The Wrong Goodbye

by Amy Sparling

  Her eyes sparkle, and she reaches for her phone off the counter. “What’s your number? I’ll call you.”

  “You should text me instead,” I say. “I’m pretty sure my phone is dead and left somewhere on your couch.”

  I give her my number and she holds out her phone, takes a picture of us, and then sends it to me. “Do you want to charge your phone?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “The only person I want to talk to is here.”

  “So,” she says softly. She cups her coffee mug in both hands and brings it up to her lips. “How are we going to make this work? You know… living forty five minutes away and all.”

  I shrug. “It’s not that far. I’ll come see you every day after work. You know, unless you get bored of me.”

  “That’s too much driving,” she says, curling her nose. “You’ll get sick of it.”

  “I promise I won’t.”

  She takes a sip of coffee and moves to sit on a barstool. “Yes you will. We’ll trade off days. Sometimes you come here and sometimes I’ll go there. Is that okay?”

  “Of course. You’ve got me totally hooked, girl.” I tip her chin up and kiss her softly. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Chapter 23

  Skipping work is a hell of a lot of fun. I’ve never taken a day off like this. It’s rare that I’ll get sick and have to close the shop, and it was also a special circumstance when I took off work for the convention. But skipping work to hang out with a guy? That’s a new one for me. I think Gabe and I are feeling the same way, that if we leave the other one, even for an hour, then we might not see each other again. I didn’t want to leave after our date last night, and I don’t want to leave him now. I know most couples get that puppy love phase of a new relationship where they like hanging out, but this feels like it’s puppy love on steroids.

  Gabe is gorgeous and amazing and I’m so glad he’s finally mine. When I’d texted him a picture of us so he could get my number, I’d had two new messages from Lee. I feel awful for ignoring them, but I didn’t want to deal with whatever the texts said. He still thinks he has a chance with me, and he totally doesn’t. Even if Gabe had never surprised me yesterday, Lee and I wouldn’t work out. We just don’t click.

  I’ll have to read his messages eventually and then find a nice way to let him down. But I don’t want to think about that right now.

  Gabe returns from brushing his teeth and I’m glad that I brushed mine as soon as I woke up this morning. It had been surreal waking up next to a guy. I’ve spent all of my life sleeping alone, and this was a new experience. But it was a good one. In fact, I think I want to wake up next to Gabe much more than I want to wake up alone. We’ve only been together one day so it’s not like I can declare that we should move into together, but I really hope that’s where this relationship is headed.

  I’m sipping my coffee when Gabe walks up and puts his arms around me. “You have extremely minty toothpaste,” he says, kissing my neck.

  I laugh. “Is that a complement or a complaint?”

  “I like it. It’s like chewing minty gum instead of brushing your teeth.” He grabs my hips and turns me around so that I’m facing him. I set my coffee on the counter so I don’t spill it. “And the best part is …” he says, lowering his forehead to mine. “Now we get to make out.”

  “I’m going to taste like coffee,” I warn him.

  “Mmm, coffee breath,” he whispers playfully just before he kisses me.

  And then we’re at it again. Our lips, tongues, hands, all melding together into one steamy make out session. I revel in the feel of his body pressed against mine, the lingering smell of his cologne from last night and his minty fresh breath. He lifts me up and sets me on the countertop while we kiss. I can’t help but laugh because it’s all so fast and so passionate and crazy. I can’t believe this is my life.

  I hold onto him and wrap my legs around his waist while we make out. Even sitting on the counter, I’m still not as tall as he is, but I don’t have to tilt my head as much to meet his lips.

  Eventually, we pull apart, but Gabe’s arms are still wrapped around me, and my hands are still holding onto his neck.

  “So what’s the plan for today?” Gabe says.

  I shrug. “I played hooky at work today so I’m all yours. The weather is nice, so we could go do something?”

  “Sounds fun,” he says. “I was thinking we could run by my apartment so I could shower and change clothes.”

