Chapter 47
Karl pov
Kent pulled into the lot and parked near the edge, right where the gravel met the pavement. The car looked good, better than it needed to for a trip like this, Matte black, low to the ground, polished until the sum caught every edge. I stepped out, rolled my sleeves up, and straightened the collar of my shirt.
It was wear. I dicht’t mind.
I leaned against the side of the car, arns crossed, scanning the road. Another bus pulled in white and marked with the company logo, people started unloading
Not her.
I checked my watch, then looked up again, still nothing.
Kent walked over, holding his tablet, already halfway through some checklist. “That’s legal and compliance, their bus, Ellen’s group hasn’t arrived yet.”
I didn’t say anything. I kept looking.
Another few minutes passed, I glanced up again without realizing I was doing it. Another bus rolled in, my chest tightened for no good reason, then I saw her.
She stepped down second, hoodie up, sunglasses, bag shung across her shoulder, her head turned once and Landed straight on me, she met my eyes and then she looked away and kept walking
I cleared my throat and shifted my
Kent g
I gave me a side glance. “Sit”
I kept my eyes on her back. “I can’t for the life of me figure out what the hell is wrong with her, she’s been giving me an attitude and I can’t figure out why
Kent didn’t answer.
1 took a step forward, ready to go:
o alter her and ask her directly, no games or guessing but a voice cut in before I could.
“Hi stranger,” Gypsy said.
I looked to my left, she was already next to me, sunglasses on, bright smile, hand slipping around my arm.
“You weren’t gonna say hi?” she asked.
I looked over her shoulder, trying to catch another glimpse but Ellen was gone,
Just like that..
I clenched my jaw, took a breath, and looked at Gypsy.
Gypsy kept her hand on my a
arm as we stood near the cars. She leaned in closer.
“Can we go talk somewhere?” she asked. “I have something I need to say?
I nodded once, no point dragging it out, better to get it over with now before the rest of the weekend turned into a circus.
We walked along the start of the trail, just past where the trees got thick and the other staff hadn’t started unloading yet. She kicked a few loose stones out of her path, arms crossed tight, moving fast like she was nervous.
We stopped near a break in the trees, no one was around.
She turned to face me.
“Look, she said, “I know things have been different lately
I waited. She wasn’t the type to pause unless she was building up to something.
We broke up because you were an ass, Karl. You were cold. You didn’t know how to love anyone properly.” She took a step closer. “But I
10:42 AM
Chapter 17
see what you’ve been doing. All of this it’s so obvious. You went through this much trouble to get me back.”
1 kept
my arms crossed.
She smiled a little. “And I can’t say it’s gone unnoticed.”
I didn’t respond
She stepped in again and reached up, looping her arms slowly around my neck. She looked at me like she already knew the answer.
“Let’s start over,” she said. “Forget what happened.”
I didn’t move, my hands stayed at my sides.
“Gypsy.” I said, voice low, “I don’t know what to say.”
Her smile faltered. “Why, am I lying?” she asked, brushing her fingers against the side of my neck, “you’re not even trying to deny it.”
I exhaled through my nose and looked away for a second.
She was right. I didn’t try to stop her because part of me had thought maybe she’d say this. Maybe this whole thing, the contract, the appearance, maybe it had been about her, at least at the start.
I looked back at her. “I mean… no, you’re right” I said. “I did do all of this to get you back.”
The second I said it, something in my gut turned.
I didn’t know if I even believed it anymore.
Her
gaze shifted. I noticed her eyes lock on something behind me but before I could turn around, her hands tightened at the back of my neck and she pulled me in
She kissed me, hard.
I didn’t move, I didn’t kiss her back, my eyes stayed open and then I heard the sound, rustling behind us, shoes on dry leaves. I turned
Ellen was standing there.
五
