Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 13294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
“I’ve worked myself to death for years and the only thing that’s snapped me out of it is you, Bree. We can do this at whatever pace you need. I would like to at least tell this damn town I’m seeing you before I move in and before we talk about all that.”
She’s quiet as those beautiful hazel eyes stare back at me. My heart races and I almost wonder if I said the wrong thing. “You think you’d like that?”
“I think … I’m dreaming,” she tells me.
The smirk comes easy and relief floods through me. “That’s funny, cause I was thinking that too when I heard you going off about how you feel about me.” I almost say, ‘I think I might be in love with you, Bree.’ Almost, but I bite it back.
She bites down on her lip, still quiet but content.
“Let’s just keep doing what we’re doing?”
“For dessert can we have sex?”
A rough chuckle leaves me, “Dammit Bree, I’m trying to be good for you.”
“You have no idea how good for me you are Bennet.” When she looks at me like that, with that look in her eyes and that smile, a peace comes over me. A feeling of home and like everything is the way it’s supposed to be.
I’m not sure what the dating rules are, but I know that’s the night I dropped all pretense and I fell in love with Aubrey. Head over heels in love with her.
EPILOGUE
Aubrey
My vision is only blurry for a moment before I rub my eyes, take in a steadying breath and sip the room temperature coffee without tasting a thing. The moment I see our picture on the counter from across the kitchen where I’m perched, the tears threaten again.
Before it can overwhelm me like it’s done this past month, my phone rings and I couldn’t be more grateful. I hate being alone through all of this.
Especially at night. My only moment of reprieve is in my dreams.
“Hello,” I manage while swiping under my eyes with the back of my hand. Tilting the phone, I take in a calming breath that Gemma won’t be able to hear.
“Good morning love,” she starts and I’d say good morning back if I could. Instead my bottom lip wobbles.
“Just checking on you,” she adds in the absence of a response from me.
“Morning,” I breathe out and then stare down at my cup. I want to say thank you. I want to ask her to come over. I want for so much but it’s all too numbing to say out loud.
I wish none of this was real.
“Did you schedule that doc appt?”
“Yeah,” I answer and then press the sleeve of my cream sweater to my face. “Just trying to get myself together.”
“The mornings and nights are hard,” she tells me as if she knows. As if any of my friends know. “It’s going to be okay,” she adds.
The truth rushes out of me, “I just wish I knew what happened.”
“There’s still hope,” she tells me.
My words are tight as I respond, “It’s been two weeks.”
Two weeks of not knowing what happened to him. First he was missing. Then the truck was found, but he wasn’t. I’ll never forget that moment. The terror that he was gone. But now… now we don’t have any idea and the worst thoughts never leave me.
“I’m not okay,” I confess into the phone and I barely hear her tell me that she’s coming. To stay where I am. That it’s going to be okay. I’m still holding the phone, hysterically crying when my front door barges open.
I wouldn’t get through this without my friends.
But I don’t know how I’ll ever be okay unless they find him and he’s okay.
Bennet is the love of my life and I know he’s still here, I can feel it. It’s not hope, it’s knowing.
I love you, Bennet. Please come home to me.
Bennet
I’m only vaguely aware of the movement around me but I don’t want to be aware of it at all. I only want to dream of her. Their muffled voices call me Mister. Hands gently shake my shoulder. Sleep pulls me back though, with her beside me in our bed where I fell in love with her and her with me.
I’ll wake up… I’ll hold you again.
Until then… I’ll have you in our dreams.
This is not the end…
The Fall in Love Again series will feature Bennet and Bree falling in love on the small fictional street of Cedar Lane over and over again while the real world has had other plans for them. Because love is endless and this is what forever means. In any and every life, their love was meant to be. And there’s so much to tell in the dreams where they get to meet again for the first time every night.