When I'm With You (Little Hollow Series, #2)(18)

“So stubborn,” he mutters under his breath, and I smile in triumph.

His own smile spreads across his face and he leans back in his chair. “Rain check on that ride?”

“Huh?” What’s he talking about? He taps his helmet and it clicks. “Oh, yeah, another time maybe.”

He shakes his head with an amused look on his face. “You’re not very good at giving definitive answers, are you?”

I shrug. “I don’t like to commit and plan things in advance.”

He raises his brow.

“And why is that?” He asks, knowing full well that he isn’t going to get the answer he wants.

I keep quiet for a few seconds then clear my throat. “I’d better go and tell Sam you’re here, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

I scrape back my chair and he latches onto my wrist as I walk past. “Not everyone is out to get you, Keeley.”

A few beats pass and he lets go of my wrist, leaving me to walk on.

I stand outside Cindy’s door not wanting to interrupt her and Sam, but I desperately need a few more minutes to myself without Lewis breathing down my neck.

Not everyone is out to get you.

I know that, it just feels like they are, so why bother making plans just to end up disappointed when they’re canceled or I’m stood up? It’s happened plenty of times before so I don’t see why it would be any different this time.

Before I can change my mind, I knock on the door in front of me and push it open. I completely forget Cindy has lost her memory and have to explain who Lewis is, making me go bright red. Cindy laughs and it stuns me, I’ve never heard her laugh before.

I’m embarrassed so I hightail it out of there, deciding I can’t put off seeing Lewis any longer, I text him and tell him where the waiting room by Cindy’s hallway is. He rounds the corner in record speed.

“Is everything alright? You look a little flushed,” he states, sitting in the chair next to mine.

“Yeah, I think everything’s going to be okay, it’ll just take time for her to get back to her normal self… well… hopefully not her normal self.”

Hell, I hope not. I don’t think Sam can cope with anymore heartbreak.





We both turn at the same time at the sound of footsteps. Sam walks toward us and says, “Kee, I need you to take me home.” Her eyes are full of something I can’t quite decipher.

“Everything alright?” I ask, standing up.

“My mom’s okay health wise apart from her memory, but she’s going to rehab, she’s finally going to get better, Kee.”

I feel warmth spreading through my body and hug her. She pulls away and looks me in the eyes.

“She’s just given me her first advice as a proper mom too, she said I need to go to him, to Connor. Well, she practically pushed me out of the room herself. I’m not ready to fully forgive her just yet, but it’s a step in the right direction.” I gawp at her not knowing what to say. “But with Connor I’m ready to finally let go, Kee.”

She looks behind me as if she’s only just noticing Lewis for the first time.

“Thanks for coming, Lewis. I’m actually really glad you’re here. Do you know where he is?”

“Sure, he’s back home now. He text me around seven this morning,” he says, pulling out his cell.

“Do you know where he lives?” She asks, sounding hopeful.

“No but I can ask him?” He phrases it like a question.

“You can’t just ask him where he lives outright,” I say, rolling my eyes. Men.

He looks bemused.

“She’s right, can you not say he left something at your garage? He was there right?” She questions him.

“Err, yeah, but he’d know if he left anything, it’s not like we carry around the kitchen sink in our purses.” I shoot him a look and he smirks. “But… I could say I found some old photos I want to send him?”

Sam claps her hands and I smile at her enthusiasm, she’s finally doing something for herself for once in her life.

“So what’s the plan?” I ask, as Lewis texts away on his phone.

“Well, I guess drive to him and see what happens,” she says, a tremor in her voice.

She starts to look a little nervous so I squeeze her shoulder trying to reassure her everything will be okay.

“Road trip?” I ask excitedly, slotting my arm through hers as we walk toward the exit of the hospital.

We’ve never done anything like this before but she dashes my hopes with her next words. “Sorry, Kee. I think this is something I need to do alone. Plus, we need you here to look after the salon, we can’t both be out.”

“Way to ruin my fun, Sam, I think we both need a vacay,” I say, pouting.

She giggles. “We do. When I get back we’ll book something, I promise.”

We both wave goodbye to Lewis as he heads toward his Harley with the promise that he’ll meet us at the salon.

Just the sound of it coming to life makes my heart ache and I decide it might be time to invest in one of my own. I make a mental note to ask Lewis about the best place to get one later on.

“He really likes you, Kee,” Sam says as we pull out of the hospital car park.

I shake my head. “He thinks he does, but we’d never work out.”