I was a mess. And I was beginning to realize that, no matter what I did, I was going to stay a mess.
The last thing I should do was involve Juniper. Her situation was complicated enough, and I was being selfish wanting to stay around her.
If I was truly falling in love with her, then the best thing I could do was to walk away.
She deserved all the happiness in the world. And in order for her to have that, I needed to leave her.
Forever.
17
JUNIPER
My heart was pounding as Boone stood in front of me, shirtless and sweaty. I’d woken to find him gone. At first, I thought he’d left for good. But when I spotted his green, military-issued bag, relief filled my chest.
I’d had a hard time sleeping last night. My thoughts were full of what had happened the night before and how safe I’d felt in Boone’s presence. It made me realize that this was what I was missing in my life. This was what I was missing in my marriage. I needed a man who made me feel protected.
I awoke, ready to tell Boone that I wanted to file for divorce, but he wasn’t there. Now, he was standing in front of me with a dark, stormy gaze, his chest heaving in and out from his run. His hair was damp and fell across his forehead, and he looked like he’d just run into an old enemy.
“Are you okay?” When Boone didn’t answer, I tried a different question. “Where were you?” Movement by the front window drew my attention over. “Who was that? Do you know him?”
Boone dropped his gaze and shook his head. “Wrong house.”
I parted my lips to inquire more, but Boone tipped his head forward and crossed the living room before I could get the words out. The sound of the bathroom door closing filled the silence.
I kept my gaze on the door, wondering what had just happened. I felt so connected to him last night. And seeing him come in and keep his answers short before making a beeline for the bathroom was strange.
Maybe I had misinterpreted everything last night.
Or maybe he really knew the guy that had parked in my parent’s driveway. I glanced back to the living room window before I went to the front door and pulled it open. I watched as the SUV drove by and got a good view of the driver. He looked about ten years older than me. He had dark hair and glasses perched on his nose. He met my gaze before he drove off.
I watched him until he took a left and disappeared down the next street.
Who was this man, and why did he have such an effect on Boone? My stomach twisted. I didn’t like not knowing what was going on. Kevin always kept things from me. He always left me in the dark, and I hated that. I didn’t think Boone was like Kevin, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Boone had told the truth. Did he really not know this man?
I stepped back into the house and shut the door. I took the last few sips of my herbal tea—I’d done some research on coffee and pregnancy, and decided not to risk it—as I walked into the kitchen. After rinsing my mug and slipping it onto the top rack, I shut the dishwasher and started it.
I was ready for a shower.
I felt better when I stepped out onto my plush bathmat and wrapped a towel around my body. Steam had filled my bathroom, so I leaned forward and swiped my hand across the mirror. I stared at my reflection as reality hit me.
I was divorcing Kevin.
My life was fundamentally going to change. Was I ready for that? I narrowed my eyes as I studied myself.
It scared me. I would be a fool to say that it didn’t. But I knew one thing for sure, I was ready. I was stepping out into the unknown, surrounded by darkness and uncertainty. And even though I feared what my future would look like, I knew it didn’t involve Kevin.
I dried off and dressed. By the time I got back into the bathroom, the steam had dissipated. I worked on doing my hair and makeup. I gave my reflection a once-over before I turned off the light and made my way out of my room and down the hallway.
It smelled like cake batter and maple syrup when I rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen. Boone was standing next to the griddle with a spatula, flipping one of the pancakes in front of him.
“Smells amazing,” I said, my stomach growling so loud I figured he could hear it.
He turned and smiled at me. “Morning.”
I studied him for a moment. He looked calm. His eyes were back to their sky-blue color. His hair was damp, and he was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans.
“Morning,” I said as I moved further into the kitchen. I had so many questions for him, but I wasn’t sure how to start asking any of them.
