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As soon as I’m inside, I drop my keys on the counter, closely followed by the box. I open the lid and lift the rose to my nose, inhaling it’s sweet scent. I’m torn as to whether to throw it away or not. My stomach is on edge, and I’m a tad unnerved. Unless it was Everett who sent it. But after the last bouquet of roses I received, he denied having anything to do with them, so I doubt he’d send just one.
Grabbing my cell, I click on his name and call him. I wait patiently for the call to connect. When I hear his voice, it almost breaks me. After not hearing it for three days, I’m beginning to break myself. “Reagan.” The seductive tone he always uses when he speaks to me is gone and in its place is something much more subdued. “I’m so glad you called.”
“Hey.”
“How are you doing?”
“Um, I’m okay.” Its total bullshit and I know Everett will see right through it. “How are you?”
“I miss you.”
Way to go with the guilt trip, Ev. Just go right for the jugular.
“Um, just a quick question. I know this is a long shot, but did you send me a single rose? One was delivered to me at my apartment today.”
“What? No. don’t move I’m coming over.”
“Everett, no.” My plea goes unheard and the line goes dead. Pulling my cell away from my ear, I look at the screen before tossing it onto the counter.
“Great. I look like a fucking mess!”
Sixty-Two
Everett
Seeing her name flash up on my screen had my heart waking up from what seemed like a two-day hiatus. I’ve been a seriously grumpy asshole at work. Poor Joy hasn’t known what to do with me, so she just gives me one-word answers. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to call Reagan, or better still just go to her apartment and demand her see me, but I know how stubborn she is. I knew that wouldn’t work. I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who makes me feel like she does. I knew I had deep feelings for her before all this, but now I know I love her. There’s nothing or anyone that can tell me otherwise. I’ve ran every morning and night wanting to just forget the predicament that bitch put me in. Worst of all, Reagan seemed to believe her. I can’t not see her now. She’s made the first step, and even if it was to ask about a stupid rose, she called me. This is the second time she’s had roses sent to her and it has me rattled.
Who the fuck is sending her flowers?
I pull the door shut behind me and tell Joy I’ll be out for the rest of the day. I jump in my Mustang and head into rush hour traffic toward the middle of Manhattan and Reagan’s place.
Once I’m parked, I jump into the elevator, ride it up to her floor, and jog across the hall to her apartment. Straightening my jacket, I knock on her door. The door opens almost immediately, and I’m met with Reagan’s sad blue eyes. She’s pale, her eyes are rimmed with red, and the skin underneath is dark. As sad as she looks, she doesn’t fail to wow me with her beauty.
She stands aside and lets me in. “Hey. You didn’t have to come all this way, you know,” she says quietly. So low it’s almost a whisper.
“I know that.” Stepping over the threshold, I close the door and walk further inside. She drops herself down on the couch and curls up. I have never seen Reagan so crestfallen. Her whole demeanor makes me think that she’s given up. I shrug out of my jacket and throw it over the breakfast bar. Undoing my cuffs, I roll my sleeves up to my elbows and crouch down by her side.
With a softness I only seem to possess when she’s around, I push the hair out of her face.
“Please don’t.” Her voice breaks and her eyes glaze over with tears, but she doesn’t take them from the television screen. Picking up the remote control from beside her, I turn the thing off; now she has to look at me.
“Why won’t you look at me, Rae?”
“Because I can’t. Because I know if I do, that’ll be it. I’ll break down.”
Hearing that sends a small spark of life through me. “I want you to look at me.” Her chin wobbles. I can’t help but feel the slightest bit jubilant. I shouldn’t, but I do. “You know I didn’t do anything with Margie.” My voice is soft. It’s the only way I can get through her high wall of emotion. “I promise you. Nothing happened.”
“How do I know that Ev?” she snaps, her eyes wide, flaring with emotion, and I know she’s in there somewhere. She stares at me for a second before sitting.
“Have I ever lied to you, ever, about anything? Think about it, Rae.” She shrugs like she doesn’t care, but I know better. Moving to the couch, I sit down next to her and turn her to look me in the eye. She narrows her eyes at me, proving just how fucking stubborn she can be.
“Reagan. There isn’t a woman in the world who can compare to you, and these last couple of days have proved that. I fucking love you, Reagan Quinn. And without you, I’m useless. I hardly slept. I run late at night because I have nothing else to do and working out is the only thing that makes me think about something other than you.”
Her soft blue eyes meet mine and a tear slips down her cheek. Brushing it away with my thumb, I push my fingers into her hair and bring her closer to me. “I’m sorry if it made you doubt me,” I say against her closed lips before kissing her. God, I’ve missed her. I can taste her tears as they fall down her face. I push for more, and she doesn’t deny me. Her lips part and I push my tongue into her mouth, her tongue softly tangling with mine. She fists my shirt with her hands and pulls me closer before she slows it back down and pulls away.
“Everett…” She sniffs and a shaky sigh leaves her lips. “I love you. I’ve never told anyone I love them. I didn’t want you to leave the other day, but I didn’t know how to stop you either. I was so hurt and wasn’t thinking straight…”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters now.”
