Page 24 of Willow Embers
The disappointment painted across her delicate features, damn near knocked the wind out of me. And now I’m out here bracing for round two.
But what if it wasn’t really disappointment? What if it was just a mask? A shield she’s been holding up to protect herself?
“What are you going to say?” he asks, his expression serious.
I shake my head. “No fucking clue.”
He chuckles low. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, assuming she shows up before Sheriff Dunning does.”
“To hell with the sheriff.”
Jace pats me on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit. A little advice for when she gets here, try not to say anything dumb. Women hate that.” With that utterly unhelpful line, he heads back to wait at his truck.
What we’re doing, blocking the road, is technically illegal, but this was the only way I could think of to stop her on shortnotice. I have a feeling if she makes it back to the city, she’ll close herself up in her life there and never let me back in.
I won’t let that happen.
Every second that ticks by with the asphalt under my feet and the guys I work with chattering behind me feels like a lifetime, but the universe doesn’t drag out my misery for too long.
Nixie’s car rolls to a stop at least twenty yards from where we’ve got the road blocked, the brakes squeaking lightly, and I see the moment Nixie realizes what’s happening. Her brow pinches. She presses her lips together.
I close half the distance between us. It’s up to me to put myself on the line, but she’s got to be the one to get out of the car.
Only she doesn’t.
At least, not until Tiberius bails out the open back window like a rowdy toddler and charges straight at me with his golden fur flying.
Nixie throws her car door open. “Tiberius! Stop! Ty. What the hell, dog!”
It’s like he can’t even hear her. He barrels into my legs, wiggling and tail wagging.
“Thanks, big guy,” I whisper through a smile as I reach down to pet him.
He bumps my hand with his nose like we planned this little moment together, then sits down at my feet.
Nixie stops a few feet away, glaring at Tiberius. “Traitor.”
I scratch Tiberius behind the ear. “She doesn’t mean that.”
That glare turns my way, only this time, it steals my breath for a different reason. It’s not disappointment coloring her expression. It’s hesitation. Uncertainty.
She plants her hands on her hips. “What do you want, Beauden?”
“You,” I say.
She bites the inside of her lip and gives her head a little shake. I don’t know what it means, but I know I’m not done.
“It’s always been you. I fell for you back when we were just kids. Hard. And I know how badly I fucked up back then. I should’ve called. Iwantedto call, every goddamn day, but I thought hearing your voice would be too hard.” The truth pours out of me like a dam breaking. “It never occurred to me what my silence would do to you. I was young and dumb, and I had something to prove to myself. And like a fool, I thought you’d wait for me even when I didn’t give you a single reason to stay.”
Nixie’s chin trembles. Tears glitter in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry.” I take a step toward her, and her eyes stay locked on mine. “Losing you —hurting you— was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”
She doesn’t move a muscle, so I take another step, and another. Slow and steady. Giving her all the space she needs to back away. I stop when I’m close enough to reach out and touch her, and even though my hands are itching to do just that, I hold back.
If she wants this and if she wants me, she has to make that choice. I’m not going to cloud her judgment with a kiss like I did in the cabin. No matter how much I want to.
It’s all I can do to keep my hands at my side instead of reaching for her. My palms burn to touch her again. My entire body aches to pull her into my arms and never let go. I tremble with the need, but I’ll wait for her.
