Free Groomless - Part 2 by Sierra Rose

sure you’ll have a nice visit. He has lots of energy today and doesn’t even need his oxygen.”
    “That’s great, but I wanna talk to you first.”
    He looked at me with those big, soulful eyes and expressive eyebrows.
    I hurried inside the elevator. “Sorry, but I’m already running late for work,” I lied, considering I didn’t even have a job anymore.
    As soon as I reached to press the button, his hand brushed across mine. A chill shot down my spine at his touch. He looked deeply into my eyes, and his lips hovered just inches from mine. He smelled so good and was irresistible. I knew I could have him right there and then; all I had to do was lean forward and kiss his lips that were so dangerously close to mine. Too damn close. And that mouth. Gosh, why does he always have to be sexy as hell? 
    “It’s raining, and you don’t have an umbrella,” he said. “Why don’t you just wait it out a few minutes?”
    I couldn’t stop staring into his eyes. There was nothing I wanted more than to kiss those lips, to claim them like I once used to.
    “You’re so beautiful, JJ,” he said.
    Ignoring him, I stepped out into the rain and was immediately soaked by the downpour. I assumed Luke would give up and go back inside, but I should’ve known better.
    “Julia!” he called through the drizzle.
    “What?” I said.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I just need to get away.”
    “My limo can take you wherever you’re going.”
    “No thank you,” I said, walking away.
    He chased after me, splashing his expensive Doc Martens through a plethora of puddles. “I’m sorry,” he said.
    I turned to face him. “For what?”
    He squinted in the rain, emotion overwhelming him. His hair was sopping wet and he looked so adorable.
    “For leaving all those years ago,” he responded.
    Losing him still stung badly, and my heart had never fully recovered. I’d longed for that apology for a long time, but I wasn’t really sure I was ready to hear it. “I can’t deal with this right now. I lied to you again.”
    “You did? About what?”
    “I’m not late for work. I just got fired. On top of that, I’m not even over my mom’s death, and now Daddy’s dying too. And here you are, trying to weasel your way back into my life after you crushed me. I really can’t handle this, can’t handle you, Luke. I’m on emotional overload.”
    “I understand, and I’ll give you all the space you need, but I had to tell you how sorry I am. I couldn’t let you go one minute longer without hearing that. You were the best thing in my life, and leaving you was the worst mistake I ever made. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret it.”
    “You know what? I’m sorry too. We could’ve had a great life together.”
    “We still can, darling.”
    When he called me by that pet name, standing there in the rain, it was like something out of the romantic of all romance movies, like one of those scenes from an old black-and-white that still drew me to tears. It melted my heart. I had once loved him with all my heart, mind, and soul, but I couldn’t understand why I was still so drawn to the man who had broken my heart so long ago. My heart cried out for him, and I wanted to feel those familiar arms wrapped around me once again. I couldn’t deny the strong impulses that demanded our reunion. I was a sad, lonely, lost little girl, still clutching remnants of the past that I didn’t want to let go of. He was my ex-boyfriend, but he was still a whole lot better than being alone. It only made matters worse that we broke up sort of accidentally. There was no fighting, no cheating. There was really nothing wrong with our relationship, and it was never broken or damaged. We simply broke up because he left to chase his dreams. That was what hurt so bad, that he simply chose to kick me to the curb when he was supposed to be walking me down the aisle. I wasn’t sure I could ever get over him, but I desperately needed to.
    “So you leave, come