I do need him.
And he doesn’t just challenge me. He brings out my softer side; he fills that hole that’s been empty ever since I lost my parents. He gives me purpose, he challenges me, and weirdly, he brings my emotions to the surface, helping me feel and experience so much more than I ever thought possible.
Tears build up in my eyes, my friends’ words hitting me hard. I’ve been so hurt about the way he broke things off that I’ve forgotten what truly matters. Reid is the man I will always love, no matter what, and if anyone can put him in his place, it’s me.
“This is not the kind of conversation I was expecting when I came over here,” I admit. “But it’s what I needed. True honesty. Love isn’t all roses and sunshine. There are some really ugly aspects to it, and right now we’re living in an ugly moment. Maybe it’s time to bring some beauty back to our love.”
Harper claps her hands. “Oh my God, yes, please. Then we can go on double dates.”
“Eh, I don’t think I want to go on dates with Reid.” Rogan winces. “Let’s stick with Griffin and Ren. Reid’s just going to tell you every embarrassing story he knows about me.”
Harper smiles wide. “And that’s exactly why I want to double date with him. There was a long lull in our love. I want to know all the dirty details.”
Rogan groans as I start thinking about how to approach Reid, how to fix what went wrong between us. But maybe that’s not my responsibility. Maybe I need to let him come to me again. But when he does, I’ll listen to him with an open heart.
How does their stupid curse go? Until your mind has matured, the curse won’t be cured? Maybe it’s time to grow up and accept what this love really is: a combination of ugly and beautiful moments mixing together to create an everlasting bond.
“The shifts look great,” Mr. Knightly says from across my new desk, scanning the paper before handing it back to me.
It’s my third day on the job, and I’m officially working full time for Knight and Port. Our soft opening is scheduled for tomorrow, and while I’ve always prided myself on keeping a cool head, I’m starting to get really anxious about all the fine details.
Did I schedule all the right people to work?
Did I send out enough invites?
Do we have enough food ordered?
Are the bloggers going to come?
The questions are plaguing me constantly—to the point that I can’t remember the last time I had a full night’s sleep.
“You’re looking a bit pale. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I swallow hard. “Just nervous. I don’t want to mess anything up.”
Mr. Knightly is known in Port Snow as the man behind the town’s success. A true patriarch and a bit of a mogul, he can be intimidating, though that’s not the man sitting across from me right now. His features soften, and a faint smile passes over his lips.
“Eve Roberts, you are an intelligent woman with a great number of brilliant ideas brewing in that head of yours every day. Your skills and organization are impeccable, and your ability to learn on the fly and obtain knowledge is incredible. I could not think of a better person to be at the helm of Knight and Port.” Emotions start to tighten my throat as he continues, “We’re having soft openings for a reason—to work out the kinks—so even if things aren’t as perfect as they should be tomorrow night, we’ll iron out those wrinkles.” He leans forward and places his hand on my desk. “We have the best team for this restaurant. I can’t wait to see how well we do.”
I nod, unable to voice my gratitude for his kind words.
Before I can start blubbering, someone ascends the stairs—but when I see that it’s Reid, my heart flips in my chest, and my emotions skyrocket, putting me on the verge of sobs anyway, just at the sight of him.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, holding his hand up in apology. “Dad, Mom’s downstairs with some questions about the opening. Mainly what she should wear.”
Rolling his eyes, Mr. Knightly laughs and stands up from his chair, his tall frame blocking the can lights in the ceiling. “Things she can do at home.” He taps my desk. “You got this, Eve.” With a parting wink, he takes off down the stairs, leaving me alone with Reid, who doesn’t seem to get the hint that I want to be left alone as I stare down at my papers and shuffle them around. With every ounce of strength I have left inside of me, I try to hide the tears that are just starting to fall past my eyelids.
But when I hear him step forward, I know it’s too late.
“Hey.” He walks around to my side of my desk. Bringing his fingers to my chin, he lifts my head just in time to catch a few tears. “What’s going on?”
I swipe at my face and push my shoulders back, trying to put on a strong front. But he sees right through it and kneels down in front of me, swiveling my chair to face him. All the nerves from the restaurant, all the feelings I have for this man, come crashing together at the same time, and before I can stop myself, tears stream down my face.
“Eve, talk to me,” Reid says, placing both hands on my thighs and moving them up and down. The comforting gesture feels like an electric shock, lighting me up inside and confusing my emotions even more. “Did my dad say anything to upset you?”
“No.” I shake my head with a quiet sob and take a deep breath before wiping my eyes again. “I’m sorry. I’m stronger than this.” With another deep breath, I lean back and reach for a tissue on my desk. I quickly blow my nose and toss the tissue in the trash. “Okay.” I shake my shoulders. “Sorry about that. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yeah, you can tell me why you’re crying.”
“I’m not crying anymore, so no need to talk about it.” Another tear falls, and I quickly wipe it away and plaster on a fake smile. “See, all good.”
“Not buying it.” He takes my hands, his thumbs circling over my knuckles. Everything about him is warm and comforting. “Talk to me, Eve.”
Damn it. More tears start to fall. Isn’t that always the case when you’re trying to hold back the tears? You can keep them at bay until someone asks you what’s wrong.
Knowing he won’t let up on his questions, I look down at our connected hands and say, “Just nervous about the soft opening. This is big, and I don’t want to screw anything up.”
“Is that all?” He tilts my chin again to get a good look at my face.
I nibble on my bottom lip as I contemplate confessing to him. My conversation with Harper and Rogan has been festering in my head, building and building, driving me nuts, and creating almost a false sense of courage within me.
Even if he’s not perfect, he’s perfect for you.
That one sentence. It’s been on constant replay in my head, becoming more and more true with each breath I take.
Can I take another chance on him? Throw my heart on the table one more time and risk him breaking it all over again?
I stare into his blue eyes, and I realize that, of all the risks that come in life, there’s only one I’m not willing to take, and that’s not giving us one more chance.
I look off to the side, my voice drifting off into a hushed whisper as I say, “You.”