Never Say Goodbye (Sonoma Summers Book 3) by Jesse Devyn Crowe

Author:Jesse Devyn Crowe [Crowe, Jesse Devyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phoenix Publications, Ardenvoir, WA
Published: 2019-12-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The following morning I awoke to the phone ringing relentlessly beside my aching head. I picked up the receiver and plunked it down to stop the noise. My eyes felt like they'd been scrubbed with sandpaper and my head pounded with a headache I refused to call a hangover. Before I could make it to the bathroom, the phone rang again.

"What!" I said into the receiver, my voice sounding like a rasping frog.

"There you are," said Dave. "Honey, I was worried sick. 'Bout ready to head on over and check on you. Everything OK?"

"Fine. I'm fine. No need to check on me. I'm good." How I found the wherewithal to string together that many words was nothing short of miraculous.

"I missed you last night, babe. Fell asleep waiting...." Dave paused for my explanation, or perhaps my apology.

I felt no need to offer either, but settled on nipping further conversation in the bud with a firm good-bye. I'd never found the strength to say good-bye to Gabe; I'd been too much in love to imagine a life without him, so I'd hung on to the dream well after it ended. I knew now that decision hadn't been altogether healthy for me and I wasn't going to make that mistake again. Because I knew I'd never be OK with a guy who cheated on me behind my back...and with Dave I was already too far downstream to return to a light and breezy roll-in-the-hay relationship.

I'd screwed up and fallen in love with the Viking, damn it. The thing is, I thought that was what he wanted too. I thought he wanted us to be exclusive, which was why he'd asked me to move in with him. And like a damn fool, I'd been ready and willing to give him that. But all Candy had to do was crick her pretty little finger and be her "persuasive" self and it was all dashed on the rocks.

"Changed my mind," I said, keeping it short and sweet.

"Whadda ya mean, changed your mind?" Dave's words were spoken slow, his voice tentative.

"Let's cut to the chase, Dave. I'm saying good-bye. Don't call me anymore."

"Rita, hang on a second... What the hell—"

I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. "See you around." I promptly ended the call and unplugged the phone from the wall, the lump in my throat burning like hell.

"I guess you told him," Jackie said, leaning against the hallway doorframe with a towel wrapped around her torso.

"Yup. My turn to hit the shower. Coffee's in the cabinet beside the stove."

An hour later Jackie and I sat sipping our second cup of coffee together in the living room. All things considered, we were in a pretty sad state — on Christmas morning no less — although we both looked fabulous. It was one of those things women in our family did: when you were feeling like crap, you dressed impeccably and did not leave the bathroom mirror without perfect hair and makeup. I

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.