Page 62 of Off-Limits Silver Fox Billionaire

I love her.How did I not realize this on time? How could I let my fear consume every other rational thought?

My pulse was still racing as I dashed up the stairs to my bedroom. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans, and a fresh t-shirt, put them on, then hurried out of the house.

The drive to Bree’s new place was the longest of my life. My mind raced with the words I wanted to say to her, and I hoped I could find the right ones to tell her my true feelings.

I had to convince her that we were right for each other, and I was wrong. Leaving her that day was the worst decision I had ever made. Bree had to know that without her, my life was meaningless.

She made me feel emotions I didn’t think I could ever feel again. She made me love…

I got to her house, hurried to the front door, and tried it numerous times. There was no reply, so I rushed over to Rue’s bakery hoping to find her there, but she wasn’t there either.

Allison wasn’t at the bakery either and neither was Phil.

Without hesitating, I took out my phone and tried reaching her cell. Bree’s phone rang straight to voicemail each time I tried, so I went back to her house and waited for some time before finally returning home.

Jenny was sitting on the porch stairs when I pulled to a halt in front of the house. Once she saw me, she wiped her cheeks and that made me realize she had been crying.

My heart sank as I went to her, I sat on the steps, stretched out my hand in front of me, and played with my fingers for a bit.

“All of this isn’t real, Josh,” she said to me in a shaky voice after a long minute of silence festered on between us. “It’s not real, none of it.”

Jenny broke into a sob then, and I slowly wrapped my hand around her back, pulled her closer to me, then rocked her small body. Her sobs continued for a long time, and it broke my heart to listen to her weep.

“I know it’s not real…I remember everything … I remember,” she continued while shaking her head. Her tears soaked my shirt when she turned her face inwards, and she sniffed hard before lifting her head to look at me.

“You remember?” I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat raw.

Jenny nodded, then sighed. “I took a short nap earlier and when I woke up, I was lying in our bed. I knew immediately I wasn’t supposed to be there because we got divorced a long time ago, Josh,” she said. “Why did you do it? Why did you come back and act like none of it has happened? I’m the only one who’s crazy, so why did you do it?”

“You’re not crazy,” I interrupted and shook my head. “Don’t ever say you’re crazy because you’re not.”

My hand stayed around her back, and she licked her lower lip before pulling away from me and drawing in a long breath. “You don’t need to pretend to be my husband when you’re in love with someone else, Josh,” she said.

I lowered my gaze away from hers, and she touched my hand before adding. “I watched you two at the wedding and I knew then that something wasn’t right. I saw the way you looked at her that day, Josh. It’s the same way you used to look at me.”

Jenny squeezed my hand after that, then she broke into another sob but muffled it with her small hands. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to cry again, it’s just …I need to get this off my chest.”

She took a minute, and I stroked her cheek before she continued. “You’re a good man, Josh. I ruined our marriage for my own selfish reasons, and I lost you. I never stopped loving you even though what I wanted at the time was to end our marriage. I lost you, Josh and I had to live with that, but I won’t be able to live with myself if I stop you from following your heart.”

Jenny’s words warmed me, and they brought fresh tears to my eyes even though I was a man who rarely ever cried.

“I’m in love with her,” I said as I stared deep into her eyes. “It wasn’t entirely your fault back then. I know that now. I was absent and caught up in one part of my life and so I completely neglected the other.”

I took both her hands after that and held them tight. “I get a chance to make things right this time, and I don’t want to mess it up again, so I need to be truthful, and open myself up to my feelings. I need to be vocal, and I need to let Bree know that I’m in love with her.”

Saying the words out loud was liberating. I need to say it more often, and I needed to find Bree.Giving up is not an option.

“Go find the woman you love, Josh and make it right.”

I got on my feet and turned to her again. “Are you alright? Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, Josh, now go and make this right,” she said then got on my feet and shooed me away with her hands.

I got in my car again and drove back to Rue’s bakery. Bree still wasn’t there, and neither was Allison but this time, I wasn’t going away until I found Bree.

I walked to the counter, smiled at the lady behind it and said. “I need to speak with Allison.”

“She’s not here, sir,” the lady replied. “What would you like?”

---