Page 25 of Love Harvested on Thanksgiving
She continues, “do you want to talk about it?”
I hold my breath, unsure what to say. She opened up to me. Shetrustedme. Told me everything—things I know hurt her to talk about. And I still haven’t told her the real reason I’m such an ass. The truth sits heavy in my chest. It’s right there clawing its way up.
I let out a long breath, “Alex… do you remember me from school?”
She blinks, turning her head on the pillow to look at me. “I think? I’m not really sure, I’m sorry. I know we went to the same school, and you were a few grades above me. But I don’t remember any details other than that.”
I nod slowly. Figures. Why would she? Back then, I wasn’t exactly the kind of person people noticed. At least not for anything good.
I take a shaky breath, trying to calm the pounding in my chest before I speak. “My senior year of high school,” I start slowly, “you were a freshman. You hung out with the older kids, the ones everyone thought were cool. You spent a lot of time with that loser who drove the black BMW.”
I swallow hard, my throat dry. “Your friends—and you—started a rumor. One that… ruined my little teenage life. And it was really bad, Alex.”
I force out a breath, my voice low. “So yeah, I was an asshole. And I’m sorry. But… that’s why.”
Alex covers her mouth, her eyes wide. “You shouldn’t be the one apologizing.”
She lies there, her expression distant deep in thought. Then softly, almost afraid to ask, she says, “What was the rumor?”
I knew the question was coming, but hell, I still didn’t prepare for it. I let out a long breath and drag a hand over my face. “The rumor was that my dad and I killed my mom.”
Her mouth parts slightly, but I keep going before I chicken out.
“When she died, I… didn’t handle it well. Still don’t, honestly. Years went by, and I thought I was doing okay—at least I was trying. But then you and your friends started that rumor, and it spread like wildfire. Everyone whispered about me when I walked the halls. Nobody wanted to be around me. People even stopped coming to the farm. It got so bad I just… dropped out. And I… I hated you.”
Her hand finds my face, soft and trembling. “Finley,” she whispers, “I’m so sorry.”
Her expression changes then—like something just clicked. Her eyes go wide. “The loser with the black BMW? That was Chase. My ex.”
I feel heat crawl up my neck, like fire creeping through my veins.Better reason to feed him to the pigs.
Her hand is warm against my cheek, pulling me from my sinister thoughts. She’s looking at me—really looking at me—and for a moment I forget how to breathe.
I never realized some of the prettiest things in the world are brown until I looked into her eyes.
Brown like the first fallen leaves in October—the promise of fall. Brown like fields of wheat kissed by golden sunlight. Brown like honey, as sweet as her. Like the earth itself—steady and grounding, full of life.
Looking into her eyes feels like being transported to days full of apple cider, hayrides and running through a rich forest drenched in golden sunlight.
I’ve never put much thought into what my favorite color is. But in this moment, I decide that it’s brown. Honey brown.
My gaze drifts down to her lips, they look so soft, so inviting. I take a steadying breath and slowly, I lean in.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ALEX
My hand rests on Finley’s cheek as his eyes search mine, slowly, he leans in.
And his lips find mine.
They’re soft, gentle, and warm. And it feels…nice. It feels right. Like a recipe my mind had long forgotten, but a taste my heart never lost. Like the lyrics of a song I never knew, but a rhythm my body never forgot.
I melt into him, and my hand slides down to his chest. It’s solid, warm—like a furnace beneath my palm.
His tongue brushes against mine, soft like silk, and I can’thelp but want to be closer. I throw my leg over his body and pull myself up until I’m straddling him.
He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, and the warmth radiating from him seeps through my sweater.
