hasn’t come out searching for me, thank God. She’s giving me space.
Maybe Zach had a good reason for meeting with that woman tonight, but what kind of reason could he have for kissing her?
I’m so tired of being in love with him and not having my feelings returned. He doesn’t see me the way I see him, and it’s time I gave up thinking things can be different. The night we spent together was one of the best nights of my life, and I need to lock it in a box and forget about it.
My stomach clenches. I press on the ache one last time before rising. I take a deep breath, tuck my hair behind my ear, and open the back door to the living room.
Mira’s on the couch studying me as I walk inside. “Ness…” she says, her face a silent question.
“Is it okay if we don’t talk about it right now?”
I don’t think I can handle spilling the story about how naive I’ve been thinking Zach really cared about me.
She nods, and I sit next to her. She turns on the television and we watch a reality show. No idea which one. My brain is numb, while my body switches between pain and nausea.
A knock sounds at the front door, and Mira looks at me.
I shake my head. “It’s not for me,” I say, staring blindly at the television screen.
Mira stands and opens the door. Zach is there. He’s wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looks handsome, but his eyes are tense and worried.
His presence steals my breath. My entire body hums with anticipation.
Damn my body.
How can I go from aching pain to fluttery anticipation in the span of a heartbeat? I feel everything when he’s near. I always have.
I want to run and hide.
I want to press my face to his chest and have him wrap his arms around me.
I am a conflicted mess.
Zach remains just beyond the threshold. “Nessa, can I talk to you?”
Mira walks to the center of the room. “I’ll just—” She looks left, then right, but her and Tyler’s place is miniscule. The single bedroom is right by the living room, and the walls are thin. There’s nowhere she can go that would give us privacy.
“Will you come for a drive with me?” Zach asks.
I nod. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be alone with him. I don’t want to be talked into something my heart is too freaking weak to fight. Where Zach is concerned, I want my head in charge for once, and maintaining distance is critical. But he’s right. There’s no place for us to air our dirty laundry without both Mira and Tyler hearing.
I grab my purse and slip on the nude heels I wore to Mira’s. I’m still in borrowed sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but whatever. Zach has seen me in worse. Or in nothing at all. God.
He presses his hand to the small of my back and walks me to his truck, opening the door for me. It’s such a boyfriend move, and it pisses me off. He’s not helping to resolve the confusion between my brain and my heart.
“I’m sorry, Ness,” he says once we’re on the main road. “I should have told you what happened with Alexis. I thought I could ignore it, that it wouldn’t affect us, but I was wrong. I don’t want to hide anything from you.” He glances at me, and damn my heart, it beats faster.
My brain is firing all sorts of lovey-dovey messages at the sincere look in his eyes. Which means I’m in trouble. Brain and heart can’t be on the same page if I’m to put an end to what can only be a painful, one-sided relationship.
“There’s nothing you can say that will make me change my mind, Zach. Even if it was just a kiss, you told me it was over with that woman, and it clearly isn’t.” I don’t care how much I want to be with him, I won’t put up with that crap.
“You don’t know the whole story. I pushed her away as soon as we were in her hotel room. I told her— again —that it was over.”
He lets out a deep sigh. “When I started seeing Alexis, I was young and vulnerable. I take responsibility for getting involved in
Maybe Zach had a good reason for meeting with that woman tonight, but what kind of reason could he have for kissing her?
I’m so tired of being in love with him and not having my feelings returned. He doesn’t see me the way I see him, and it’s time I gave up thinking things can be different. The night we spent together was one of the best nights of my life, and I need to lock it in a box and forget about it.
My stomach clenches. I press on the ache one last time before rising. I take a deep breath, tuck my hair behind my ear, and open the back door to the living room.
Mira’s on the couch studying me as I walk inside. “Ness…” she says, her face a silent question.
“Is it okay if we don’t talk about it right now?”
I don’t think I can handle spilling the story about how naive I’ve been thinking Zach really cared about me.
She nods, and I sit next to her. She turns on the television and we watch a reality show. No idea which one. My brain is numb, while my body switches between pain and nausea.
A knock sounds at the front door, and Mira looks at me.
I shake my head. “It’s not for me,” I say, staring blindly at the television screen.
Mira stands and opens the door. Zach is there. He’s wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looks handsome, but his eyes are tense and worried.
His presence steals my breath. My entire body hums with anticipation.
Damn my body.
How can I go from aching pain to fluttery anticipation in the span of a heartbeat? I feel everything when he’s near. I always have.
I want to run and hide.
I want to press my face to his chest and have him wrap his arms around me.
I am a conflicted mess.
Zach remains just beyond the threshold. “Nessa, can I talk to you?”
Mira walks to the center of the room. “I’ll just—” She looks left, then right, but her and Tyler’s place is miniscule. The single bedroom is right by the living room, and the walls are thin. There’s nowhere she can go that would give us privacy.
“Will you come for a drive with me?” Zach asks.
I nod. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be alone with him. I don’t want to be talked into something my heart is too freaking weak to fight. Where Zach is concerned, I want my head in charge for once, and maintaining distance is critical. But he’s right. There’s no place for us to air our dirty laundry without both Mira and Tyler hearing.
I grab my purse and slip on the nude heels I wore to Mira’s. I’m still in borrowed sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but whatever. Zach has seen me in worse. Or in nothing at all. God.
He presses his hand to the small of my back and walks me to his truck, opening the door for me. It’s such a boyfriend move, and it pisses me off. He’s not helping to resolve the confusion between my brain and my heart.
“I’m sorry, Ness,” he says once we’re on the main road. “I should have told you what happened with Alexis. I thought I could ignore it, that it wouldn’t affect us, but I was wrong. I don’t want to hide anything from you.” He glances at me, and damn my heart, it beats faster.
My brain is firing all sorts of lovey-dovey messages at the sincere look in his eyes. Which means I’m in trouble. Brain and heart can’t be on the same page if I’m to put an end to what can only be a painful, one-sided relationship.
“There’s nothing you can say that will make me change my mind, Zach. Even if it was just a kiss, you told me it was over with that woman, and it clearly isn’t.” I don’t care how much I want to be with him, I won’t put up with that crap.
“You don’t know the whole story. I pushed her away as soon as we were in her hotel room. I told her— again —that it was over.”
He lets out a deep sigh. “When I started seeing Alexis, I was young and vulnerable. I take responsibility for getting involved in
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