Free Things Remembered (Accidentally On Purpose Companion Novel #3) by L.D. Davis Page B

proven to me today that you can’t walk and talk at the same time,” he’d teased. “I want to talk to you without rushing, in a setting where you are very unlikely to get hit by a car.”
    I’d pinched my lips to keep myself from laughing, but my humor faded quickly.
    Everything was happening too fast. He had just tumbled back into my life a few days before. I still found myself reeling from his return, as well as all the things he had told me in the few short minutes we had spent together. Those minutes had not cleared away the anger, pain, and resentment I had borne with me for thirteen years. Although I had tolerated Grant’s appearances—just barely—I didn’t have to give him anything more than what he had already taken.
    “Where do you want to meet?” he’d asked.
    Clearing my throat, I’d adopted his air of casualness. “Nowhere. I’m not going to have lunch with you.”
    He was undeterred by my rejection.
    “Because you’re still bitter.” He’d said it as a fact and not as a question.
    “Yes, I’m still bitter,” I’d said, incredulous. “Our little tête-à-tête this morning didn’t fix anything between us.”
    “No, it didn’t fix anything. But will you be any less bitter if you don’t have lunch with me on Saturday?”
    I’d shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “No, but—”
    “I know you’re scared, but—”
    “I’m not scared!” I savagely objected.
    He’d raised his voice and talked right over me. “ But , it’s just lunch, Mayson. It’s just food and light conversation. So, even though you are afraid—”
    “I’m not afraid!” I’d lied.
    “I’m glad to hear it. What time should I pick you up?”
    The note of satisfaction in his voice had made me clench my fist with irritation.
    “Twelve-thirty, and don’t be late!” I’d slammed the phone down before he could say anything more.
    I had to take a few minutes to calm down and to slow my heart rate back to normal levels.
    “At least, I’ll have my freakin’ mornings back,” I’d said aloud to myself.
    However, my Friday morning didn’t feel like my other mornings before Grant. I used to walk to work in my own bubble, blissfully oblivious to the people around me and my surroundings, but the bliss had vanished. People probably casually glanced at me every day, but my heart jerked every time I discovered a pair of eyes on me. I looked over my shoulder so often, that by the time I got to work my neck ached.
    Admittedly, I’d searched for Grant, but I also kept a watchful eye for other faces that held some familiarity. What if someone else decided to follow me around? Grant had done it so easily. It wasn’t unreasonable for me to believe that anyone else could do it.
    “Maaaayson,” Emmy sung out my name, bringing me back to our phone conversation.
    “What?”
    “Were you listening?”
    “Not really,” I admitted.
    While I was zoned out, it seemed that everyone’s kids started to wake up around the same time. I could hear Tabitha’s muffled voice as she scolded a child—or her husband, I wasn’t really sure which. Emmy threatened bodily harm to her oldest child, Lucas, and young Emily cried on Donya’s end. I held the phone away from my ear as I listened to the cacophony of motherhood.
    Tabitha’s voice rose over the noise. “Leo wants to know if you can go ahead of us a couple days to the house to let the cleaning service in and make sure everything is ready.”
    I didn’t really want to go to the house like the help and let the other help in, but I was only an hour away from the house. “Yeah, sure.”
    “Is anyone else super excited?” Emmy asked fervently.
    There was a general murmur of agreement from the other girls as I blandly said, “Stoked. Are we finished? You all have children waiting to suckle at your breasts, and I actually have things to do.”
    “Your Saturdays are usually spent on your couch in front of the television while you eat enormous amounts of ice cream,” Emmy