Page 48 of Unbreakable Thread

“Okay.” My voice is low. Now doesn’t seem like the time for us to talk. He doesn’t have the availability.

A brush of his lips on my cheekbone, and every nerve ending I have comes alive. The heat of his breath prickles my skin. His kiss and the whisper of “I love you” strangle my chest.

The words “I love you” hang there. Before I can open my mouth again, he’s gone. I stand there for a moment. His kiss still on my cheek. We need to talk. I’m going to have to go to his place right after I check on the café. My steps slowly take me there.

“Ney.”

I growl and close my eyes to calm myself before I beat him.

“What do you want, Andrew?” It’s been months since I’ve seen Andrew. He’s looking unkempt compared to when he was always dressed in designer clothing. By unkempt, I mean T-shirt and jeans. He would never wear a simple tee.

He jogs toward me out of breath. “Ney, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

“I know. You called. I hung up,” I say dryly.

His gaze licks my profile. “You look good, Ney. Beautiful. I’ve missed you.”

“Save the bullshit.”

He shoves his hands into his jean pockets. “I’m sorry for how I treated you. It’s just…I’ve always cared for you.”

“You’ve only cared for yourself.” I move to a shaded tree in the parking lot. “Look, I don’t know where Rowan’s at. If you were trying to get in good with him by trying to hook up with me, you can stop. You have a degree. You can find a job elsewhere. I don’t want anything to do with you or Rowan.”

“Why?” He gets closer under the shade.

My forehead creases. “Because I was lied to. Hell, even you knew and didn’t give a shit to tell me the truth about my adoption and the man I love. Rowan didn’t save me from the men who kidnapped me. Max did.”

He stumbles back. “Kidnap? I didn’t know, Ney. Are you okay?”

“Oh, shove it.”

“I really didn’t know. All I knew was your dad telling me he got himself into a mess and had to leave. I’m serious. That’s all I know.” His hair has grown out, and a strand covers his somber eye. “I care about you, Ney.”

“Andrew, I’m fine. I regained my memory.”

His head juts back. “Oh, wow…that’s great.”

I nod. “It is.”

We stay silent. There isn’t much to talk about. Andrew was only a friend then, but now he’s someone I don’t want in my life. “I need to check on the café, and I’m starved.”

He takes a step back. “Yeah, um. Okay…then I’ll see you?”

“Andrew, please don’t call me or look for me. I’m in love with Max. It will always be him. Even in another life. Him. I hope you find a job and happiness.” For all we know, he could have been one of Rowan’s victims that he manipulated and overpromised.

He nods. “All right. See you, Ney. You seem a lot happier than all the years I’ve known you. It looks good on you.”

He takes another step back, gives me a smile, then walks to his car. My thoughts are back on the man who captured my heart years ago. Even in another life, it would always be him.

After checking on the café and grabbing a sandwich on the way out, I drive to Max’s. My stomach churns with anxiety. I shut the radio off and rehearse what I need to say. I fumble with each word. Start over.

When I drive up, his truck isn’t in the driveway. I stand at the door anyway. My knuckles raise to knock before I realize there’s no point. It’s too damn hot to sit and wait outside. I do have the key, but it wouldn’t be right for me to wait inside his home when I walked out on him. Forty minutes go by of sitting in my car with the AC full blast. A sigh comes out of me. He’s a busy man. Max is needed in every direction as much as I want to be happy for him. It still stings that he no longer has the time for us. I know I ended it for fair reasons, but we have a child, and he needs to know about. He whispered “I love you” on my cheekbone an hour ago and then disappeared. Will there be a day when he forgets about me?

I start the engine and reverse out of the driveway with another failed attempt.

Chapter 14

Max