  “You could borrow some of my clothes,” I say with a goofy grin. “I think you’d look amazing in one of my sundresses.”

  “Ooh,” he says, as if he’s considering it. “But then I’d get weird tan lines …”

  “Damn,” I say. We both laugh.

  My phone buzzes from its place on the counter, and for a second I worry it’s Lee again. But I can see the phone screen from here and it’s Livi. I pick it up and read her message.

  Livi: Enjoying your day off? You better tell me ALL. THE. DETAILS. Love you!

  I blush and turn off the phone screen before I have to see Lee’s unanswered texts.

  “Everything okay at work?” Gabe asks.

  I nod. “It’s just Livi being Livi.” I slide off the counter. “Okay, so, your place?”

  He nods. “I am eighty percent sure my apartment isn’t a filthy embarrassing bachelor pad, but I can’t promise you for sure.”

  I laugh, remembering how I was nervous to bring him home to my place last night without being sure it was clean first. I lucked out, but I’m not about to tell him that. “Hey now,” I say. “You better not be some gross slob. You’re already making me fall for you so I don’t want to have to dump your ass if I find out you’re some kind of hoarder or something.”

  “Totally not a hoarder,” he says. “All those piles of garbage were there in my apartment before I moved in, I swear.”

  I roll my eyes and rinse out my empty coffee cup. “Let me get dressed and then we can go.”

  “Aren’t you already dressed?” he asks.

  My lips curl in disgust. “Ew, no. I’m in leggings! I cannot be seen like this in public.”

  “Why not?” he says, his voice deep. He walks up and cups my butt in his hands, pulling my hips toward his in a way that makes my whole body tingle with desire. “You look sexy as hell in these leggings.”

  I can feel myself blushing. “I’m not wearing them outside of this apartment. Only you get to see all of this.”

  I stop myself before adding “fat” to the end of that sentence. Many girls can get away with leggings and tight tank tops around town, but I can’t.

  Gabe squeezes my ass appreciatively. “Mmm, I like all of this,” he whispers just before kissing the skin below my ear.

  “Well, there’s more where that came from,” I say, giving him a quick kiss. Then I rush off to my closet and pull on some jeans that are light blue with some rugged holes cut in the front. I know they make my ass look good, so hopefully Gabe will appreciate that. I leave the tank top on because it’s hot outside, and then I grab my sunglasses and my purse.

  “Maybe we should get my car first,” I say, noticing my car keys hanging on the wall, even though I left my car at the bakery last night.

  “Nope,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m spending the day with you again, so we’ll get it later.”

  Every time Gabe smiles at me, a piece of my heart lights up brighter than I ever thought it could. I am filled to the brim with feelings for this guy, and I can’t believe all of this is happening. The last few weeks have been a total blur. First, I met him in Phoenix and had an amazing night with him, then I suffered for so many long days and nights wishing I could have him back again.

  And now he’s here.

  And he’s in my apartment, and he kisses me better than any guy ever has.

  And, well, he does everything else better than any guy ever has.

  He doesn’t care that I’ve got a little extra weight around my hips and thighs. He doesn’t care
that I’m probably the most boring girl on the planet. He still looks at me like he likes what he sees. As we step out of my apartment and into the shining sun that promises another beautifully perfect day, I can’t help but think one thing.

  How did I get so damn lucky?

  Chapter 24

  I think it’s funny how cars always have seat warmers, but never seat coolers. This leather interior is hot as hell after baking in the sun all morning. I tell this to Alexa as we leave her apartment in my car.

  “I don’t know about that,” she says, touching the sides of her seat with her palms. “I think I’d rather have a warm butt than a cold one.”

  I laugh. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “So tell me about Livingston,” she says, smiling up at me. “Is it a small town?”

  “Not as small as Mable Falls. We have a population of thirty thousand, I believe.”

  “Wow,” she says, her eyes widening. “I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it.”

