Page 75 of Everything Has Changed
“I missed you,” I blurt out, though I keep my voice low as people walk by.
Her expression softens. She drops her arms and begins fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater.
“It was two days,” she points out in her soft voice. She keeps it low as someone walks into the coffee shop.
Her eyes drop to the folder in my hand and her whole being lights up with excitement.
“Any updates?” her finger points to it with eagerness laced in her voice.
It’s cute how happy the festival makes her. Sure, the whole town looks forward to this event every year, but Gwen’s excitement for it brings a whole new level. Makes me want to ask her to head it every year—which would mean a guaranteed connection between us.
I file that thought away for later.
“Aside from the online interest forms from Piper’s incredible social media ads, we have Bernie, Vinny, and Mary all signed up and ready to go. I have a few more stops I’m headed to now. Want to join me?”
She nibbles on her lower lip, her eyes darting to the cafe and back to me. “I wish I could, but I got to get back in there. I was gone for most of the day yesterday, so I need to catch up on inventory.”
“What did you do yesterday?”
“Went to a thrift store a couple towns over with Piper and my grandmother to find dresses for the gala.”
“Successful?”
She nods her head, a little pink coloring the apple of her cheeks. I want to ask about it some more, the thought of her in a gown stoking the ever present fire within me when it comes to Gwen Prescott, but she asks her own question first. “How was your time in the city?”
I scratch at the back of my head. The worry that had taken root the last couple days had quieted down a moment with my sights on Gwen. But now, it was wiggling around making itself known again. Anxiety starts to constrict my lungs and I push a deep breath against it. I don’t want Gwen to know something is wrong, not until I know for sure I have the solution without jeopardizing her or anyone else I care about.
Wrestling internally with the proper explanation, I finally land on one word. “Long. What was supposed to be maybe a couple hour meeting turned into a marathon.”
Her brow furrows with concern. A small step toward me and her hand reaches out to touch my forearm. The contact of her skin on mine is enough to send a surge of desire straight to my dick. Now was not the time to get a hard-on, especially from a simple touch. I can hear the complaints going straight to my father’s desk; his son sporting an erection in the middle of the street for all to witness.
Wouldn’t really bode well when the time came to announce my Mayoral take over. On second thought, maybe I should just let my inhibitions fly and sabotage my reign—let it crash and burn before it even starts. But I could never do that to Gwen. There are more important things at stake now. I’ve never needed to take my father’s position as head of this small town until now. And now it feels out of necessity, not true want.
“Something’s wrong.” She doesn’t ask. She states it as a true fact. I dodged her simple question yesterday through text. Out of pure exhaustion from the mental gymnastics I was doing all day, but also because I didn’t know what to say.
I release a long breath. “Something’s definitely not right,” I confirm, causing her furrowed brow to deepen. “Nothing for you to worry about though.”
Her mouth drops open to speak but I interrupt. “I promise. It’s mayor stuff my father is tossing into my lap. I’ve got it handled.”
That damn lip is nestled between her teeth again. A sign I’m learning means she is worried or thinking too hard. Goes right along with the scrunch of her brows that is present as well. This time, though, I reach out and tug it free with my thumb. And I really should drop my hand, but I can’t break the contact between us as my forefinger and thumb pinch her chin, tilting her face up to me.
“You can talk to me if you need to,” her words are breathy and it sends a shiver down my spine with anticipation of what they would feel like against my lips.
“I know.” I stare into her green eyes and I can’t help but be incredibly honest with her in this moment. “I know it’s only been a short time since I came back and we became friends again. But…” I shake my head slightly, trying to find the right words for how I’m feeling. “You have become more to me than I could explain, Gwen.”
Her chest heaves with an inhale as her eyes widen. I worry that I said the wrong thing until her lips begin to curve upward.
“Would it be crazy to me to say I completely understand?”
I know my smile matches hers and I revel in her eyes dipping down to watch them. A clear veil of lust overtakes them.
“I wish I could kiss you right now.”
For a second, I wonder if she’s going to lean up on her tiptoes and do just that. Instead, we both jump away from each other, my hand falling away and my fingers tingling at the loss of contact, when a car alarm goes off down the street.
“Probably not the best place for that, I have to say.” She chuckles awkwardly, grabbing her long locks and placing them over one shoulder. “I should,” her thumb jutting over her other shoulder toward the cafe.
“Yeah, I need to finish up my rounds,” I wave the folder in the air.
