . . .railed. . .”
“Okaaay. But there is something you’re not telling me,” she says as she props her ass up on the edge of my desk, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve got all day, babe, so you had better spill.” I open my mouth to come up with some explanation for her observations when there’s a knock on my door, saving me from having to further this conversation.
“Sorry to interrupt, Bristol, but Rhys is here and asked to see you. He’s brought coffee again.” My face ignites, and I just know my traitorous bitch of a body is bright crimson right now as butterflies take flight in the pit of my stomach.He’s here.
“Thank you, Kendra, I’ll be right there.” She shuts the door as she retreats, leaving me alone with my smug best friend.
Kira looks at me with curiosity, her eyebrows raised, big brown eyes squinted, lips pursed. “Who’s Rhys, Bristol?”
“A volunteer.”
“A volunteer whose name just made you blush like you did when Justin Fletcher asked you to the school dance in sixth grade. Who. Is. Rhys?”
Shit, there’s no way out of this. Kira is like a modern-day freaking Sherlock Holmes on the case. If she even smells that something is remotely off, she won’t let it go until she gets to the bottom of it.
“Kira, he’s a volunteer.”
“A volunteer. Hmm. Okay. I’ll just go say hi, then. I’m sure you won’t mind.” Kira starts to walk toward my office door, and I know her well enough to know she’s dead serious. I grab her forearm with both hands, pulling her back as she lurches forward, gripping the handle of the door.