  “Texas is a big place,” I say. I reach over and squeeze her leg while I drive. “I’m really glad I found you.”

  “And that didn’t even happen in Texas,” Alexa says with a laugh. “Crazy how life works.”

  Her phone rings and she glances at it, then looks apologetically at me. “Sorry, but it’s Livi and I should probably answer in case something’s wrong at the bakery.”

  I wave away her concerns. “Answer it. I don’t mind.”

  She answers the call, and judging by the annoyed look on her face, there’s nothing wrong with the shop. “Mmhmm,” she says, her eyes darting over to me. “We’re going to his place right now actually …” I pick up bits of her conversation. “He needs to shower … oh my God, shut up!”

  She puts a hand over her face, shaking her head slowly. “Livi, you’re terrible. Yes … No!”

  I don’t know what she’s saying, but it’s making her blush pretty bad. I squeeze her leg and she grins at me.

  “I don’t know about that,” she says, looking over at me. “I mean, probably not. It’s just … you know. Maybe,” she says. I lift an eyebrow and she bites her lip, then looks away from me. “I don’t know, maybe. I have to go … okay, bye.”

  “Everything good with the bakery?” I ask.

  “Yeah, she was calling to be annoying,” Alexa says with a smile. “This is the first time she can harass me about a guy, so she wants all the details, like immediately.”

  “You’ll only tell her the good details, right?”

  Her head tilts to the side. “There’s nothing but good details when it comes to you.”

  “Give it time,” I say. “As soon as you see my home, you might be running off to call her and gossip about me.”

  “You are a hoarder!” she says, playfully slapping me on the arm.

  “It’s not that bad. I’m actually like an anti-hoarder.”

  She lifts an eyebrow. “What exactly is that?”

  “Well, you know how your place is very girly with matching colors and artwork and stuff?”

  “Yeah…”

  I shrug. “My place is pretty empty. I have basic black furniture and that’s about it. I’m not really into decorating.”

  “But does a decorated house bother you?” she asks.

  “Not at all.”

  “Good,” she says with a smile. “Because I love decorating.”

  Alexa’s phone beeps and she checks her messages and then groans. “This girl …” she mutters, before typing out a reply.

  “Can I ask what’s going on, or is it private girl stuff?”

  She sighs. “It’s Livi … she wants to invite you over to her house tonight so we can grill and hang out by the pool.”

  “That sounds fun,” I say.

  “Yeah but… it’s like her sneaky way of getting to know you. She’s dating my cousin and they’ll both be overly protective of me, especially since I like you so much.” She stops herself, her eyes going wide. “I mean, I don’t like you like in a creepy way…”

  I laugh and take one hand off the steering wheel to grab her hand. “I like you so much too,” I say.

  She holds my hand in both of hers. “Would you want to go? They have a pretty great house with a pool and everything.”

  “It sounds fun. But only if you want to.”

  She shrugs one shoulder. “They’ll totally grill you and try you size you up as a person to see if you’re worthy of dating me.”

  “I’m up to the challenge.”

  She grins and squeezes my hand. “Cool.”

  Chapter 25

  People are always impressed when they see Mason’s house for the first time. It’s in a gated, lake-front community, which is impressive as it is. But then you see the two story home that’s practically a mansion (I say practically because real mansions are bigger) and your jaw drops. Here in Texas, it fits the phrase, everything’s bigger in Texas.

  I’m still not sure why my cousin bought such a huge house for himself, but I love it. Now, he and Livi share it and I have no doubt that in the near future they’ll be getting married and filling the spare rooms with kids. For now, it’s a fun party place, and since Mason is my cousin, I have my own set of keys and garage door opener and can come and go as I please.

  Gabe’s expression is no different than anyone else’s when we pull into Mason’s long driveway. “Nice place,” he says, eyes wide and mouth slightly open as he peers up at the stone bricked home, and all of its sloping angles and perfectly manicured landscaping.

