Page 46 of Wish You Would

“I’ve definitely felt better.”

“Me too,” Everly says. “It was a rough morning so when Jake offered to stay home with the kids so I could grab a coffee with Daisy, I didn’t argue. I might need two cups.”

“Can you join us?” Daisy asks.

“I would love to, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to go home and have a nap.”

“With Holden?” Daisy raises her eyebrows.

“No, not with Holden. Sorry to disappoint.”

“The only one who should be disappointed is you,” Daisy teases. “You should be hitting that.”

I shake my head at my best friend. “Not dating, remember? Neither is he.”

I haven’t seen or spoken to Holden since I left him in the kitchen this morning. When I finished getting ready after my shower, he was gone. It’s not like we had anything to talk about. We had already said everything that needed to be said, but still the conversation felt so awkward. And then to find out he was just… gone, it kind of stung.

“Mmm hmm,” Daisy says with a twinkle in her eye before Everly interjects, saving me yet again. “I’m actually happy that I ran into you today, Briar. I wanted to welcome you to Haven Harbor by having you and Holden for dinner, and Daisy and Tucker and Sierra and Gray too. I was thinking maybe next weekend if you’re free?”

A bead of sweat trickles down my spine. Summer this year in Reed Point has been suffocating. For nearly two weeks, the temperature has hit record levels. So hot that if you walked barefoot on the concrete, you’d get third degree burns. But it’s possible I’m in a sweat for a different reason.

I’m not sure having dinner with Holden at Jake and Everly’s is a good idea. Distance seems like the better choice. Then I remember that I already agreed to go to his parent’s house tomorrow night.Shit.The universe is clearly testing me.

Rather than say no to Everly and run the risk ofappearing rude, I say, “That sounds lovely. I’ll talk to Holden and see if he’s free and get back to you.”

“You two haven’t synched your calendars yet?” Daisy asks.

I roll my eyes. She is not going to let up on this.

When I arrive backat the house, the place is dark, and Holden is nowhere to be seen. I kick off my shoes and drop my bag by the door, then go up the stairs to see how Bear is doing. The door to Holden’s room is open, so I peek inside, but there’s no sign of him there either.

Heading to the spare room, I flick on the light to find the most beautiful bedroom I’ve ever seen. There is a queen size bed with a light gray fabric headboard and white comforter in the center of the room. It’s covered with pillows in grays and soft pinks with crisp white bedsheets tucked neatly into the bed frame. There’s a pretty white nightstand with a lamp on the far side and a matching dresser against the wall. Bear is curled up in the center of the bed and all I want to do is curl up beside her and never leave.

The room is a dream. And Holden put this all together for me.

The poor guy was probably suffering from having to be in the same room as my cat for a few hours, but knowing Holden the way I do now, that wouldn’t have stopped him. He is thoughtful and kind and puts others before himself. Someone who likes to make the people he cares about happy. And I love that about him.

I feel tears prick at my eyes as I sit down and sink into the bedding. Justin never cared about me. He never cared enough to even ask me how my day was, never mind doingsomething like this. He gave me nothing while he took everything from me over the years. It took me a long time to see that, but now it’s crystal clear. My friendship with Holden makes me feel cared for and appreciated. He makes me feel comfortable and safe enough to share how I really feel. My heart nearly explodes when I lie in this gorgeous new room… or at least it feels that way from the fullness in my chest. Holden didn’t need to do any of this—just letting me stay at his house was generous enough; even if he’d just given me the couch to crash on, I would have been grateful. But he did all of this to make me feel at home, and it’s the most thoughtful thing any man has ever done for me.

I’m not used to people doing nice things for me, and I don’t quite know how to process it. Justin really messed me up, and I wish I was able to just get past it. I cared about him, and he hurt me in the worst way. For a long time, I’ve wondered if I’d ever really be able to trust a man again.

Sitting up against the pillows with Bear in my lap, I send Holden a text to thank him.

Briar: My new room is beautiful, Holden. I feel terrible I wasn’t around to help you.

I wait a few minutes and there’s no response, so I change into my pajamas and get ready for bed. As I climb under the crisp new sheet, a notification from Holden pops up on my screen and I swipe the device to life.

Holden: Don’t feel bad. It didn’t take me long to put it together.

Briar: Thank you for being so generous. I hope Bear didn’t give you too much trouble.

Holden: You don’t need to thank me. You do need to have a talk with your cat though. I think she hates me.

Briar: Bear doesn’t hate anyone. Give her time to warm up to you.

I stare at the screen, wanting to know where he is and what he’s doing on a Saturday night. Since I moved in, we’ve gone to bed every night together and something about being here without him feels different… and wrong.

I set my phone to do not disturb, double check my alarm for tomorrow, and then sink into the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Pulling the soft sheets up to my chin, I breathe in their fresh laundry scent, which makes me realize that Holden must have washed everything before he made my bed. For some reason, that makes my heart swell a little bit more.

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