Page 55 of Where You Left Me

“You were my first, Mia. You were supposed to be my last. But then you left me.”

It’s such a harsh reality. I did that to him. All I wanted to do was save him from the pain I was feeling when what I really did was make it worse.

“I know,” I cry, nodding.

“That’sunfair.”

“I’m sorry.” My lip quivers.

Hesitantly, he steps closer to me. He brushes a tear off my cheek and then slides his hand to the back of my neck. It feels like an anchor; solid and like he’s holding me in place.

“I’m sorry, too,” he says, his tone more even now. “I’m sorry it hurt too much to look at me. I’m sorry we had to grieve the loss of our daughter separately. I’m sorry you’ve carried around the guilt of leaving me when shit hit the fan.”

I reach my hand up to hold onto his that’s gripping the back of my neck. It somehow connects us further while ameliorating us at the same time. Like the two of us are sturdy and whole when we’re together.

“Jones, stop apologizing,” I whisper, as the tears continue to fall.

Jones’s other hand comes around to my lower back, and he hauls me against him. In his embrace, while we gaze in one another’s eyes, I feel safe and secure. And the pain I felt in those early days after losing Aster, while looking at Jones, is almost non-existent.

Now I need him with me.

“But what I’m most sorry about, is regardless of what happens between us this summer, if we keep fucking or not, you’re stuck with me.”

My gaze dances over his.

“We still have to plan this event together. We can’t let your dad down.”

Warmth unfurls in my chest. “Or you.”

His brows pinch together.

So I elaborate, “I know how important this event is for you too.”

He yanks me in closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and my eyes flutter closed. “Thank you,” he mutters, his breath radiating against my skin.

Just like that, things align between us and we’re Jones and Mia again. He’s my person and I am his.

Crushing his mouth to mine, he parts my lips with his tongue, and we kiss desperately. Like we need the other to breathe. To live.

When we pull apart, I say, “But is it okay if we take a break from event stuff for the rest of the day?”

He rears his face back and gazes at me. “Why? You got something else in mind?”

“Mayyyybe,” I drag out the word in singsong and mock innocence. “You know, we could have sex, we could fuck, we could make love.”

He tickles me and makes me burst into laughter.

CHAPTER 15

Jones

It’s been a full week of non-stop Mia. And I still can’t get enough. Our schedules don’t align but we make it work. When I’m not working, I’m helping out where I can at Base Camp Sports. And when she’s not working, she’s hanging out at the bar, being the most beautiful fucking distraction. As soon as I close The Pines at 2 a.m., I can’t get my dick in her fast enough. Sometimes we don’t even make it up to my apartment.

The countdown of our summer together is like an invisible clock with a continuous tick-tock blaring in my brain. Maybe it’s the same for her. But we don’t talk about it.

Instead, each time we’re together, we fuck like it’s our last time.

Unfortunately, even though we both have the day off work, today is not about fucking. Today is vendor day. This is the day I have to go to each participating vendor from last year and ask them to commit again this year. This has always been my job, not Carlo’s. He always says I’m more of a smooth talker than he is. It’s ironic how the only business on my list that has me concerned is Brew Box. I wish Mia could come with me to meetthe vendors, especially Rosie, but she’s accompanying her mom on a doctor’s visit for her dad.

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