I turned to see who it was.
“Brynn?” I squinted my eyes, tilting my head in confusion. I hadn’t spoken to her since the day I gave her Ryan’s proposal menu. “What are you doing here?”
“Uh—sorry, I didn’t mean to stare,” she took a few steps toward us. “I thought it was you, but I just wasn’t sure. Hence, the staring.” Turning to Matt, she asked, “You look like that guy from that car show.”
“I get that a lot,” he smiled politely, extending his hand. “I’m Matt.”
“Brynn,” she replied, shaking it. “I’m Chloe’s sister.”
Matt raised his brows in surprise and gave me a look that said, are you okay with this?
I answered him with a nod.
Taking the handle of his duffel bag, he placed his hand on the small of my back. “I could use a coffee.” Pointing to the coffee shop on the other side of the atrium, he added, “You want anything, Babe?”
“No. Thanks. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay.” Turning to Brynn he closed with, “Nice to meet you, Brynn.”
“Yeah,” she replied. “You, too.”
As he walked across the waiting area, I couldn’t help but watch him and wonder how this incredible man came into my life, and how fortunate I was to be loved by him. I wouldn’t be here, talking calmly with my sister, if he hadn’t reminded me of the important things in life.
“You love him,” Brynn said, noticing my reaction to him.
“Yeah,” I admitted, joy welling in my heart. “I do. And for some weird reason, he loves me, too.”
Her eyes smiled, “I’m so glad to hear that. And stop it. There’s absolutely nothing weird about that.”
“So,” I said, changing the subject. “What are you doing here? Are you and Ryan going on a vacation?”
“No,” she shook her head, her gaze meeting the floor. When she looked back up at me, pain was evident in her eyes, but it was mixed with a certain amount of excitement…determination. “I love him, Chloe. But loving him doesn’t change what happened. It doesn’t change what I did to you. And we just need some time apart so that we can fix ourselves before we even attempt to repair our relationship. If I’m going to be any good to anyone, I need to figure out who I am when I’m not the girlfriend, or the daughter, or the—”
“Mom?” I interjected.
She shrugged. “As much as it hurt, I had to let him go. At least for now. It’s what’s right…for both of us.”
“Oh,” I had no idea what to say. “I’m so sorry, Brynn.”
“Please. Don’t be.” With a sigh, she placed her hand on my arm. “I’m so glad you came to the house when you did. Thank you for that. And thank you for your forgiveness, I can’t even begin to tell you what that did to heal my heart. But I still have this emptiness inside that I can’t seem to fill, no matter how hard I try. No matter how hard Ryan tries to fill it for me. I’ve still got a long way to go and it’s not fair to Ryan if I try to accept his love without feeling worthy of it. Without feeling like he deserves someone better. Someone whole. So, I’m doing what I said I’d do in my letter. I’m going to spend some time in Europe. Experiencing life. Figuring my shit out without having anyone to disappoint. Ugh, maybe it’s selfish, but it’s something I have to do. After years of feeling like everything I did was wrong, or not enough, traveling…being alone for a while…is something that actually feels right.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said, genuinely excited for her. “You’re going to have a great time.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief silence, she continued, “Well, I better go. I’m sorry for rambling. That was way too much information, wasn’t it?”
I laughed, “Not at all. That’s what sisters are for, right?”
She raised her brows, “Absolutely. What about you? Are you really okay?”
I didn’t have to think twice. “Yeah. I actually am. Matt is amazing. And I’m excited about starting school next week. I know it’s unusual to start classes in the summer, but with the check you sent to me from the house sale, I can finally get started. And I’d rather start now than wait for the fall semester.”
“Oh? What are you studying?”
“Child psychology. I’ll probably suck at it, but I’d like to try to help kids who have had it—I don’t know—rough.”
“You will be incredible with that, Chloe. Really. Good luck with everything.”
“You too, Brynn. Be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
I gave her a brief hug, holding her a moment longer than I think she expected. As she walked down the concourse, carry-on bag rolling behind her, I called out, “Hey Brynn!”
She turned around, waiting for me to say something. Finally, I did.
“I have a feeling that Ryan would think you’re worthy of all the love in the world. Because you are.”
She pressed her lips together in a sentimental smile, tears glossing her eyes. Giving me a quick nod, she turned around, and forged ahead.
~~~
“How’d it go?” Matt asked as I joined him at a high-top table he was currently standing beside at the café.
“Good,” I said. “I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but my sister and I—we’re good.”
“Glad to hear it. Now, about that dress…did you wear it to torture me?” he teased. “Because it’s working.” He playfully, tucked his finger under the material that rested just above my breast, trying to take peek at what was underneath.
I swatted him away. “Nothing for you to see under here, buddy. We should go. Your family is waiting. Addie is excited for you to try the cupcakes that she made for you.”
His family had planned a homecoming brunch for Matt’s arrival today, and since his flight had been delayed, it would be more like a homecoming lunch. Maybe even an early dinner.
