Page 92 of Crave Me

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Simon

Ten hours until I would see Chloe again. Ten hours until our lives would be irrevocably changed.

After she left me Tuesday night, I made one decision and while there was fear involved in it, it was the right one.

The only one.

It took several phone calls to make the arrangements, but one of the great things about being involved in such an exclusive community like Luminous was you met certain people who could help you with almost anything.

Which was why there was currently a diamond ring the size of Massachusetts burning a hole in my pocket.

And why I was about to walk into East River Brewery in downtown Grand Rapids to ask Mark Reynolds for his permission to marry his daughter.

A lump swelled in my throat, and fuck, nerves assaulted me until my hands dampened.

When I’d first called him this morning and asked to speak with him insisting it was urgent, he ironically hadn’t seem all that surprised to hear from me. I almost called Chloe to ask her why, but I needed to do this without her knowledge.

His response had been a surly, “Yeah, I’m sure you need to talk to me.” He’d spit out a time and place that didn’t allow room for argument, not that I would, and hung up before I’d fully prepared myself for a conversation with him.

I took a step forward and wrapped my hand around the brass door handle, pulling it open.

The scent of well-crafted beer and delicious food assaulted me, but I paid little attention to the sounds and sights in the packed place. A surprising crowd, mostly men, congregated in the bar area, but I found who I was looking for and made my way to Mark without hesitating.

It was time to man up, explain my position and gain his approval, all while he believed I’d physically assaulted his eldest daughter.

“Mr. Reynolds,” I said, gaining his attention from where he was focused on a television screen behind the bar. “How are you?”

He nodded toward the stool next to him without looking at me. “Take a seat, son.”

Son. I hadn’t been called son in years. The last time was by him before Cassie and I ended.

I didn’t want to hope the reason he used the name now was a good sign.

When a bartender asked me what I wanted, I ordered what Mark was drinking. He didn’t speak to me or look at me until the beer was placed on a coaster bearing the brewery’s logo and walked away.

He took a drink.

I took a larger, healthier swallow from mine.

“You wanted to talk.”

“I did. I have something I need to talk to you about.” He faced me then, his blue eyes so similar to Chloe’s, showing massive amounts of pain. “Is Chloe okay?” I asked immediately.

“You know, I think with that one question you just told me everything I needed to know about you.”

“I’m not sure I’m following, sir.”

He shook his head and grabbed his beer, this time his gaze fully fixed on mine. He took another drink. “Had an interesting Thanksgiving meal with my girls yesterday. Can’t say I’ve ever seen a family meal dissolve into such a shit storm like that one did.”

“Mr. Reynolds.” He kept talking like I hadn’t spoken his name. I gave the man the respect he was due and shut my mouth.

“Surprised to hear from you today though, am even more surprised you don’t seem to know what happened. You and Chloe didn’t talk?”

She never responded to the text I sent last night. I could send her another one, admonishing her for making me wait for her response, but she needed space. Her decision to see me tonight had to be her choice, her decision, without pressure from me.

I just hoped like hell she made the one I wanted her to make.

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