Chapter
1: Audrey
I was messing around with Photoshop when I heard a knock at the
door. I wasn't expecting anyone which explains why I was in shorts that hadn't
looked PG on me since I was in high school.
"One second!" I called, slipping some yoga pants on
and wracking my brain for who it might be. I couldn't recall having ordered
anything online recently. Then again, I’d been up late on my computer most
nights since I got home so it was very possible I had.
I smoothed my hair down as I leaned forward to look through the
peephole but something was blocking the light.
I opened the door slowly. The bright hallway lights shone down
on a person with a huge bouquet of flowers in front of their face.
“I think you have the wron-”
The delivery man lowered the wall of flowers between us.
"Surprise."
I squinted at him at first, positive I was seeing things.
"Jack?"
He shrugged, a familiar smile traveling up to his eyes.
“What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize."
"How did you even find me?”
“I can explain everything,” he said, extending his arms. “First
though, these are for you.”
I took the flowers with both hands. “Thanks,” I said.
"They're beautiful." I looked between him and the flowers, not sure
which I was more surprised to see.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Of course." I stepped back, opening the door wider and
moving out of the way with the flowers so he could pass.
“Thanks.”
Once I closed the door behind him, I led him to the sitting room
while my mind raced, trying to remember if I left anything embarrassing lying
around that I didn't want him to see. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I'd love a coffee if you have some," he said, sitting on
the edge of the couch. "I'm a big jetlagged."
"I'll see what I can do," I said, disappearing around
the corner where I was finally able to let my face convey the shock I felt.
“Isn’t Seattle famous for their coffee?” he asked from the other
room.
“Seattle is,” I said, filling the kettle. “But I can't say the
same for me.”
I tiptoed out the other kitchen door into the bathroom to make
sure I didn't look like a complete wreck. I still had a little color from the
trip so bronzer wasn't necessary, but I decided a few coats of mascara wouldn't
go amiss and applied them in record time. Then I checked my teeth and swished
some mouthwash around before going back to the kitchen.
A minute later, I poured two mugs of instant coffee.
"Milk and sugar?" I asked, popping my head around the
corner to make sure I hadn't imagined him.
"Please," he said, his bright eyes making my legs feel
weak.
I added some milk and sugar to both mugs, gave them each a quick
stir, and carried them to the coffee table.
Jack had already unstacked two coasters so I put the mugs on
them and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
"Thanks," he said.
I didn't know what to do. It felt weird to be in my apartment
with a man I'd been so intimate with so far away. It was like my worlds were
colliding and I couldn't tell yet whether I thought it was a good thing.
"So," I said as casually as I could, “what are you
doing here?”
Perhaps "what brings you to Seattle" might have been more
welcoming, but I was startled. After all, he’d showed up on my doorstep
uninvited twice now after standing me up.
At the same time, there was no denying that he was even more
gorgeous than I remembered, and seeing him made me hurt all over again.
“I needed to see you,” he said, angling himself towards me.
I lifted my palms. “Well, here I am.”
“Please, Audrey.” He laid his hand on the couch between us. “Hear
me out.”
I took a deep breath, relaxing my shoulders so they dropped
significantly.
“I didn’t like how things ended with us,” he said.
"I
1: Audrey
I was messing around with Photoshop when I heard a knock at the
door. I wasn't expecting anyone which explains why I was in shorts that hadn't
looked PG on me since I was in high school.
"One second!" I called, slipping some yoga pants on
and wracking my brain for who it might be. I couldn't recall having ordered
anything online recently. Then again, I’d been up late on my computer most
nights since I got home so it was very possible I had.
I smoothed my hair down as I leaned forward to look through the
peephole but something was blocking the light.
I opened the door slowly. The bright hallway lights shone down
on a person with a huge bouquet of flowers in front of their face.
“I think you have the wron-”
The delivery man lowered the wall of flowers between us.
"Surprise."
I squinted at him at first, positive I was seeing things.
"Jack?"
He shrugged, a familiar smile traveling up to his eyes.
“What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize."
"How did you even find me?”
“I can explain everything,” he said, extending his arms. “First
though, these are for you.”
I took the flowers with both hands. “Thanks,” I said.
"They're beautiful." I looked between him and the flowers, not sure
which I was more surprised to see.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Of course." I stepped back, opening the door wider and
moving out of the way with the flowers so he could pass.
“Thanks.”
Once I closed the door behind him, I led him to the sitting room
while my mind raced, trying to remember if I left anything embarrassing lying
around that I didn't want him to see. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I'd love a coffee if you have some," he said, sitting on
the edge of the couch. "I'm a big jetlagged."
"I'll see what I can do," I said, disappearing around
the corner where I was finally able to let my face convey the shock I felt.
“Isn’t Seattle famous for their coffee?” he asked from the other
room.
“Seattle is,” I said, filling the kettle. “But I can't say the
same for me.”
I tiptoed out the other kitchen door into the bathroom to make
sure I didn't look like a complete wreck. I still had a little color from the
trip so bronzer wasn't necessary, but I decided a few coats of mascara wouldn't
go amiss and applied them in record time. Then I checked my teeth and swished
some mouthwash around before going back to the kitchen.
A minute later, I poured two mugs of instant coffee.
"Milk and sugar?" I asked, popping my head around the
corner to make sure I hadn't imagined him.
"Please," he said, his bright eyes making my legs feel
weak.
I added some milk and sugar to both mugs, gave them each a quick
stir, and carried them to the coffee table.
Jack had already unstacked two coasters so I put the mugs on
them and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
"Thanks," he said.
I didn't know what to do. It felt weird to be in my apartment
with a man I'd been so intimate with so far away. It was like my worlds were
colliding and I couldn't tell yet whether I thought it was a good thing.
"So," I said as casually as I could, “what are you
doing here?”
Perhaps "what brings you to Seattle" might have been more
welcoming, but I was startled. After all, he’d showed up on my doorstep
uninvited twice now after standing me up.
At the same time, there was no denying that he was even more
gorgeous than I remembered, and seeing him made me hurt all over again.
“I needed to see you,” he said, angling himself towards me.
I lifted my palms. “Well, here I am.”
“Please, Audrey.” He laid his hand on the couch between us. “Hear
me out.”
I took a deep breath, relaxing my shoulders so they dropped
significantly.
“I didn’t like how things ended with us,” he said.
"I
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