Coming Home(14)

It seemed like seconds later that she pulled into the parking space in front of her apartment, and just as she turned the radio down, Leah heard the double beep that signaled an incoming text message. She assumed her father had jumped the gun, thinking she had forgotten to text him.

She was wrong.

Merry Christmas, beautiful. Call me. I miss hearing your voice.

The smile faded from her lips as she read the text. She had removed him from her contact list, so under Sender there was simply a number—but it was a number she knew all too well.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered, deleting the message before she tossed the phone back into her purse.

And then she gave it the finger.

She could not believe he was starting up again, and she was even more aggravated that he had managed to ruin her good mood. Did he really think she would want anything to do with him ever again? Did he see her as being that pathetic?

Leah scowled as she got out of the car, realizing that he probably did. She had given him every reason to think that, allowing him to manipulate her over and over. Why should he think things would be any different now?

She carefully traversed the icy walkway leading up to her door, balancing her bags and her plastic container full of leftovers. As soon as she was inside, she kicked off her shoes and made a quick stop in the kitchen to put away the food before sending her father a text, letting him know she was home.

Leah stripped down to her underwear and crawled into bed, suddenly too tired to even think about putting on pajamas.

She pulled her comforter up to her chin, and before her mind could rehash the infuriating text, she was fast asleep.





Danny DeLuca glanced at his watch before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

It was twenty after one.

“Excuse me,” someone said as they opened the door to the restaurant, and Danny stepped to the side, allowing the man to pass.

He didn’t know what to make of it. She had seemed too excited over the bracelet to be a no-show. Plus, he hadn’t pegged her as the kind of girl who would stand someone up anyway.

Not that he even knew anything about her.

He lifted his chin, blowing his breath out in puffs of vapor and watching it dissipate before his eyes. This was a sign. The universe telling him what he already knew. If he had anything resembling a brain in his head, he would walk away right now. Give the bracelet back to Gram and let her handle it.

Danny sighed, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Ten minutes. He’d give her ten more minutes.

He scrolled through his apps and opened Words With Friends.

“Oh, bullshit!” he laughed when he saw Jake’s 103-point word. He had built off the C in Danny’s laces to make the word quixotic.

The direct message that accompanied Jake’s move read simply: BOOYAH, BITCH!

Danny smirked as he hit reply: I’d be impressed if I thought for one second you knew what that word meant, or even how to pronounce it. Dick.

“Fucking cheater,” he laughed, hitting send.

“Hey.”

Danny lifted his head to see her standing in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest and her shoulders shrugged against the wind.

He cleared the screen before putting his phone back in his pocket. “I was right about to give up on you,” he said, ignoring the quickening of his pulse.

“Sorry. Parking was awful. I forgot about the gift-returners who would be out today,” she said, waving her hand in a circle around her head.

He nodded, looking around them. “Ungrateful bastards.”

The corner of her mouth lifted in a smile before she said, “You didn’t have to wait outside. It’s freezing.”