My Favorite Souvenir(61)

He had a lot to say about my situation. “By the time you come to your senses, sometimes it’s too late. Now, I’m not telling you to do wrong by your friend. But it doesn’t sound to me like this guy knows exactly what he wants, either. I get you not wanting to betray him. It’s not my place to tell you what to do one way or the other. But in the end, you fell for this woman without realizing who she was, not even knowing her name. You can’t help that you fell, and you didn’t do anything wrong. But the most important thing here is not what you or he wants. The question is…what does she want? Do you know?”

If only it were possible to figure out what Hazel was really thinking.

“I thought I had the answer to that before I came here. I would’ve bet all my money that she would have met me in New Orleans. So, seeing her with him really shocked me. And now I can honestly say I don’t know what she wants.”

He pointed with his cane. “Here’s the thing. If you want to be with her, and she wants to be with you—well, that’s two out of three. I get that your friend would be hurt, but it wouldn’t be fair to him if the woman he claims to care about really wants to be with his friend, either. People can’t change how they feel. I think you need to figure out what she wants and take it from there.”

It was simple advice, but it made sense. If Hazel intended to stay with Brady, he’d never have to know anything. If she wanted to be with me, then and only then would I have a decision to make. Concluding that it all came down to what Hazel wanted seemed to clarify the situation.

“You know what? You’ve been really helpful.” I hopped up.

He laughed, seeming amused by my sudden realization and need to flee.

“You take care of yourself, Sherman. Thanks for the talk.”

I pulled out my phone as I rushed away and texted the number Hazel had given me.



Matteo: Where are you?



The three dots moved around as she typed.



Hazel: Hey. Just finishing up a shoot.



Matteo: Can we meet?



Hazel: Yeah. Of course.



Matteo: I can come to you.



Hazel: That would be great.



Matteo: I need to be sure Brady won’t see us. Where is he?



Hazel: He’s working late tonight. He told me he has a business dinner. So, if you come to Connecticut, we should be good. You can meet me here at the studio.



Matteo: Text me the address. I’ll hop a train now.

? ? ?

Hazel’s studio was on Main Street in a quiet suburb. Surrounded by local boutiques and restaurants, it was definitely in a prime location.

She opened the door before I even made it to the steps. She’d been watching for me.

Without saying anything, she pulled me into her arms. It surprised me, but it felt so damn good to hug her again. The feel of her soft breasts pressed against my chest further ignited the turmoil inside of me. I wished so badly that we were back in Atlanta, taking up where we’d left off before reality hit us like a ton of bricks.

Letting a long breath out against her neck, I took a moment to enjoy the feel of her in my arms without guilt.

“I’ve been dying to see you,” she said. “I’m so sorry about everything, Matteo.”

“Stop apologizing.” I moved back to look at her face. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Hazel. I need you to know that.”

“I was afraid you thought I’d somehow known who you were.”

“Of course not.” I sighed. After several seconds of silence, I took her back into my arms and whispered into her skin. “I just want you to be happy, okay? You have to follow your heart. If being with Brady is what makes you happy, then—”

“I haven’t been able to think about anything but you.” She pushed back to look me in the eyes.

Her admission stopped me in my tracks. Now I was speechless.

“I know it might look like I’d been planning to take Brady back, but the truth is, I hadn’t made any decisions. We’ve just been spending time together and—

“You don’t owe me an explanation. We’re not a couple. We’re two people who had a great time together. We had plans to maybe meet up again, but nothing was set in stone. It was always supposed to be about what felt right. You need to do what feels right. If you want to be with Brady, then— ”

“When I came back, everything that happened between us almost felt like a dream, Matteo. Then when Brady told me he regretted canceling the wedding, it was like a reality check. I thought I owed it to myself to give him a chance, but at the same time, I owe it to myself to figure out who I really am and what I want. Either way, through it all, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.” She reached for me. “Then to find out who you really are… It’s just been too much.”

I squeezed her hands. “I’ve been a wreck.”

We stared at each other until she finally said, “I have to ask you something.”

“Ask me anything.”

“How did it not occur to you even once that I could have been Brady’s ex?”

This was the one question I’d feared her asking. Because in order to tell her the truth, I’d have to betray Brady’s trust and admit that he’d lied to me.