  “You should see the back yard,” I say. Mason’s pool is huge, with a manmade waterfall on one end, and a long deck that always smells like fresh lumber, which is my favorite part. There’s a covered patio, an outdoor sound system, a comfortable dining table, TVs for watching football games, and a hot tub.

  Gabe parks behind Livi’s truck and turns to face me. He took a quick shower at his apartment, while I pretended to sit on the black leather couch in his living room, when really, I kind of snooped around. I didn’t do any actual privacy invading, but I just walked around and looked at his things. There’s exactly one framed photo on the wall, and it’s a black and white aerial photograph of the old Astrodome arena. The rest of his apartment was just as he described. Boring and bachelor-like. He had one couch, one recliner, a coffee table, a TV mounted to the wall, and some barstools in the kitchen. He didn’t even have any appliances on the countertops, besides a coffee maker. Of course, that last part might not be so weird. As a baker, I tend to have every appliance ever, but most people aren’t obsessed with cooking.

  Gabe’s bedroom had a neatly made bed, one nightstand, another TV on the wall, and a bookshelf filled with mostly magazines and nonfiction books. The whole apartment gave the vibe of a young guy who is more business than partying, and I like that. He’s just like me in that way. We’re business owners and we work hard. As long as he doesn’t mind my many colorful, Moroccan-inspired home decorations, I think we’ll eventually blend together just fine.

  Yep, I am totally thinking about us moving in together one day. One day. I know that a twenty-four hour relationship is way too soon to be thinking about that kind of thing, but when the time comes, and we’ve been together long enough to know we’re a sure thing, then I can’t wait.

  Gabe bites his lip nervously, and it pulls me from my thoughts. We’re still parked in front of Mason’s house for Livi’s impromptu grilling night. He just said something, but I didn’t hear it.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “Were you off in your own world?” he says, peering at me curiously.

  “I guess. Sorry about that.”

  “You looked really cute, even though you weren’t listening to me.”

  I blush. “Well, I was thinking about us, so…”

  He laughs. “What I said was, do you think they’ll like me?”

  “Of course. They already met you and they invited you over, so that’s a good thing.” I reach up and run my fingers through his hair, pretending I’m fixing it when
really I just want to touch him. “They’ll definitely ask a ton of questions so they can try to figure you out, but you’re good. They’ll love you.”

  “Isn’t it funny how when someone new joins a friend group, everyone judges if they’re good enough to date their friend, but when you’re the new person you don’t get to judge? I can’t just meet a group of people and be like, ‘Hey, I know you two have been married for twenty years, but you seem like an awful match.’”

  I chuckle. “That would be hilarious, though.”

  He turns off the engine. “Ready?”

  I swallow down my nerves. Livi and Mason are both family and friends, but they’re my age and so it shouldn’t be so nerve-wracking. Instead, it feels like I’m bringing Gabe back to meet my mom, and that I desperately hope she’ll like him. The thought sends a pang of heartache rocketing through my chest. Mom died when I was too young to have started dating. I wonder what she’d say now, if she could meet Gabe?

  Gabe reaches for my hand and we walk up to Mason’s house together. As the years go by, I start to lose all the little bits of my mom that I can remember. Her smile, her laugh. The smell of her perfume is only vibrant in my mind because I kept the bottle and smell it all the time. Still, as I think of her and watch Gabe smiling down at me, I think she would approve. I think she’d be glad I found someone who is smart and kind, and business savvy. Most of all, she’d be happy that I’m happy.

  I reach for the door handle on the massive double-door entry.

  “Wait,” Gabe says, looking alarmed. “We’re not going to ring the doorbell?”

  “I’m family,” I say, tossing him a grin. “I do what I want. But you’ll have to stay here and ring the doorbell.”

  He rolls his eyes, and I playfully bump into his shoulder as I open the door. “We’re here!” I call out into the massive living room area of Mason’s house. There’s no response, but the humming of music from outside tells me they’re already in the back yard.