Page 1 of Bree

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Bree

“That can’t be who I think it is,” I murmur to myself, staring across the waiting room at the man leaning against the wall. His hair is rich, the color of freshly turned earth, and his sharp nose and high cheekbones are nothing short of enchanting. He has the kind of face you’d expect to see on a model. God, he still looks the same. More grown-up, but the same regardless. That is Matthew Lovett, my high school sweetheart.

My sister Shay nudges me with her elbow. “What are you looking at?” she asks, following my line of sight. “Wait, is that…?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “I think it’s Matt.”

“Wow! He certainly grew up.”

“Shay, he’s older than you.”

“I know that,” Shay says with a laugh. “But when you were dating him, he was still a gangly teenage boy. You should go say hi.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I say and frown. The last time I spoke with Matt was to break up with him. He decided to go to college out of state, and I was sure things would end once he got there and found someone else, so I dumped him before that could happen. It didn’t spare me the heartbreak, though. Matt was my boyfriend, but he was also my best friend. Even now, I still think about him sometimes.

“I’m sure he isn’t holding a grudge over how you dumped him,” Shay says and nudges me again. “It won’t hurt to try and extend an olive branch.”

“It’s been fifteen years, Shay. He probably hasn’t thought about me in a long time.”

She crossed her arms and gives me a stern look. “Maybe not, but I know you still think about him. If nothing else, maybe this can finally give you more closure. I’ll come to get you if there’s any news about Abby.”

“Right… okay” I swallow hard and summon my courage as I run my eyes over his form. His cream sweater is stretched over wide shoulders, thick muscles, and a broad chest, and his dark jeans hug his long legs; he is looking great these days. He suddenly spots me, and his bright hazel eyes widen in surprise. He half raises a hand in greeting before he shakes his head and hurries over to me.

“Bree?” Matt asks, voice still sounding surprised.

“Hey, Matt. Long time no see.” I cringe at the awkward response that comes out of my mouth but force a smile. “When did you get back in town?” His eyes are even brighter than I remember, a blend of gold, amber, and brown ringed with vibrant green.

“About a month ago. What are you doing here?”

“My sister Abby is in labor. What about you?”

“Oh wow! You’re going to be an aunty. My sister Jessica had knee surgery. I’m just waiting to check on her before I head home. They said they’re keeping her overnight.”

“I hope she recovers quickly,” I reply. Surgery is never fun.

“It’ll be a few months of healing and physical therapy, but they expect a complete recovery.”

“That’s great news!” An uncomfortable silence fills the surrounding air, and I find myself rocking back on my heels and looking around the room.

“So... Do you have any kids?” I blurt out and immediately regret it. I don’t see a ring on his finger, but that doesn’t mean anything.

“Nope,” he replies and rubs one large hand over the back of his neck. “It’s just me at the moment.”

“Me too,” I say. “I mean, I don’t have kids or a husband or anything.” God, why am I so awkward. This is so embarrassing. I clear my throat and smile awkwardly. Before I can open my mouth and say anything else, his phone rings. He looks at the screen and sighs.

“It’s my mom. Give me a minute.”

“Sure, no problem,” I reply and pull out my phone to scroll through Twitter.

He answers the phone, and I try not to eavesdrop, but it’s easy considering he’s still pretty close to me. I listen to him tell his mother that he’s still waiting to see his sister, and then he seems to get a little irritated. His mother’s voice blares over the line reminding him of the family New Year’s Eve party and asking him who he’ll be bringing along. He rolls his eyes but then looks at me, and I can’t help but raise a brow at his calculating gaze.

“Yeah, don’t worry, mom. I’ve got it figured out. I’ll see you soon, love you.” He hangs up the phone and steps even closer to me.

“Bree, I need a favor.”

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