Forgetting August (Lost & Found #1)(41)

I came to join her and saw her hesitantly pull out the tiny green bead I'd found in my coat pocket when I was in the hospital.

"Maybe you can tell me," I said as she swiveled around to face me.

"What do you mean?" Her eyes were wide, like I'd said something to ignite panic.

"I found it in my belongings when I was in the hospital. It was in my  coat, so it must have been there the night of the mugging. I just  thought you might know what it is," I said, placing my hand on her  shoulder.

"I've never seen it before," she said, jerking back as she eyed the tiny green bead.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, averting my gaze. "It's just that night-it was scary. I don't like reliving it."

God, I'm an idiot.

"No-shit, of course not. Come here," I said, pulling her closer. She  came into my arms and I felt her shaking against me. "I'm so sorry,  Everly. I'll never mention it again."

I felt her nod as she pulled herself back together.

"It's okay-you didn't know. I better get ready for work. I'm definitely going to be late if I don't hurry."

"Sure, of course," I answered, watching her flee for the guest bedroom.

Would she ever stop running?





Over the next few days, Everly and I settled into a happy rhythm. I woke  up with her early in the morning, sometimes waking her myself with a  dip beneath the covers or a gentle kiss to pull her from her slumber.

Alarm clocks were greatly overrated.

Most days she'd make it to work on time, although I had made her late a  time or two. She'd threatened life and limb if I kept it up so I just  woke her up earlier. She wasn't too pleased.

At first.

I found Everly was easy to persuade once my mouth was buried deep  between her legs. Of course, much the same could be said of me when the  situation was reversed and she was in the driver's seat. If Everly  wanted anything, it could be hers in those moments when I was buried  deep inside her.

But the only thing she asked for was more.         

     



 

And more was exactly what I gave. Every damn time.

Everly showing up at my house that night, angry and hurt, had changed my  entire life. I'd never thought I'd get a single smile from her, much  less be able to reach for her without her recoiling in fear. What I  thought might have been lingering feelings left over from a former life  only intensified with each passing day.

The more I learned about her, the deeper our connection grew … and the further I fell.

It wasn't just the girl in the picture I was falling for; it was Everly,  the coffee-addicted, quick-witted woman who always managed to keep me  on my toes. She was funny, bright, and she could make dynamite pasta out  of basically nothing.

It was a wonder I could keep my hands off her for a second.

It was also the excuse I gave myself for driving toward the café instead  of home after running errands early one afternoon, with hope I could  take her out to a late lunch.

Parking was a bitch, as was the case in most of San Francisco, so I  ended up several blocks away and had to huff it to the café on foot.  Luckily, the fog had mostly cleared and the sun was attempting to peek  through the clouds, bringing the promise of warmer weather with it. The  light jacket I wore hopefully would no longer be needed later in the  day. San Franciscans, I learned, loved the sun. They wouldn't live  anywhere else. This foggy, cloud-covered city was the only place in  their eyes, but when the sun managed to make its way through the gray  sky, it was like a damn miracle. People flocked to the parks, bike  rentals sold out, and everyone ran out to enjoy the great outdoors.

As the heat from a small ray of sunshine warmed my chilled face, I didn't blame my fellow city dwellers one bit.

Not one damn bit.

Just as I reached the little café, my phone began to buzz in my pocket.  Curiosity got the best of me and I reached in to grab it, wondering who  could be calling me.

I very rarely received calls. I had been in the hospital for over two  years and had not had a single visitor, so I considered myself not  exactly popular.

The name "Trent" flashed across the screen, the same name my attorney  had mentioned a while ago. Although seeing the name piqued my interest, I  seriously wondered if this call wasn't going to be like all the others.  This wasn't the first random phone call or blast from my past, as I  liked to call them. I'd been naive in the beginning and had answered a  few, only to discover that my attorney was quite the talker, and word  had gotten out that I had miraculously "risen from the dead." Many of my  former acquaintances had called, saying they wanted to check on my  progress now that I was out of the hospital. When asked why they hadn't  bothered checking on me sooner, I received several colorful answers,  including one from a Mr. Parker who said he knew me from "the club", but  who said he hadn't wanted to bother me in my delicate state.

