“Yeah.” I shrug awkwardly, feeling like my heart is going to come up my throat any second. “I didn’t know what it was.”
“That doesn’t exactly explain why you stayed there,” he throws back. Boone is standing so close to me I can smell his aftershave. It’s making me dizzy, and it’ssonot helping.
An apology should be what falls off my lips. That would fix everything.Just say you’re sorry for creeping around his space when you shouldn’t have, Grady. Say it.
“It’s not exactly like you stopped when you saw me,” I spit out instead, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly. Boone’s jaw clenches again, eyes narrowed into slits. I need to shut my fucking mouth. The logical part of my brain knows this. In fact, it’s screaming at me to shut the fuck up. The problem is, clearly the logical part of my brain isn’t running the show tonight.“Actually, from where I was standing, it almost looked like you enjoyed it.”
“Excuse me?” His voice comes out low—a warning rumble.
I puff out my chest for some unknown reason, and say, “You heard me. I think you liked having an audience.”
Oh, fuck. He looks mad.
In one swift move, Boone fists the front of my shirt, spinning us, and shoving my back into the side of my car hard enough that the wind is knocked out of me. “You’ve got some nerve staying inmy fucking house, sneaking around where you don’t belong, and then accusing me of something like that.”
He doesn’t exactly deny it.But he’s right.
Blowing out a deep breath, I nod, the right part of my brain seeming to finally get control of the wild side. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Boone. I was out of line,” I say shakily. “Then and now. I shouldn’t have been peeking into your room like that, and I should’ve left immediately after seeing what I did. I’m sorry.”
His chest heaves with rapid breaths, as does mine. Based on the way he’s watching me, brows dipped in confusion, I’d say he wasn’t expecting me to apologize. Neither of us says anything for a while, everything I just said simmering over the top of us. My heart is still racing a mile a minute, and my mouth is so damn dry. I poke my tongue out to wet my lips, and I watch in shock as Boone’s eyes dip down to track the movement.
Holy fuck.
Did I just imagine that?
Quickly, they avert back up to meet my gaze. He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple rolling in his throat, and now it’s my turn to observe.
What is happening?
His hands are still gripping my shirt, and our bodies are only a few inches apart. His hot breath fans my face as neither of us seems to know what to do next.
Finally, after too long, he lets go of my shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles he caused with his hand. Clearing his throat, Boone holds my gaze. “Look, it’s not a big deal. Let’s not blow this out of proportion any longer, okay? Let’s forget it ever happened and try to move on.”
Part of me is relieved…but part of me is disappointed. I nod, clearing my throat. “Yeah, okay.”
As if the last ten minutes never happened either, we both get back to the task at hand, and before I know it, the donut is installed. Boone packs his tools up.
“I’ll follow behind you home in case anything happens,” he says. “It should be more than fine, just don’t go too fast.”
Nodding again, I say, “Okay. Thank you.”
Maybe never saying anything about that night would’ve been best. Hopefully, we’re able to do exactly as he says, and just move on. I don’t exactly have the money to move out right now, so this has to work.
Like he said, Boone follows behind me the whole way home, and when we get out of our vehicles and head inside, neither of us exchanges another word or look. Jade must already be upstairs in her room because I don’t see her. I head to my room and he heads up the stairs, and that’s that. A feeling of disappointment settles in as I sit down on the edge of my bed, replaying the events that just took place. Everything that was said, the flair of heat in his eyes when I called him out—probably from anger, but maybe from something else entirely. It’s a hope I shouldn’t hold on to, for many reasons. Like Boone said, we need to forget it ever happened and move on.
I wish it were that easy.
17
Boone Stanton
I’m officially a divorced man.
Jade and I are leaving the courthouse right now, the paperwork signed and filed, and I’m filled with a mix of emotions. I’m relieved that this process is over, and I’m happy that we can finally move on with our lives, but in the same breath, I also can’t help but feel a sense of sadness over the loss. Not necessarily because I thought we should’ve stayed together, but because both of us put so much of ourselves into this marriage over the years. We’ve both given up and sacrificed so much…for it to just end. And it wasn’t always terrible. We had some incredible times. Some happy times. We brought a beautiful, bright life into this world together.
The end of something as monumental as this is bound to cause an array of emotions, and I’ve heard people say this, but I guess I just thought I wouldn’t be one of them.
Stopping in front of the cars, Jade turns to face me.
