Fighting for Love (Second Chances #4)(10)
I must’ve taken too long in the bathroom because Garrett was right there.
Still walking toward the door, I fetched my cell phone out of my purse and glanced at him over my shoulder. Waving my phone in the air, I responded with the first thing that came to my mind, “I missed a call from Bryan and I didn’t want to be rude. He hates it when I don’t return his calls right away.”
As soon as I got outside he was definitely getting a phone call from me. However, the second I turned my gaze back to the door I ran straight into what felt like a brick wall. Thwack. Before I could stumble and fall, a large set of hands grabbed me by the arms, steadying me, and I grabbed onto his shirt so I wouldn’t fall.
“Whoa, thank you. That wouldn’t have been good,” I chuckled, feeling embarrassed. My cheeks burned and I was pretty sure my face had turned blood red.
The hands on my arms tensed – clenching tighter – and after that it was like everything moved in slow motion. My eyes found his broad chest where my hands gradually loosened their hold on the black T-shirt he wore, but I couldn’t seem to fully pry my hands away. Slowly, my gaze slipped up to his firm jaw that tensed and clenched when I settled on his lips.
I recognized those full lips, especially the way they felt against mine many years ago.
It wasn’t until I reached his sea green eyes that everything came crashing down. I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t move; I was frozen. All I could do was stand there with his hands on my arms and my body flush with his. His lips were set in a firm line, and for a moment, I saw something flash in his eyes that made my heart jump … it was longing. Except it only lasted for a second before his whole demeanor closed up tight and he shut me out.
“Shelby Dawson,” he whispered low; close by my ear. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
Shivering, I wanted to say, That was the plan, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his face long enough to even form a coherent thought … much less speak.
HOLY FUCK!
The second she crashed into my arms I thought I was seeing things. There was no way she could be the same Shelby, but it was. For ten years she had been a memory that plagued my mind, except now she wasn’t just a memory. She was the girl I grew up with … and the first, and last girl I had ever been in love with. Now she stood in front of me and it was like everything disappeared and I was taken to a time ten years ago.
Her hair wasn’t the same light brown as before, but a deep, chestnut brown with golden pieces here and there. The cream colored dress she wore looked sexy as hell clinging onto every curve of her body, along with the knee-high brown boots that made her about three inches taller, bringing her face almost level with mine. She had thinned out a little, her face was not as full as it used to be, but her eyes …
Dammit, her eyes were exactly the same as I remembered. They were a chocolate brown, just a tad bit lighter than her hair, with specks of gold and green. If I wasn’t careful I’d get lost in them again, and the last thing I wanted was for her to know that even after ten years I still thought about her from time to time.
“Matt,” she whispered, breaking me out of my trance.
Immediately, I let her arms go and took a step back, the awkward silence hanging heavy in the air. When Garrett waltzed over and slapped me on the back I could tell Shelby was only holding on by a thread. Something wasn’t right with her, I could feel it, and it wasn’t just the normal awkwardness you’d get after you broke up with someone.
From the expression on Garrett’s face he could feel my tension, but he laughed it off and said, “Well, I see you met the beautiful Shelby who writes as the illustrious Paige Monroe. How about we go and get something to drink while the lady makes her phone call?”
Wait, what? Shelby is Paige Monroe?
“Thank you, Garrett,” Shelby cut in before I could say anything. Hesitantly, she met my gaze briefly before turning back to my agent. “If you two will excuse me, I’m going to go outside and make my call.”
She brushed by me quickly and rushed out the front door. Again, I watched her as she walked away, but this time she actually turned her head and glanced back at me. From the look of raw emotion on her face I knew right then that she wasn’t planning on coming back inside.
Do I let her go again when I know she’s not coming back? The answer was simple … no. All I had to do was run out that door and make her talk to me. Which is exactly what I’m going to do.
Ignoring Garrett’s remarks, I rushed out the front door of the restaurant and bolted into the parking lot. Not having a clue what kind of vehicle she drove, I scanned the row of cars until I found her in a little black Q60 convertible. Quickly, she backed out of the space and sped out of the parking lot.
Damn, she was fast. There was no way I could’ve gotten to her in time. She was gone, but now that I knew exactly where to find her I had a place to start. She wasn’t going to run away from me this time. I refused to let the past repeat itself, and as I got in my car the past was all I could think about.
It was late in the summer and Shelby only had a few more days until she left to move into her apartment at the university. Berkeley was only about an hour and a half away, so we knew we could see each other any time we wanted. However, there was something wrong and I couldn’t figure out what it was. For the past week she had steadily grown distant and never once could I get her to smile. She didn’t want me to touch her, and when I would she’d recoil from me.