Page 11 of While You're There
“Bullshit. Don’t let my dad’s ridiculous power play get to your head, beautiful. Anyone who knows us—hell, anyone who’s ever seen us together—knows that we’ve been in love for years. What’s mine is yours now that you’re mine.”
Tori craned her neck back to smile at him. “Okay,” she relented. “I’m sorry that happened yesterday. I’ve never seen your dad fly off the handle like that.”
Rhett blew out a long breath. He was so disappointed by how everything had gone down. “I know. It sucks. I’m still in shock, honestly. I could tell my mom and Maddie were caught off guard, too. But I guess, in his defense, he hasn’t been around much over the last several years. His only context for our relationship is that we dated in high school, then still hung out together whenever I was home.”
“That’s true. I don’t think either of us expected things to end up like this, so we can’t expect other people to understand it either.” She rolled over and buried her face in the crook of his arm. Her hair was a frazzled mess, and she still had crease marks from her pillow on one cheek. She had never looked more beautiful.
“I love you. I’m marrying you. That’s what matters now, and that’s what I’m going to focus on for the next few weeks as we get through all the craziness ahead. Are we good?” he asked, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.
Tori nodded and closed her eyes in response to his touch. The sweetest smile played across her face. “We’re good.”
“I’m going to run some errands this morning, then try to go on a long run. I’ve still got to pack for Virginia, and I have to call into a few meetings this afternoon. But I’ll drive you to work this afternoon, okay? Just let me know what time you want to leave.”
Tori nodded again but, this time, opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “You know I’ve been driving myself to work for the last six years, Ev.”
He ran his thumb back and forth over her bottom lip before moving in to kiss her. “Yeah, I know. But it used to be our thing. Driving through downtown and just being in the car with you? That’s one of my favorite places to be. Sometimes I think you don’t totally get it.”
“Get what?”
“That the entire time we were apart—from the minute you broke up with me that summer, then when we were sort-of-together, and especially over the last few months—I just wanted to be wherever you were that entire time.”
Tori’s gaze softened and she pouted out her lower lip. “Thank you for never giving up on us.”
He couldn’t get enough of this new version of their relationship: of her softness toward him, of her easy acceptance of his love.
“Never,” he vowed as he kissed her forehead and rose out of bed to take on the day.
Chapter six
Tori
Workwasincrediblyslow,even for a Tuesday. Tori had only waited on three tables during the first half of her shift. The last two hours were going to drag.
“You want me to put some food in for you, baby?” Jake asked from behind the bar. Their boss Mike was next door, working on renovations for The Oak Barrel Tavern, which meant Jake was in charge tonight.
“I’ll put in an order in the back and take my break in twenty if that’s okay?”
“Sounds good.” He turned back around to refill the water glasses of the two people sitting at the counter. A hockey game had just started on the big screen hanging behind his head. Maybe the game would draw in a few more patrons tonight.
Tori did a final check on her table, but they said they were fine and they had already paid. When she made her way to the back, she found Lia leaning against the point-of-sale system, working the straw of a large Styrofoam cup between her teeth.
“This sucks,” her best friend declared. Tori nodded in agreement. They’d be lucky to each leave with twenty dollars in tips tonight.
Not that I need the money anymore. She was still coming to terms with the idea that she would just suddenly have access to Rhett’s money. She knew she shouldn’t have expected anything less, but it had been jarring when she had logged into the bank app on her phone earlier that week and saw the insane amounts of money associated with the multiple accounts in both their names.
“Yeah, it does,” she commiserated. “This weekend will make up for it, though. The weather should be nice enough for people to sit on the patio.”
Lia side-eyed her, obviously skeptical of her optimistic overview. She narrowed her eyes slightly while working the straw back and forth in her mouth, but she didn’t have a chance to add to the conversation.
“Order up!” one of the cooks called from the back. Tori watched with relief as her best friend grabbed the plates and headed back into the main dining room. She wasn’t trying to hide her new tax bracket necessarily, but she knew Lia would have plenty to say about her newfound fortune. Tori would have to deal with her twenty questions eventually. Just not tonight.
Tori put in the order for her usual salad, adding a side of fries in case Jake was hungry, too. She planned to sit at the bar and keep him company during her break.
“You’ve got a new table, Tor,” Lia announced as she pushed back through the kitchen doors. Tori flinched at the sharpness of her tone.
“Uh, do you want to take it?” she offered, worried that Lia was upset with her for getting another table on such a slow night.
“Nope,” she popped the P as her eyebrows shot up. “He’s asking for you.”
