My eyes bug out. “Hurry. Can’t you see I’m a woman who is desperate?”
He tries to suppress his humored look, and I just snarl to myself. My nails begin to tap the wood of the bar as I contemplate what to do going forward. I’m supposed to stay in Lake Spark for my next project, and I only want to stay at Summer’s place for so long. Plus, my chances of running into Holden are too statistically high.
Tonight, though, I will just drown in my sorrows while I try to take my mind to a happy place of thinking about refurbished wood and hanging lights.
Jonathan returns with a small bucket of ice. “Back. Okay, let’s get you that drink.”
“Let’s.” My tone is flippant.
His brows furrow as he gets to work on my drink. I stare aimlessly at the floor while I wait.
“Here you are.”
I turn my head, and he sets my napkin down, and I do a double take because something catches my eye. There is black writing on the napkin. From a dark pen, and my eyes focus to read the writing.
I owe you an apology and a future.
“An IOU on a napkin. Just like all those years ago.” My head whizzes to search the bar area, and I spot Holden as he slowly saunters to me. I hate to say it, but his swagger is already weakening me. My jaw drops, but I’m speechless as my eyes follow his every step until he slides onto the stool next to me.
“I don’t believe this seat is taken,” he conveys to me. There is satisfaction shading his gentle smirk that he’s stunned me a little.
Once again, my eyes circle the nearly empty bar area. “It would seem so,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry,” he begins. I give him my full attention. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes lately, and you’re one that I want to fix, because you’re right, we could be everything.”
The speed of my heart picks up.
My eyes stay locked on Holden. “Will you hold off on that drink, Jonathan?” I don’t bother turning my head, as I’m still in disbelief.
Holden’s mouth snatches up slightly. “He already left us alone about thirty seconds ago.”
“Guess I didn’t notice. I wasn’t expecting you here, which is why I came to bless this place with my presence,” I explain.
“Lori and Harry are at sleepovers with friends. I kind of needed some space to figure out my shit, and it just so happens I was here, ready to find you, but it seems fate gave me a break and here you are.”
I wet my lips, gathering my emotions, then finding words. “You hurt me,” I state blankly.
He scoops my hands up in his. “I’m aware. I just believed complete happiness wasn’t meant for me.”
I chortle bitterly. “That belief is the biggest lie of the century. Everyone is allowed to have it all if they want.”
Holden squeezes my hands and his head tips slightly to the side. “I needed to discover that myself, it seems.”
“Shitty way of communicating that.” I do make my disappointment apparent, yet I will listen for as long as I need to.
He exhales a deep breath. “I didn’t mean what I said, any of it. I’ll keep apologizing even if it takes eternity.”
“Eternity is a long time.” My neutral tone doesn’t change as I study his eyes, soaking in his honesty.
“Well, that’s kind of what I want, and since you mentioned that you would still be waiting even though I don’t deserve it, then I’m hoping you would be along for the ride.” A line draws across his mouth.
Lightness begins to flow through me. “I think…” I bob my head side to side. “You might have to grovel a bit more. Probably for a while, but my heart won’t tear away from that future that I desperately want with you.”
He lifts my hand to kiss the back of it, with his eyes raking up to ensure our connection doesn’t break. It makes me smirk because it’s such a classic gesture, a saccharine move, yet it breaks another piece of sadness from the last few days away.
“Is the issue with your ex-wife solved?” I wonder.
Holden glances away for a few seconds before swinging back with an impartial face that I can’t read. “Very much so. I got closure too. She signed away her parental rights.”
