“Everly…”
Why, oh, why, does he say my name like he’s commanding me to come? He needs to stop that. I never liked my name before it left Gunner Reid’s lips.
“What are you doing here?”
“You were scared today.”
I pull back at his words and pull my eyebrows together. “You spoke to Alec? Is this a new thing I should be worried about?”
“He wants what’s best for you,” is all he replies.
I can see he isn’t comfortable discussing Alec, so I leave it at that.
“And what do you want, Gunner?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“You.” It’s a straight and simple reply.
“What if you can’t have me?”
“I’ll keep trying until you want me again,” he says, like it’s going to be easy.
“What if it takes years?” I say to him, knowing full well my love for him is still inside me, it just needs to be brought out again.
“Years is how long I will wait then.” Gunner steps closer, his body so close to mine now. “You’re worth the wait, Everly.”
“Who are they for?” I ask, changing the subject while nodding to the flowers.
“Some gorgeous woman who makes me work for it.” He offers them to me, and I take the beautiful bouquet of roses. When I do, our fingers touch and he doesn’t move them. “Are you okay, though?”
“I will be.”
“Do you want me to wait outside tonight?” He nods to his car, but his hand still touches mine.
“You would stay in your car for me?”
“Yes. If that makes you feel safe.” He pulls his hand away and lets me take the flowers.
“No, I’m fine. But thank you.”
He nods his head and places his hands in his pockets.
“You still smoking?” I ask him.
“No,” he answers.
I look behind me and then back to him. “I should go. I need to shower.” He smirks. “Don’t you dare,” I say, seeing the words wanting to leave his mouth. But he holds them back and then holds up his hands saying, “I didn’t say a word.”
“No, Gunner Reid is all very innocent in this,” I reply with an eye roll. Turning away from him, I open the door. “Goodnight, Gunner.” I don’t look back at him, because I like what I see. The problem is, I like it a lot.
“Goodnight, Everly,” he whispers from behind me.
I manage to get myself inside somehow by putting one foot in front of the other. He affects me, of that there is no doubt. I place the flowers on the table when my phone starts dinging. Opening it, I see his name flash on the screen and my heart skips a beat.
I forgot to tell you something, please come back outside.
I contemplate not going and staying exactly where I am. Wanting to know what he wants gets the best of me, though, so I open the door to see him leaning against the building, his ankles crossed over each other as he looks up at me.
How can he look so good?
His high cheekbones shine under the light as he puckers his lips before he speaks. I’ve missed those lips and how they made me feel, but I also haven’t forgotten how he didn’t care what I felt when he should have the most.
“Well?” I ask, as he stares me down.
He steps in front of me, grabs a lock of my hair and pushes it away, then smiles. “I forgot to tell you how beautiful you are today.” He turns and walks to his car. I watch him as he gets in. He doesn’t start it, just sits there as he waits. I walk back inside and lock the door, a smile forming as I go to my window to watch him drive away.
Gunner Reid’s gone and fucked with my heart. And he’s fucked with it good.
The bastard.
“It’s not like that, I swear,” I tell my mother for the tenth time over the phone. “Don’t even think about planning another wedding. I haven’t even agreed to go on a date with him yet.” I huff into the phone while shaking my head as I sit on my bed.
It’s been two days since Gunner brought me flowers and waited outside my door. Every day when I arrive home, he’s standing there with a new bunch of flowers and a devilish smile on his face. He asks me if I am okay, then he tells me how beautiful I look. Then he leaves. It’s the same routine every single day, and somehow my mother has gotten wind of it and thinks she knows we will end up back together and is upset because I haven’t told her anything.
“Oh, please. If you two get married again, which you will, I suggest no one comes and it’s just you two.”
I’m surprised at her words. “Really?”
“Oh, so you’re thinking about it. Tell me now, what’s going on?” I shake my head at her twisting of my words and perhaps her trickery in getting them from me.