Free Darkness Falls (Darkness Series Book 3) by J.L. Drake Page B

sure there was a reasonable excuse.
     
    Seth: I’m so sorry, baby, I totally forgot! I’ll come home ASAP.
     
    He forgot. Just forgot. Okay.
     
    Emily: Don’t bother.
     
    I shook my head, but stopped when I saw Travis walk across my lawn. I set my unfinished, unsent message on the step and quickly dried my face.
    “Hey,” he waved as he came to the stairs, “I’m sorry, but I saw you over here, and you sounded upset.”
    I tilted my head back to stop the tears. “I’m all right.”
    “Well, where I’m from, when people are dressed like that,” he pointed to my outfit, “and are crying on their doorstep, it normally means they either got into a fight, or got stood up.” He sat next to me but kept his eyes on the ocean.
    “Yeah,” is all I said as he handed me a tissue from his pocket. “Thanks.”
    He smiled over at me. “Of course.” He held up his hand to show me his intent. I didn’t really register what he was doing until his thumb swiped under my eye to clear a tear. It was an incredibly intimate act, and it left me feeling like I’d done something wrong. “Anyone who can stand up such a beautiful woman is a fool.”
    I turned my head away. I didn’t like his words. Seth might have been an ass for forgetting, but… “I love him,” I said to make sure he knew where I stood.
    “I know.” He gave me a reassuring nod. “But the question is, is he worthy of it?”
    I felt confused, and a little lost in my emotions. Sure, this wasn’t the first time Seth had stood me up on something, but it had always been for a legitimate reason. It wasn’t like he worked a desk job from nine to five. Things happened. I stood, needing a moment to think.
    Travis stood as I did, then came up behind me. “Em, sometimes we can be overshadowed by what we think we have rather than by what we really have. If you’re second guessing yourself, maybe you should be second guessing your relationship.” He gave me a little pat on the shoulder. “You know where I am.” He walked away.
    “Thanks,” I suddenly called out. I thought I owed him that much.
    “That’s what friends are for.” He waved right before he disappeared into the woods. Was that a friendly conversation? I wrapped my sweater around my shoulders and convinced myself it was. Travis had always made it clear he was my neighbor and nothing more.
    I went inside and lit the fireplace; I was cold. I curled up on the couch and rested my head on the pillow. I watched as the flames crackled and popped across the log. It wasn’t long until I closed my eyes and fell into a stressful sleep.
     
    ***
     
    Seth
     
    Asshole was all that came to mind when I thought about myself. I couldn’t believe I got caught up at work. It was a curse to be good at IT. Shit, I was always the first person they called when something happened. I parked and saw all the lights were off. I raced up the stairs and cautiously opened the front door.
    The fire was on and Emily was asleep on the couch. She looked beautiful in a new red dress. I set the alarm and ran upstairs to change. My stomach dropped when I saw the room was decorated with flowers and candles, and champagne was in a pool of water. I sank down onto the bed and covered my face.
    How on earth would I be able to make this up to her? My hands dropped when I saw a box on my nightstand. I opened the lid and my insides twisted in a knot. She got me my grandfather’s watch! My hands shook as I pulled it free and slipped it over my wrist. Emily must have done a ton of searching to get her hands on this. I loved it; it was just how I remembered. After a small amount of gawking, I returned it to its box, changed, and headed downstairs to an empty living room.
    Emily’s back was to me as she washed the last of the dishes. She was barefoot and looked tired.
    “Hey.” I came up next to her and leaned against the counter to face her. Her hair was all around her face, so I couldn’t see her very well. “I’m sorry about