You Promised Me Forever (Forever Yours #1)(25)

No need to get my hopes up.

“Dinner, huh?” Lena fans herself. “I don’t know if I could eat, what with that gorgeous man sitting across the table from me.”

Valid point. My stomach feels like a roller coaster is running through it. Ups and downs and twists and turns, shrieking through the free fall. My appetite has totally left me, replaced with a hefty dose of rattled nerves. “He’s an old friend. It’s—nothing.”

I need to keep repeating that word. Nothing, nothing, nothing. That’s what Jordan and I are doing—a big fat nothing.

“I’m walking you out,” Lena says assuredly, turning on her heel and heading toward the front lobby. “I’m introducing myself to him too. Hope you don’t mind.”

I don’t think I’d really have a choice, not that I care. I want her to meet Jordan. In fact, I sort of want to show him off to her. Like, do you see this very fine male specimen? Once upon a time, he was all mine. He loved me. And I loved him.

Okay, wait. That’s just a reminder of what I threw away…

“Let’s go,” Lena calls as she starts heading for the lobby.

I chase after her, the vase jiggling in my arms, the water sloshing within, flowers batting me in the face. I sort of wish he’d never come to pick me up. I’m desperate to take a shower, to wash my hair, to change into a beautiful outfit and just…make myself look better than this. What I’m working with at this very moment is too close to hopeless, let me tell you.

“Hey.” I can tell by the polite yet vaguely flirtatious tone of Lena’s voice that she’s talking to Jordan. “You’re Jordan Tuttle, right?”

I come to a stop, the flowers still in my face, my eyes scrunching closed when I hear her ask if he’s really…himself.

Lord, kill me now.

“Right.” I hear the amusement in his deep voice, even in that singular word spoken, and—my eyes pop open—a smile teasing the corner of my lips.

“I’m Lena.” She takes a couple of steps, and I’d bet money she’s holding her hand out for him to shake. “I work with Amanda. We’re good friends.”

“Nice to meet you.” They’re shaking hands, and I’m sure he’s sizing her up. I’m guessing she’s sizing him up too, and I sort of want to die. Or maybe sneak out so I never have to face either of them again, but that would mean I couldn’t have dinner with Jordan tonight and I do, after all, want to thank him for the flowers.

There’s more I want to do for Jordan, with Jordan, but I can’t face those dirty details just yet.

I’m hiding at the end of the hall, just behind the wall so they can’t see me. My spying is making me feel totally awkward, especially if someone found me doing this, which could totally happen. I should just walk out there and talk to them, yet I can’t help but linger for a few minutes more…

Lena gets right to the point. “So you two used to date.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Um…” He sounds wary, and I can’t blame him. “Sure?”

“Did she really break up with you?”

Okay. I want to die.

He’s quiet for a moment, as if he’s weighing his words and what he’s about to say next, and I lean against the wall, clutch the vase to my chest and pray I don’t sneeze because of the flowers.

“She did break up with me,” he finally says, his voice grim. “And she broke my heart.”

Oh.

God.

I swear Lena gasps. “Really?”

There’s nothing said so I can only assume he nods or whatever, and I can envision her offering him comfort while he plays it up. A light touch on the arm or whatever while he drums up sympathy.

Ugh.

Without thought I stride out into the lobby, holding the extravagant flower arrangement up, like I’m showing it off. “Thank you for the flowers, Jordan.”

His eyes widen slightly when he spots me and Lena takes a step away from him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “You’re welcome. They’re—”

“Huge?” I smile, my gaze going from him to Lena. “Yes, they are.”

“I hope you like them.” His beautiful blue eyes are only for me.

“She loves them,” Lena gushes for me, sending me a look. One I can’t really interpret.

“They’re gorgeous!” Rhonda calls from her spot at the front desk.

I have a total audience here. We need to go, stat.

“You ready?” he asks, like he knows how much I want to bail.

The smile I send him is full of relief. He’s once again my knight in shining armor. “Yes, let’s go.”

We walk out of the building, Rhonda and Lena’s loud goodbyes still ringing in my ears. I know I’m going to hear from Lena later. She’ll probably apologize for not believing me when I told her I was the one who broke up with him, and then she’ll lay it on thick about how handsome and wounded he is. Because he is. Handsome.

And wounded.

Makes me crazy because I’m the one who wounded him.

“You want me to carry those?” Before I can even answer, Jordan is grabbing the vase from me, ridiculously sexy carrying a giant assortment of flowers while wearing a dark gray henley shirt, jeans and rugged boots. He’s got that sexy city lumberjack thing down well. All he needs is a beard. “Your friend seems nice.”