Page 18 of Be With Me

My heart began to race and suddenly the familiar smells I usually found so comforting overwhelmed me until I felt nauseous. The murmured conversations around us became a rush of sound in my ears “You just told me it wasn’t me.”

“It’s not.” His answer was short, the words clipped.

I had to admit, part of me was ready to call it. To thank him for the coffee and walk out the door. But another part of me—that part of me who craved drama and excitement and always used to go after the bad boys—kept me in my seat to see what else he had to say. To figure out the mystery that was Tyler.

He chewed his lower lip and stared down at his coffee cup. Both hands were wrapped around it, and he tapped one side on the table in a steady rhythm. Every few seconds he would glance up at me, then back at his cup.

I let him stew on whatever he was thinking, until finally, he rubbed his eyes with the fingertips of both hands and sat back in his chair. “I need to tell you something about me. I was hoping I could give you a chance to get to know me better first, but I don’t think I can put it off or I’ll end up lying to you to cover up my actions, and I don’t want to lie to you, Ailee.”

Wow. I didn’t know what to say to that, but my curiosity was definitely peaked. Still… “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, Tyler.”

He rubbed his eyes again. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

I took a sip of my coffee, trying not to cough when I forgot to blow on it, and waited to hear whatever it was he had to tell me. My mind started spinning, imagining all kinds of scenarios, but nothing I imagined could prepare me for what he eventually told me.

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