Page 58 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

Please keep talking.

“Like…” He hummed, thinking. “Like being in awe of the beauty of nature. Or being in love with someone who doesn’t love you back. Or the unfairness of privilege, or how devastating war and death is.” He shrugged and lifted his eyebrows at me. “Or revenge on the guy that pissed you off.”

A laugh burst out of me and he grinned.

Oh, wow.

Holden was already gorgeous. When he smiled, though?

He took my breath away.

23

Sadie

The smile spreadover his entire face as Holden laughed. It sparkled out of his eyes. Little lines formed around the corners of his eyes and my stomach did a slow, warm roll forward.

Holden’s smile was radiant.

Dazed and silent, I swallowed. Wow.

“Painters make life a little more interesting with their art.” He shrugged. “That’s why I like renovations. It’s fun to turn something ugly into something beautiful.”

“That’s what I love about interior design.” I bit my smile back. “The inn is going to look so good when we’re done, Holden. I know it.”

He nodded. The big smile was gone but it lingered in his eyes. “I know.”

We walked in silence and I pictured his smile over and over again.

“Do you still paint a lot?” he asked at one point.

“No, only for work.” I shot him a side-long look. “And revenge.”

He snorted. A tree had fallen across the path and he held his hand out to help me over. His palm was warm with callouses, and for a split second, I thought about not letting go.

I couldn’t be holding his hand, though. It wasn’t like that with us.

“Do you not enjoy it anymore?”

“I used to.” I used to sit at my easel for hours, like the other night.

“What changed?”

The words sat right below my vocal cords. I couldn’t even pretend I was too busy or didn’t have the interest. I knew why I stopped.

Holden was my friend, I had decided, so I should be honest with him the way I was with Willa.

Maybe I should trust him. It wasn’t like he could do anything with the information.

“Um.” I stuck my hands in the pockets of my coat. “An ex, he was a painter, he kind of made fun of my painting, and I lost interest after.”

Holden frowned. “What did he say?”

I rolled my eyes. “This is stupid.”

“Tell me, Sadie.”

He said my name firm and harsh, and a shiver ran down my back.

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