He finished his last gulp of coffee and threw the cup in the garbage. As we walked hand in hand through the skywalk, I thought about how thankful I was for this man.
“When you say ‘there’s nothing to see’ under your dress,” Matt hinted. “Does that mean…”
I looked at him with a playful grin. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
“Fuck,” he exhaled. “Full disclosure. I love you and I’d wait for you forever. You know that right?”
“Yeah.”
“That said, three months apart is a long fucking time and if I don’t get inside you soon, Matty boy here is going to blow his shit. And by shit, I mean—”
“I know what you mean!” I laughed. “And by God it’s sexy when you talk in the third person like that.”
“Really?”
I shook my head no. “Not even a little.”
He let out a dramatic sigh. “Stop teasing me woman! I’m not thinking with my brain right now! All I can think about it what’s not under your dress. How far away is your car?”
“Not far, but what about your luggage? Don’t we have to stop at the baggage claim?”
“Nope. I travel light. All I need is right here.”
I expected him to make reference to his duffel bag, but instead he dropped it, and took me in his arms, placing the kind of kiss on my lips that reaches to the soul. When he pulled away, he gazed at me with adoration in his eyes and said, “I love you, Chloe. You make me so fucking happy.”
“I love you, too, Matt.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Part Three of The Fragile Line! If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends about it, and/or leaving a short review on Goodreads, Amazon, or anywhere else you’d like. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend!
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Thank you!
Alicia Kobishop
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The Fine Line
Synopsis
High school senior Liv Evans has one rule: No attachments. She’s lost enough in her life and has vowed to do whatever it takes to make sure she never again feels the emptiness of losing someone she loves. Boys are a fun distraction, but a serious relationship is something she’d rather live without. Her determination for a future free of pain and heartbreak is put to the test when she meets–and quickly forms an unexpected bond–with Logan Tanner.
Logan has always been a free spirit, but ever since a life-changing event took place, which left him doubting the integrity of those who are closest to him, he’s taken that term to a whole new dangerous level. Learning the hard way that life is too short for worries or work–and that women can’t be trusted–Logan has exchanged steady work for street racing. When Liv walks into his world, everything he thought he knew about life and women is challenged.
In The Fine Line, Liv and Logan will discover if it’s possible for true love to have a future, or if history is destined to repeat itself.
Excerpt from
The Fine Line
“Liv, wake up,” Logan whispered softly. A hum came out of my throat as I shifted off his shoulder and turned away from him, burrowing my face in the cool pillow beside us. The soft fabric smelled like him and I took one more deep, heavenly breath in. How long had I been asleep? Based on my current comatose state, not long.
His hand casually brushed up and down my arm. “You’ve got to see this.”
Intrigued, my eyes cracked open, just enough to see the blurry orange and purple hues reflect on the bare walls of Logan’s bedroom. His fingers brushed my hair off my face and behind my ear.
“Open your eyes, baby. It’s beautiful.”
He called me baby.
I turned to face him as I opened my eyes, confused and unexpectedly delighted by his term of endearment. When my eyes finally focused and saw his beautiful face lit up by the colors of the sunrise, my bewilderment grew incredibly. His eyes glowed as he studied me. I had never seen him look this peaceful and content. He smiled at my expression then huffed out a single laugh.
“It slipped,” he said as if he read my mind. “Get over it.”
He moved off the bed and leisurely walked to the window, placing his wrist on the window frame above his head and his other hand on his hip, as he gazed out with a more contemplative expression. Then he turned to face me and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He extended his hand, motioning for me to join him.
I didn’t need to see the sunrise. The beautiful man that stood before me, bare-chested and painted in colors was enough. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His smile faded as he dropped his arm to his side, and he stared at me for a moment.
Slowly, the melancholy grew in his eyes. “I don’t know what the hell to think when you look at me like that, Liv. Everything about that look says you want me. That you need me, like I need you. But something tells me you’d freak if I tried anything with you right now. I’ve never been so fucking confused in my life.”
Shit. I tried to snap myself out if it, but I still couldn’t look away. I was being unfair to him. He deserved so much better than me, so much more. He deserved the world. He deserved something I couldn’t give him. I sat up with my feet dropping down to the floor. He deserved an explanation.
~~~
About the Author
Alicia Kobishop
Alicia Kobishop is a contemporary romance writer who lives in Milwaukee, WI, USA with her husband and two children.
Before trying her hand in writing, she worked her way up in the field of administrative healthcare with experiences ranging from working within a large local healthcare organization, to smaller independent physician practices.
In early 2013 her life took a change of course when she re-evaluated her passions in life, and sought out to try many new things. She reclaimed her childhood passion for reading, and after reading tons of fictional novels in a short amount of time, and loving every moment of it, she became absorbed with the idea of taking her experience with books to the next level, and decided to write one. Nine months later, her debut novel, The Fine Line was published.
Alicia loves connecting with readers. Feel free to reach out to her through email or social media.
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The Fragile Line: Part Three (The Fine Line #4) Page 10