Counting Hearts Like Stars (The Happy Endings Resort Series Book 23) by Alexia Purdy

Author:Alexia Purdy [Purdy, Alexia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Lit. Publishing
Published: 2017-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Lucas

Watching her walk away splintered my heart almost as much as the day I watched her family’s car drive away when we were younger. I was instantly transported to that moment again as she hurried up the stairs without turning back. Just like that, she was gone again, and my heart lay trampled on the floor.

I knew she didn’t mean it, but heck, it stabbed my insides like a pitchfork. What had I done wrong? What was that all about? If there was a good reason, it was lost on me.

My stupid, foolish, and hopeful heart. I thought it couldn’t hurt as much as it did now, ripping, tearing, skipping beats as I clenched my hands tightly, still smelling her flowery sweet scent in the air and embedded on my shirt and skin. I wanted to hop up those stairs and tap on her door, beg her to return to my arms. Nothing would make the moment better except her. I wanted to ask her what was wrong and what had I said to make her run away from me. She’d run so far away, not calling me back, not wanting any contact. She never did say why, and those things were dark secrets she swallowed back for no good reason. If only she’d open up to me, I wouldn’t be left there in the dark, feeling like someone had just kicked my heart into the cool lake water.

Exhaling, I closed my eyes and rubbed my face as I contemplated knocking on her door. What good would it do? I shook my head and groaned. Heading away from her cabin toward my own trailer not too far down the way, I felt my heart in my throat. A sickly nausea with an ache I never thought I could feel radiated through my bones. Maybe I was getting sick, though I doubted it. There was a reason she was back in Endings, and I knew we had to finish what we’d started so many years ago, no matter how hard it would be for either of us.

The past was a thorn embedded in our skin that we needed to yank out and toss away. I swore if we could find our way back this far, we could make it all the way back. Given time, I was determined to get to that point. I would get there, if it was the last thing I did.

Slipping into my camper, I undid the buttons of my white dress shirt and tossed it onto the chair along with the loose tie I’d been wearing. I kicked off my loafers then changed into a pair of worn but comfortable jeans. I grabbed a beer and boosted my feet up onto the coffee table, feeling the lump still sitting stuck in my throat. I’d try to drink it down and drown my sorrows. I had to or I’d suffocate.

Down went the beer, its raunchy flavor dissolving away after a few swallows. I barely noticed as I downed two more while I watched familiar sitcom reruns.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.