Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
I shoved the phone in my scrub shirt’s front pocket and ignored it.
“I imagine that it’s going to be fun explaining all of this,” he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Pops wanted to die on his terms. He told me over and over again that Woody wanted him to keep fighting the cancer, but Pops was tired. He said he’d been here for a long time, and he was ready to be home with Grandma and my mom. And who am I to contradict him if that’s what he wanted?”
He had a point.
Ultimately, it was each individual person’s choice to decide when their time on earth was finished. Who was I to tell a dying person that they had to keep fighting when they didn’t want to? I wasn’t God.
“It’ll be fun,” I agreed. “Lots and lots of it. Let me know if you want me to be there, because I have lots of pent-up anger inside of me waiting to be released on that man.”
Felix’s head tilted to the side, and he was about to say something when the nurse, Vicky, came into the room.
“All right, Felix,” Vicky said softly. “He’s on his way. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Felix shook his head, his eyes distant.
I walked Vicky out of the house when we all could clearly tell that Felix needed some time.
“The hospital bed,” I said softly. “Can we get that removed soon?”
Vicky nodded in understanding. “Yes. We can get that removed this afternoon. Will you be here?”
Would I?
“If he wants me here,” I admitted. “But if he asks me to leave, I’m not going to force myself on him.”
She nodded, her eyes sad. “What’s your number? I’ll call you first. If you’re still here, we’ll set everything up through you. You are his wife?”
“Girlfriend,” I lied again, then rattled off my number.
“Okay, good.” She smiled sweetly at me. “Take care of him, dear. He’s a sweet one.”
He was.
Which only made our breakup all the harder.
After watching Vicky leave, I went back inside and searched for Felix, finding him in his kitchen searching through the bag of Taco Bell.
“You remembered my order,” he said as he laid everything out.
I smiled sadly at him. “There’s not a single thing about us that I forgot, Felix. I tried.”
His eyes flared.
But, before my eyes, I watched whatever was on the tip of his tongue seemingly melt away.
“I’m not super hungry, but I’ll eat the burrito,” he murmured.
I took a seat across from him, then reached for all my stuff, which he’d separated in a neat little pile.
I started eating, trying really hard not to look at Felix.
Sometimes, it was easier to compose myself when the object of my every waking and sleeping dream wasn’t standing right in front of me looking so sexy, strong, and broken.
We ate in silence, and I was pleasantly surprised when Felix kept eating after the burrito.
He didn’t eat much more, only half a quesadilla, but it was better than nothing.
Cleaning up after us, I ignored the elephant in the room and started cleaning his dishes, next.
I’d just reached for a dish towel to dry them when Felix caught me around the hip, turned me around, and placed a very chaste kiss on my lips.
CHAPTER 13
I will put you in a trunk and help people look for you. Try me.
-Text from Val to Tammy
FELIX
Having her here meant everything.
Especially today.
I’d been sitting in my chair, staring at my dead grandfather, wondering how I was going to go about the rest of my life, when my phone buzzed.
I’d glanced down at my watch and saw a Ring notification about a person in my front yard.
The moment I saw her, I knew that everything was going to be okay.
Which led me to now.
She’d been cleaning my kitchen for the last ten minutes, looking incredibly nervous and uncomfortable.
And I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I needed to hold her.
I needed to feel her against me, her heart beating strong and alive against me.
So, when she was on her second rotation of cleaning the middle island, I caught her by the hips and pulled her to face me. She stopped, looked up at me with wide blue eyes, and waited.
I pressed a kiss to her lips, going for chaste so I could see if she was comfortable with me being so close. And when she didn’t so much as flinch or pull away, I deepened the kiss.
She went with it, kissing me back for a few long seconds, before she pushed slightly on my chest.
Panting and wishing that life wasn’t so unfair, I pulled back and said, “What?”
She rolled her eyes, the usual mischief that I hadn’t seen in so long sparkling in her eyes. “I know it’s been a very bad day for you, but I don’t think making another mistake like the one you’re aiming for is the best idea right now.”