Page 69 of Always Knew It Was You

On the one hand, it makes it easy for me.

I can say yes to starting something with Cara, comply for long enough, and then once Grandpa gives me the loan, I’ll make up whatever excuse to break up with her, or do something that will drive her to break up with me.

But even just the idea of pretending to date another woman is wholly unappetizing.

I mean, if it’s just dates it might be one thing, but I’ll probably have to sleep with her at some point to sell it. I can already tell my body wants no part of that. For the first time in my life, I’m not sure I would even be able to get it up.

Strange as it is, I only want Carly.

I can’t tell Grandpa that though, at least not until I can convince him to give Carly another chance.

I don’t know if I can, but I’m going to try. “Listen to what happened at brunch the other day…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He waves a hand dismissively but he doesn’t look angry, which is a good thing. “It’s not like I had lofty expectations anyway, Micah. I’ve always known that your taste in women is lacking, so I expected whoever you brought to have some flaw. But I didn’t quite expect her to be a hellion.”

Well, you were deliberately provoking her.I immediately want to jump into her defense.

But I hold back, so as not to make it worse.

“Right,” I say, gritting my teeth at the end. “But you see the thing is, Carly is having a tough time right now with her family and I think what you said might have triggered–”

“That’s not important. A woman who cannot control her temper is a liability to you.” He gestures to the chair. “Now sit. Cara will return soon.”

I sigh and seeing no choice, I obey him. He’s not going to listen to me right now, but I can probably try again after Cara leaves.

So I sit there as Cara returns and I initiate a conversation about our last meeting at this gala, refreshing my memory on who exactly she is. My grandfather interjects once in a while, but then he eventually walks away to leave Cara and me to talk between ourselves. And to be fair, it’s not a bad conversation. She’s very articulate, cultured, with a great sense of humor too. Not to mention now that I’ve had time to look at her, she’s not just pleasant-looking. She’s pretty. Some would even describe her as gorgeous.

So yes, I spend most of my afternoon talking to a gorgeous, amiable woman who would probably be some guy’s dream woman.

But I’m completely bored out of my mind.

There’s no instant connection like what I had with Carly, no banter, no underlying sexual tension. I don’t find myself drawn to her mystique or curious about the way her mind works. I don’t find myself looking forward to the next words out of her mouth either.

It’s all forced on my end, feigning interest and playing a part.

There’s no way I can do this for months on end. Nope, not happening.

No one else will do.

I need to get Carly back.

I touch down in Michigan around four p.m. and am met with the setting sun and a golden Lambo from the rental agency. My agent seems to have made good note of my tastes and has the car waiting for me on the tarmac.

Going back to Laketown elicits a strange mixture of emotion. On one hand, there’s that resentment that always arises whenever I’m here, reminding me that my father intended this place to be my prison for however many years. I can also feel the boredom start to seep in when I imagine spending my days here. Passing by mundane grocery stores and the intermittent bars punctuated by long stretches of greenery only solidifies that feeling. The town still looks drab and unexciting, and eerily quiet most of the time, offering nothing at all to occupy my mind.

Nothing that is except Carly.

And just the very fact that I’m going to see her again fills me with a humming exhilaration that adds just a little more color to the scene.

Suddenly, the spring flowers that line my path look a little brighter. The gentle air feels fresher when I put the top down. I can almost smell the lakes and the light lilac of Carly’s shampoo. I pass by the restaurant we ate at for our first date and feel nostalgic, remembering kissing her, making her laugh, her incredible spit take. Something hums in the atmosphere, a feverish anticipation that invades me. A longing. A need.

It makes me think that maybe it’s not so bad that I’ll need to stay for a few days, just in case my father sends someone down to check if I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

Speaking of my father, I wonder how long until he calls and asks me about progress on the hotel. Declan has agreed to cover me so far, but he won’t do it forever. I’ll either have to take the mantle or find someone to do it for me.

It makes the hours-long drive down to Laketown as pleasant as possible, as I think about what I’m going to tell Carly to get her back.

I could try being my usual charming self times three but I have a feeling that’s not going to work. Neither will offering her gifts or money. That might make her madder actually.

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