With A Twist(54)

In fact, I haven’t been on since before I left for Raleigh to go undercover.

When the app opens, the first thing I notice is several notifications at the bottom and one friend request. Ignoring the notifications, I click on the “Requests” icon. My jaw drops when I see who is asking to be friends with me.

David Lovitt… my ex-fiancé.

What in the hell?

I have no clue when he sent this friend request, and I’m absolutely perplexed as to why he would bother to want to be friends with me as our break up was not pretty.

There was lots of crying and pleading on my part—which sort of shames me now—and a lot of hurtful words on his part.

“I don’t understand where this is coming from, David?” I had said with tears pooling in my eyes. He had just broken my heart by telling me that he wanted to call the engagement off.

“Seriously, Andrea?” he had sneered. “I told you I am not moving from Pittsburgh. You refuse to pull your application. A husband and wife can’t live in different states, so there’s no fucking reason to stay engaged. I’m sure as hell not marrying someone that can’t respect my decision on that.”

“But I might not even get accepted,” I pointed out as I wiped the back of my hand over my eyes. “Everything could just stay the same, and you’re willing to throw everything away over the possibility I might have to move?”

David sneered at me. “It’s more than that. It’s the fact you’re choosing your career over me. I don’t want to be with someone like that.”

“David, please—” I had implored, but he cut me off.

“Just forget it,” he said and turned toward my door. “We’re done unless you pull that application. And even if you did… I’m not even sure we can fix this.”

He left me standing there. Only after the door closed behind him did I let the tears really flow.

I could have pulled my application. Those first few days I was so lonely… so desperate to have his love back… I came very close to doing just what he wanted. But I never could seem to actually make myself do it. Instead, I kept hoping he’d come to his senses. I called him… sent him texts… a few emails. He never responded, and I eventually gave up.

In hindsight, and especially with Wyatt’s words of wisdom still ringing in my ears, it’s easy to see that I made the right choice—even if it hurt like hell to do it. I’m better off without him.

Still… my curiosity is killing me, and while I truly don’t believe that we are meant for each other, there is a large part of me that wants to know what he’s thinking. Why is he contacting me? Especially because he has my phone number and my email. He could have contacted me if he wanted.

What if… what if he’s found someone else, and he’s just friending me on Facebook to rub my face in it?

Now my curiosity is through the roof—morbid as hell—and before I can stop myself, I accept his friend request. Then I exit out of Facebook and put my phone aside. I’ll check back in a few days and see what he does.

Until then… I suddenly decide that I’m not interested in going out for breakfast. I think Wyatt was on to something when he poured the syrup on me, and I think I’d like to revisit that idea with him right now.





Chapter 17





Wyatt





Mmmm… waking up to Andrea making naked pancakes.

That is something I could definitely get used to.

Laughing over burnt, naked pancakes? Yeah, I could get used to that too.

I scrape the charred, little discs off the griddle, depositing them into the garbage. After filling the sink up with soapy water, I make a quick cup of coffee while I wait for the griddle to cool just a little more. I think after breakfast I’ll take Andrea on a drive and show her around the Outer Banks. Maybe a nice seafood lunch somewhere, then back to my cottage where I will insist we spend the rest of the day in bed.

Good plan.

As I take my first sip of coffee, I hear a knocking at my front door. Leaning back against the counter, I ignore it and enjoy another sip of coffee… the nectar of the gods.

The knocking continues and I just stare at my door, willing whoever is on the other side to just go away. I only have Andrea for another eight days, the next four of which I want her all to myself since I don’t have to work. I’m not sharing a single minute of my time with anyone else.

BAM, BAM, BAM!

The door practically rattles with someone pounding at it now.

“Wyatt… open the damn door. I know you’re in there, and I’m not leaving until you do.”

Gabby? What the fuck is she doing here?

Immediately, my thoughts go to Hunter and worry that something has happened to him, but then I dismiss that. She would have called… not wasted a trip over here. So I continue to ignore her.