I'd been in a coma.

For two years.

I wised up quickly to the money-grubbing assholes and stopped answering  my phone. My former life had been filled with fake people and their  fancy shit. I'd had enough. I stuffed the phone back in my pocket and  reached for the café's door handle.

Everly had once said she loved working at the coffee shop not only for  the endless supply of coffee but also because it was never the same from  one day to the next. Because she and her coworkers always divided up  the duties, she would end up working the counter one day and barista the  next. It kept her on her toes.

As I walked in that afternoon, her smiling face wasn't the first thing I  saw-which meant she was the one in charge of the crazy machinery that  churned out the caffeine. As I heard her call out a double whipped,  extra hot something or other, I began to understand why she took her  coffee plain and black.

I had no idea coffee could be so damned confusing.

"Can I help you?" A perky young blonde asked from behind the counter.

"Yes," I answered, giving her a lazy smile.

"What can I get you, handsome?" she winked.

"Actually, I'm just here for Everly. Wanted to see if she had lunch plans."

She looked me up and down. Her caramel brown eyes assessed me before she  turned and hollered over the noise. "Everly, you have a visitor!"

"Okay!" she yelled back, and I saw a tuft of her red hair peeking over the tops of the coffee machines.

"And who might you be?" the blonde asked, placing her hands down on the  counter as if she had all the time in the world. I looked behind me,  realized I was indeed the only person in line, and grinned.

"I'm Everly's-"

"Friend," Everly rushed over and cut me off. "Longtime friend," she stressed again.         

     



 

"Well … does your hot friend have a name?" the blonde asked, now looking  me up and down like I was a large slab of steak and she was a caged  lioness just waiting to sink her teeth in.

"August," I answered, holding out my hand in greeting, although my eyes never left Everly's.

"Well, feel free to visit more often, August. Much more often," she purred.

"Will do. And I'm sorry," I said, turning my attention back to her. "I didn't catch your name."

"Trudy," she answered, blushing.

"Nice to meet you." I gave her a wink before Everly tugged me away.

"I'm going to take my lunch break. I'll be back in an hour," she said as we made our way toward the door.

"Okay, hon. Enjoy!"

We stepped out into the fresh air and began walking-no place or destination in mind. Just mindless, silent walking.

"So, do you think you could get me Trudy's phone number?" I finally asked, the bitterness clear in my tone.

"Just stop."

I froze on the street corner, anger radiating through my veins.

"You're angry at me?"

"Yes! Why didn't you call or tell me you were going to stop by?" she yelled.

"Would that have made it better, Everly? Would that have given you time  to make up a better story about who I was or why some guy other than  Ryan was coming to take you out to lunch? Because that's what this is  all about, isn't it? You haven't told them?"

"It isn't any of their business," she said softly.

"It isn't any of their business or it isn't worth telling anyone?  Because I remember you telling me you and your coworkers were pretty  damn tight, so if you can't admit what's going on to them, who can you  tell? Have you told anyone?"

Silence followed, telling me exactly what I wanted to know.

"Is this a joke to you?"

"What?" Her eyes grew wide. "No, August. God, no."

"Then why do I feel like the biggest idiot in the world right now, Everly?"

Her arms wrapped around me and as confused as I was, I sank into her  warmth. "I'm sorry. It's still all so new. I'm still working through  what to say-what to tell everyone. No one knows about that part of my  past. I don't know how to explain you."

"Then don't. The world doesn't need to know every detail. But, I do want  to exist in yours. I want to be able to show up at your work and be  recognized as your boyfriend, not some guy your coworkers can possibly  hook up with."