Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(92)

I reached for the envelope as he came around the desk and wrapped his arms around me.

“We’re all going to miss you,” he said, before leaning down against my ear. “So fucking much.”

My brother and Brax were already out the door, and I shook my head frantically, keeping my voice low. “I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted to say goodbye.”

“It’s all right. You go enjoy this time with your family, okay?” He leaned down and kissed me hard before pulling away quickly.

It felt final.

It felt like goodbye.

And my heart shattered into a million little pieces.





twenty-seven





Hugh





It had been six days since Lila James had left Cottonwood Cove. She’d spent that final night with her father and her brother and Shay. Cage had somehow heard that she’d left, and he and Finn had come over with a bottle of tequila in typical Reynolds brother fashion, and I’d drunk away my blues. Or at least tried to.

I’d spent the next few days moping around and checking my phone every five minutes to see if she’d texted or called. We’d sent a few messages, her letting me know she’d made it there safely. I’d told her that I’d packed her things up that she’d left behind and dropped them at the post office because we both knew Travis would put it off for weeks if not months.

There was this big, gaping hole in my chest, and I’d never experienced anything like it before. It didn’t help that it had been raining since she’d left. It was gray and dreary outside—exactly how I felt.

I was heading to my room to grab a shower as I’d just worked out, and I passed by the casita.

Her casita.

Hell, she’d spent every night in my bed, so this room didn’t feel like Lila’s more than any other room here. Hell, every inch of this house felt like Lila’s. I dropped onto the bed and glanced around. I looked over at the nightstand and noticed a pair of earrings there that I must have missed when I’d gotten her things together. I picked them up and looked at the little pink studs before reaching for my phone.

Hey. How are you doing?





Our texts had been awkward since she’d left. Distant and nothing like the way we’d texted when she was here. Because we’d been together then. We’d never really said goodbye as everything had happened so fast. I’d been talking to Brax that day at the bar when Travis had dropped the bomb on me that Lila was leaving. I’d asked Brax to run some comps on Reynolds’, Garrity’s, and Burgers and Brews for me. I just wanted to know if there was an exit strategy if I were to leave all this behind and follow her to Chicago.

But before I could even make that happen, she was gone.

Snow



It’s busy. Long days. Kind of exhausting.





Before I could respond, my phone buzzed again.

Snow



I miss you, Bear.





I miss you, too. But you’re doing okay?





Snow



Sure.





I didn’t like the way she sounded. It matched the way I felt.

I found your earrings. I’ll drop them in the mail tomorrow, all right?





Snow



Okay. Thanks.





Sure. Talk soon.





She didn’t respond, and I groaned at how stupid I sounded. I didn’t know why the fuck I wasn’t just telling her that I was going out of my mind since she’d left.

I didn’t want to make her feel bad. Hell, she looked so guilt-ridden about spending her last night with her family and not with me.

I didn’t need pity. This was the deal, and I’d signed up for it.

We’d agreed that we’d go back to being friends after she left, and we’d never discussed any other option as she’d left before either of us had prepared for it.

I set her earrings back down, noticing the drawer of the nightstand cracked open the slightest bit. I leaned forward and pulled the drawer all the way open, seeing her Snow Day notebook in there.

I took it out and kicked off my shoes, pressing my back to the headboard. I chuckled as I read her list, seeing each thing checked off with little notes beside them.

#1. Get Dad into a program.

There was a note beside it that said: Six weeks and counting. He did it.

#2. Lose my V-Card.

There was a note beside it that said: My first time is worthy of a gold medal. Holding out for the right guy was definitely worth the wait.

My chest squeezed as I read her words.

I continued reading the list and flipped the page, my eyes zeroing in on number thirteen. The one I hadn’t seen.

#13. Tell Hugh Reynolds that I love him. Not a friendship kind of love. That I-can’t-live-without-you, people-write-poetry-about kind of love. The real deal.

She hadn’t told me, but I knew she loved me. Didn’t I?

Why was I being such a fucking pussy about this?

She loved me. I loved her. Life was fucking short. What the fuck was I waiting for? I picked up my phone and shot a text to Wolf, Dylan’s husband. He’d told me he was interested in investing if I opened a restaurant in the city. I gave him the short version about what was going on and said that I needed his help.