Page 105 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“I was going to buy meat as a peace offering.”

“Really?”

I nodded and silence descended again. I hated it. Connor and I had never had trouble talking, even when we weren’t supposed to be friends. I closed my eyes and let out a heavy breath.

“Are you in pain?” he asked.

I ignored his question. “How did you know I was hurt?”

“I’m the one they called to tow your car.”

“Of course.”

“It wasn’t a very professional tow. I was in a hurry to get to you, and I’m not sure I bothered to hook all the chains up correctly.”

“Oh, yeah?” I felt amusement tug at my lips.

The sound of a zipper was loud in the room, and I chanced a quick slit-eyed glance in his direction. He’d set the poor droopy flowers down and was unzipping the top of his coveralls and pulling his arms out. He wore a blue T-shirt underneath with the Snap-On Tools logo printed on the front. He tied the arms of his coveralls around his waist, keeping the pants on. When he looked back in my direction I quickly closed my eyes again.

“I lost my head a little when I showed up and it was your car and everyone was talking about how you’d been taken by ambulance.”

I nodded. “This town really likes to tell stories.”

A screeching sound started as he slid his chair across the floor to the right side of the bed, which sank a little where he leaned on it. A fission of familiar awareness rushed through me when his voice spoke nearby. “Why were you buying steaks?”

“I was going to come talk to you, and they were my ‘get in the door’ offering.”

“Ah. Smart move. What were you coming to talk to me about?”

“I was going to open with insulting your intelligence.”

“Understandably.” One of his hands came up to play comfortingly with my curls, the backs of his fingers brushing against my cheek. I loved it.

“Then I was going to ask you what your problem was, and if your father raised a complete moron.”

“Seems redundant, as you’d already have insulted my intellect, and unfair to my father who has nothing to do with my issues.” I pinched my lips and he cleared his throat. “Sorry, please go on.”

“Then I was going to ask where you get off breaking up with me, and not listening to what I was trying to say.”

“Yeah. Sounds like you’re headed in the right direction.”

“Next I was going to suggest you stop freezing me out when you don’t like something I’ve done.” I opened my eyes and turned my head slightly to meet his gaze. He’d taken off his ball cap, and his face was so close, his eyes so familiar that I wanted to sob, but I forced the emotion away.

“Livy...” He opened his mouth but I shook my head.

“Not done. I’m not perfect. I overreact, say things wrong, make mistakes, get grumpy, and will annoy you day in and day out. But what I actually came over to tell you the other night is that when my mom asked me those questions it made me think, a lot, and I’ve realized I don’t need to search for happiness somewhere else when I have it right here. I can reach for my dreams without walking away.”

I could see his throat work as his eyes scanned my face. “I thought you didn’t want me.”

“Please refer back to the part about being an interrupting dummy.”

“During my lunch break today I bought you flowers.”

I raised my eyebrows as my eyes grew large. “Really?”

“Yes. I was going to come over after work and beg you to ignore everything I’d said last night, because I couldn’t let you go.”

I felt a sudden sadness for this man who wanted nothing more than to have a companion who chose to stay with him, but who had been willing to chase me down and beg. I smiled softly at him and reached out to hold his hand. “Just so you know, I would have let you beg for a while first, but I would have stayed. I never meant to leave anyhow.”

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