Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
“I’ll need to talk to Beau first before I can give you an answer,” I finally settled on saying, my mood dimming a little. I would’ve loved nothing more than to spend more time with Cecily, Athena, and Harbor, especially outside of the gym walls, but I didn’t want to make Beau uncomfortable.
Cecily waved me off. “You’re coming. I won’t take no for an answer. And don’t worry about Beau. I’ll handle him.”
“But—”
She shook her head at me. “Aht. Let me stop you there. No arguments.”
I sighed. I just hoped that Beau didn’t end up being upset with me. Because this was not my idea.
nine
Beau
“Hey, babe.” I looked up when Adler spoke. He was already pulling Cecily into his arms and pressing his lips to hers in a quick greeting kiss. “What are you doing here?”
My question exactly. Cecily rarely showed up to the job sites. Her best friend must have had Robin because he wasn’t with her.
“I met Mikayla today.” I heaved a long, drawn out breath. She looked at me. I bit back a groan. Knowing her, she’d managed to spook Mikayla away. Fuck. “I invited her to the barbecue this weekend.”
I frowned in confusion. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. “What barbecue?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Elliot said, leaning against the wall, just as confused as I was. “Since when are we having a barbecue?”
“Since Beau went and fell in love with the pretty gym owner,” Cecily told him, but she was looking at me, a smirk tilting her lips.
Love.
Fell in love.
Was I in love with Mikayla? I sure as hell felt strongly for her—no doubt about that. Every minute away from her felt like more and more of me was disappearing, only to suddenly piece back together when I laid eyes on her again. I’d fought it for as long as I could, but it seemed to be inevitable.
“Fuck,” I breathed, the hammer dropping from my fingers and slamming down to the concrete floor beneath my feet. It was a miracle it didn’t slam into my boot. I blinked at Cecily before quickly digging into my pockets for my bike keys. I needed to go see Mikayla. Now. Like fucking yesterday.
How had I not pinpointed what I was feeling as fucking love? I hadn’t even brought her around to meet my family, yet she’d already allowed me to meet her deceased parents.
God, I was a shit boyfriend. And fucking clueless, apparently. Sure, I’d never wanted to settle down, but it was clear I already was.
“Where the hell are you going?” Adler demanded when I strode past him. “We’ve still got three hours left of work, Beau.”
“Finish without me,” I told him. “Dock my pay. I don’t care. I need to get to Mikayla. I think I fucked up.”
“What?!” Cecily screeched, but I was already out the door and rushing over to my bike.
I had to make things right with Mikayla, starting with telling her how I really felt.
The gym was slow this time of day. With it only being mid-afternoon, most people were either still at work or running errands. Which meant Lennox could take over for a little while so I could have my heart-to-heart with Mikayla.
A long overdue heart-to-heart.
Mikayla was dusting a shelf, a box of new items on the floor next to her when I walked in, but she turned to face me when the door jingled. “Hi, welcome to—Beau!” Mikayla exclaimed in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“We need to talk,” I told her, my voice gruff.
The color leeched from her face, and pain sliced through my chest. I was frightening her, and fuck, that wasn’t my intention. I was just so goddamn twisted up inside that I could barely control the emotions surging within me.
She quickly stepped down from the step stool. “If it’s about the barbecue, I swear it wasn’t my idea. Cecily—”
I reached out and grabbed her hand in mine before towing her to her office. Lennox watched with wide eyes but thankfully made no move to intervene. Once the door was shut behind us, I pushed Mikayla against it and braced an arm on either side of her head, my chest heaving. But not from exertion. I was out of breath from the words I was about to vomit all over her.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped. “I’m so goddamn sorry. I’m so fucking clueless sometimes, goldie. It took Cecily announcing that she was planning a barbecue because I’m in love with you for me to even realize it.”
Tears swam in Mikayla’s eyes. “You’re not upset with me?”
I shook my head before resting my forehead on hers. “God, no, baby. Not upset with you. You did nothing wrong. In fact, you’ve done everything right.” I shook my head at my own stupidity. “Looking back, I can tell you’ve wanted more, but you’ve been waiting on me to be ready. And I’m such a douchebag for not realizing I’m ready for everything with you. Have been since the moment you fell apart in my fucking arms.”