*Book one in the Again series*
After a heated argument lands him in the spare bedroom of his grandparents' rancher, late bloomer Leon Snyder finds his love life heating up after multiple unsuccessful run-ins with a mysterious girl. Despite his faile...
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"I'm sure she's okay, Leon, calm down," Mom attempts to reassure me, placing her hand atop my own to prevent me from cracking my knuckles. It serves no purpose; I resort to bouncing my leg instead, alternating from one nervous tick to the other.
"She's been out there for a while now." I look at the time on my phone. It's been forty-five minutes since I left Katie outside with her sperm donor. Harsh choice of words, I know, but that's basically what he's been to Katie.
Nerves getting the better of me, I rise from my seat at the table, starting for the door. Once I reach it, it flies open.
Katie's eyes and cheeks are pink as if she'd been crying. Her makeup has worn off since I last saw her. She flashes me the smallest of smiles before reaching for her purse on the coat rack and discreetly asking, "Where's the bathroom? I'd like to freshen up."
I jab a thumb over my shoulder, at the stairs, opening my mouth to give her instructions before settling on leading her to it myself. Once we reach the bathroom, I stand behind her, watching as she touches up her makeup.
"Are you okay?" I finally ask.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She stares at me from the mirror. My skepticism of her response is painted clear across my face and Katie notices. She reaches a hand above her shoulder with her pinky finger extended. "I promise." I nod my head, but instead of taking her pinky in mine, I wrap my arms around her, resting my chin on her head. I'm not sure if I'm hugging her for her benefit or my own, but either way, both our bodies relax at the contact.
Katie continues reapplying her makeup until she appears as though she hadn't cried at all.
I can't help but wonder how many times she's done that; how many times she's pretended to be okay when she wasn't.
The thought saddens me but I don't have time to reel over it any more than I already have because Katie speaks up.
"I decided to forgive him," she reveals, brushing her lashes with what I believe is called mascara. "We're going to try and work on our relationship. It's going to take some time for me to fully let him in again, but he said he's willing to wait."
I retract my arms from her waist. She turns around, glancing up at me. "I know, you're probably surprised that I did a complete one-eighty in a matter of hours, but I've thought it through, and this is what I want, Leon."
"As long as he does right by you, I support you," I say, meaning every word. "But if he doesn't, then it's TKO."
Her head falls to the side, confusion marring her features. "What's that?"
"Technical knockout." I take my hands up and down the length of her arms. "It's basically where I beat his ass so bad, he can't fight anymore."
"Oh," she laughs. "Hopefully it doesn't get to that point."
