Chapter Four
Idon’t knowif the day is going by slowly because I’m scared of what will happen tonight with Dax or because I’m nervously anticipating what might happen. Either way, I’m having major regrets already. He’s so...the type of guy women fall all over when he walks by. His looks, his charm, and his desire to be a ladies’ man, win him all the right points, but I’ve never been in a serious relationship. I’ve never fallen in love with someone, and that’s a tradition I don’t intend to break. I won’t make someone hurt like I saw Hunter hurt the day he lost Ellie, and since there are no promises with this heart, as perfect as it is, I won’t take that risk with someone else’sheart.
Disregarding my resolution to avoid hot men who I could totally fall for if I allowed myself, I’m going tonight, and he’s going to be here to pick me upsoon.
“Sit still,” Piper groans. “You’re like a Mexican Jumping Bean.” She paints a thin layer of lip gloss over my lips and then pinches my eyelids with one of those stupid lash curlers I have always refused to use, for exactly that reason she just reminded meof.
“Ouch!”
“Beauty is pain, Ari,” shesings.
“No,” I whine. “You just don’t know how to use an eyelash curler on someoneelse.”
“True statement,” she says, grinning. “Okay, I think you look prettyperfect.”
I stand up in front of the bathroom mirror, which only allows me to see the top half of my body. This is what I get for getting ready at the shop. “I like the dress,” I say, turning from side toside.
“I knew it would fit you better than me. It’s like it was made for you.Perfection!”
I grab my black sweater out of my bag and slip it over my arms before buttoning it up. “There, now it’sperfect.”
“Um, what are you doing?” Piperasks.
“Adding the finishing touches,” I say with ashrug.
“Take the sweater off or unbuttonit.”
“No one needs to see what’s underneath,” I remindher.
“A silly scar that holds in your one reason for being alive?” sheargues.
“Exactly.” I press my lips into a straight line and offer her a firm smile as I take my clutch from thetable.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect, or imperfect. I’m not ready—mentally, that is. The door chimes ring and I already know it’s him. The wind from the door carries in an even stronger scent of cologne than normal, making me feel an unfamiliar sensation that I hope is just nerves. “Anyone home? he callsout.”
I take a deep breath and place my hand over Ellie’s heart to calm it as I walk out to the front room of the shop. Dax is standing in front of the nearest counter with a hand behind his back. He’s dressed in a light gray suit, which plays off of his white dress shirt and perfect tan. I’ve only seen him in his gray-colored work uniform, and I had no idea he would clean up this well. His hair is slicked back in sharp contrast to the messy way he normally wears it. “You like nice,” Isay.
His mouth is basically hanging open as he takes me in with his falling gaze. I try to ignore the feeling it causes me because I’m not allowed to care. Instead, I close my eyes to reset myself, but his image has been burned into my mind and I can’t escape him now. “So, excuse me for being corny but I refused to bring you flowers because…well…” He looks around the shop to make a point. “Anyway, I hope you like you chocolate-covered fruit.” Stretching his arm out in front of him, he reveals an expensive-looking box of chocolate dipped fruits and a crooked smile accompanying the gesture. “I know the way to a woman’s heart.” His words lament withsarcasm.
I follow Dax out to his...okay he has a limo tonight. Guess we’re going all out. “Wow. This is extravagant,” I tellhim.
He opens the back door for me and I slide in first, careful not to trip over my longdress.
Once we’re closed inside and the limo takes off, Dax slides in closer. “I know you’re about to be mad at me but this was the onlyway.”
Without knowing what I’m going to be mad about, my posture stiffens with an uncomfortable question. “What are you talkingabout?”
He releases the top button of his suit jacket and sinks back into the seat a bit as he lets out a loud exhale. “There is no wedding, Ari. The truth is, I’ve somehow managed to fall in love with you over the past couple of years, even just over our meaningless small talk every morning. I feel like I know you, and I want to know you more, which is so out of order for someone who feels the way I feel, but it’s just the way it allhappened.”
It’s immediate—the sorrow I feel for him. I wasn’t aware of how strongly he felt about me, but I knew there were serious sparks, ones I carefully avoided. I should be happy and excited to hear the words he’s saying, but anything I did feel for him suddenly slipped away with the one ounce of hope I had to casually have a good time with a great-looking guy. “I know it was wrong to lie and trick you, but you are so damn stubborn,” he groans as if I’m arguing with everything he is saying. “Just tell me why you will never say yes tome?”
I can only see his highlighted features in the glow of the neon blue light illuminating the interior of this limo, and what I see is honesty and a little pain carved into his unsure, emotionless face. “Where are you taking me?” is all I can manage to getout.
“Hartford, a nice restaurant, so I can wine and dine you to prove I’m an okay guy to bearound.”
The problem is, the lifestyle of the rich doesn’t faze me. What Dax doesn’t know about me is that I live to make my heart feel things—good things, rather than pain and discontent. That’s what Ellie wanted for her heart. Rightfully so. Though I won’t deny the generosity, I am a little put off by the lie and for the fact that he just admitted those intense feelings to me, which means I don’t have a choice now. I am going to be forced to break a heart. Making sure not to break anyone’s heart has been my one self-made rule, and now I have to break it. How could I not have known how strong his feelings werebecoming?
“I can’t let you take me there,” I tell him. The fun I have had waiting for his morning visits every day will probably come to an end. For the amount of times he told me his route was supposed to change, and he begged his company to let him keep my stop, I’m confident he will more than quickly eliminate my shop from hisroute.
