For now.
Chapter Nineteen
Jess
The bricks in the plaza in front of the Bean Bag were still wet from the early morning rain. The air was cool and sharp. I breathed in the earthy, fresh smell, letting it ground me for the meeting that was about to happen. The last few days had beena lot. I was exhausted.
And not just from dealing with the whole wedding fallout and the dozens of conversations that had come from it. My parents had been more understanding than I could have hoped.
Once I explained that the relationship with Trevor hadn’t been what I thought it was—and that I’d stayed longer than I should have because of the development and the money tied up in it—they’d gone quiet.
My mom cried. My dad swore under his breath.
They told me they wished I’d said something sooner. That they never wanted me to feel trapped. That we’d figure out the rest together.
I believed them. Mostly.
But that didn’t stop the weight of it all from sitting heavy in my chest.
The chats I’d had with my friends were much different, of course. They wanted to know the details of where I’d been. I hated lying to them, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell them about Preston. Not yet. Not when I still didn’t know how I felt about it.
That was a lie.
I knew exactly how I felt. I just didn’t want to say it out loud.
Not to them.
Not to myself.
“Hey.”
As if I conjured him, Preston turned the corner, looking casually handsome in hiking shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. The exact opposite of anything Trevor would even think about wearing. He made my stomach flip. Especially when he ran his hand through his hair, leaving it stuck up at very cute, and very odd angles.
“Hey, yourself.”
Over the last few days, I’d thought about what it would be like to see Preston again, after what we’d shared. Every time I pictured it, my imagination instantly went to a very dirty and inappropriate place.
I swallowed hard and pulled my eyes from his mouth and the lips that had brought me so much pleasure. Before I could let myself go too far down that line of thought, I crouched to greet Summit, who jumped up on my legs, his tongue hanging out.
“I think he missed you,” Preston said while I scratched the puppy’s ears and tried to ignore the way my heart raced.
“Just him?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“No.” Preston’s answer was immediate. “Not just him,” he said without a trace of humor.
Reluctantly, I left the puppy alone and stood slowly.
“How’ve you been?” he asked. “I mean…how did it all go? You okay?”
After that last text the day we’d returned, I’d resisted the urge to text or call Preston at all. I thought it might be easier that way to keep our relationship…well,friendly.
It seemed kind of ridiculous, really, but I needed to have some boundaries.
Didn’t I?
“Okay,” I said honestly. “Mom and Dad took it better than I thought they would. And the girls were…well, they already knew, so?—”
“Andhim?” Preston didn’t bother hiding the contempt in his voice. “What did he say? Was he mad?”
