Finding Our Forever (Silver Springs #1)(39)

When she started to blink fast, trying to hold back the tears, he walked over and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry I stayed over. If you’ll still see me in the future, I’ll be more careful.”

“I’m not blaming you. This has nothing to do with you.” She could’ve asked him to go at any moment, but she hadn’t—because she’d wanted him to stay right where he was. Her emotional reaction to Aiyana’s appearance was about something else, something he couldn’t even begin to guess because he, most likely, didn’t know his mother had ever had a child of her own.

“Then it’s your ex that has you upset.”

She dashed a hand across her cheek. “Matt? No. It’s nothing.”

She could tell he wasn’t sure what to say next. “I’m fine,” she added.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, as if he hated to see her like this, especially because he suspected he might be part of the cause.

“It’s nothing, like I said.”

“Okay.” He had to get to school, too, and she knew it. Although he acted reluctant to walk away at this juncture, he seemed to understand there was nothing more he could do. After pressing a kiss to her forehead, he left.





Chapter Thirteen

The day seemed to last forever. Knowing that Matt was sleeping at her house, waiting for her to get out of school, made Cora glance at the clock—and grind her teeth—over and over. Time seemed to be standing still. She didn’t want her ex-boyfriend in Silver Springs, couldn’t believe he’d come down here.

As soon as the lunch bell sounded and the students filed out of her classroom, she considered going home. She had thirty minutes or so she could use to talk to Matt. But she preferred to wait until she could sit down with him at length and hash out whatever he felt he needed to go over. Then maybe she could send him on his way knowing that was the end, once and for all.

While she was standing at the window, watching the students who’d already finished their lunch mill about campus, Eli walked in.

“Hey.”

She turned and straightened. He’d never come to her room before. “Hi.”

“I didn’t see you in the cafeteria so...I thought I’d bring you some lunch.” He lifted a brown sack.

She’d eaten an apple from her desk drawer. She hadn’t had it in her to face him or Aiyana, in case either one of them happened to be in the cafeteria. “I’ve had too much to do here.”

The fact that she’d been staring outside, doing nothing, contradicted that statement, but he didn’t point it out. He carried her lunch over to the desk. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened with Matt?”

“Nothing. Yet. I had to get to my first class, and he looked like he wasn’t feeling great, so I told him to sleep until I get out of school.”

He rubbed a hand over his smooth-shaven chin. “You’ll talk to him when you get home.”

“Yes.” She peered into the sack to find a turkey sandwich, some celery and carrot sticks and a big chocolate chip cookie. “This is very nice of you. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

He didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave.

“Did your mother say anything to you about this morning?” she asked as she broke off part of the cookie.

“We’ve been too busy.”

“Will she say something?”

“I doubt it. For the most part, she’s pretty good about minding her own business.”

Cora wondered about his biological mother. Did he ever hear from her? Did he care about her—could he care? “Aiyana seems really great.”

“She is.” He checked his watch. “I’ve got to go.”

“Thanks for stopping by.”

He hesitated at the door. “Will you call me when Matt’s gone?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Nothing’s changed, Cora,” he said.

What was he talking about? Everything had changed. She was falling in love with him, which was exactly what he’d warned her not to do. And Matt knew about Aiyana! If she didn’t handle him carefully enough, he could tell everyone what she was really doing in Silver Springs. “There have to be other girls you can...be with. You might have to drive to LA once in a while, but someone like you...you’d have no problem getting laid.”

He winced as if she’d slapped him. “I never said the person I was with didn’t matter—that it could be anyone. And I hope I haven’t treated you that way.”

He hadn’t. He’d been a dream lover—as considerate and kind as she could ever expect him to be. He’d also been clear about his limitations. Despite all her big talk, she was the one who couldn’t seem to live up to their agreement.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but it was too late. He was gone.

*

Cora’s stomach was twisted into knots by the time school let out and she was able to hurry home. Part of her wished Matt would simply be gone—that once he’d sobered up he’d been embarrassed and eager to get out of Silver Springs. She’d said everything she wanted to say to him when they broke up. And, because of him, she felt as if she’d somehow hurt, frustrated or disappointed Eli.