Free Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1) by Caroline Spencer Page B

weren’t important to me.”
    “You never once thought about popping onto Facebook and searching them out? You and Sam were really close?” I ask him, my eyebrows furrowing.
    He chuckles to himself, “Facebook? No. It’s hard being on that thing. I know I’m not world known or famous or anything, but you get some crazy ass women stalking you. I prefer to keep everything, you know, real.” Chucking a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth.
    I keep my mouth shut for a few moments, hating the fact that he’s a man whore these days and I keep forgetting that women flock at his feet for split seconds. Each time I do, the realization that he isn’t mine anymore or that I’m not the one he’s planning a future with, like we used to, kind of breaks me-a tiny piece of my heart crashing to the limestone floor, one fragment at a time.
    “Are you happy?” I ask, staring blankly at the movie again. “You never wanted this life. The money, cars, pressure to succeed, it’s strange to see you have all of that and enjoy it, something you said you’d never do.”
    I don’t look at him, but I can feel him looking at me. I feel like he’s assessing me, weighing up my questioning. “You’re right, I never wanted it, but, things change, people change. I never planned on walking in these footprints, not once. But, I guess I thought I’d give it a shot. I was given the opportunity to build the building you work in and I took it. It all worked out in the end.”
    I slowly look at him, feeling guilty for some unknown reason. “The building? You built that?”
    “Yeah. He said he was retiring and was going to start an accounting company. He wanted a building to work in and extra floors to lease out to keep money coming in. He was happy with it so he handed his baby down to me.”
    “Oh.” I mouth. I stretch my hand over and go to grab a handful of popcorn, when his hand latches round my wrist. I look at him wide eyed. “What?”
    He smiles roguishly again, “You could always come over here and share the popcorn, you don’t have to be miles away. I thought we were meant to be acting like the old us? You never sat that far away.”
    I chew on my lip, thinking back to the other things we used to do. “I don’t know. I know we’re trying to re-live the past ‘n’ all that, but don’t you think you’re rushing the old “getting comfy” together think? I’m not saying that things will be exactly like the used to be but, if they ever did, do you want to rush it and ruin it?”
    Like he’s just ignored everything I’ve just said, he lifts the popcorn bowl and hauls me across the couch, positions me between his legs, covers us up with the duvet and rests the bowl in my lap. “For now, I don’t care.” He says, matter-of-factly in my ear, sending a slight shiver down my spine, making me squirm. “I wouldn’t keep doing that.” He adds and I can’t help but laugh, even though I’m against the idea of being like this. It feels right, but wrong all at the same time. I don’t want to get too attached because I can guarantee he’ll hate me when the time comes.
    I relax against his chest and start nibbling on the popcorn, feeling content for now, watching the movie with a stupid grin that I haven’t worn since I was seventeen. Occasionally, his hand winds round me and he takes his own popcorn. We say nothing for a while, just quiet, no arguing, no reminiscing, nothing.
    At around eight, my eyelids start to drop. I rest my head against his chest, hating that I’m falling asleep so early.
    Feeling his breath softly on my neck, I waken a little bit more. “Are you falling asleep?” he whispers.
    I nod, unable to talk, like it’s too much of an effort.
    “Am I that boring?”
    “No,” I whisper, “I’m just too comfortable and relaxed like this, I’m sorry.”
    His chest vibrates softly under my ear. “Don’t be, I’m glad you are.”
    Even though I’m dog tired, I manage to hike myself to look at him and scowl.