Between Octobers Bk 1, Savor The Days Series by A.R. Rivera Read Free Book Online

I taped on a smile and made an effort to sit down and eat so he
could see that I was really and truly going to be fine. I even made
a little conversation, mostly shallow observations about the
appropriately gray weather and my hair.
    Lily barely spoke, wrapped in her own
thoughts about the bleak anniversary.
    When I heard the car out front, I grabbed my
purse and made for the garage door. Turning to give a last goodbye,
Noah shot me a half-smile as if to say, “Some things never change.”
Avoiding Maria was normal and he took comfort in that.
     
    My feet hurt. I had seen every exhibit in
the Science Museum dozens of times. There were several pictures of
us in this place in the phone. Maybe that was what drew me there
that day.
    I chose a seat at a small table in the back
of a café I visited each time I came. My stomach was growling. I
set my purse on the other side of the table to fill the empty space
and asked the punctual waitress for water.
    I forgot my book of crosswords and had
nothing to kill the time with. Adjusting myself in the hard metal
chair, I felt the pinch of my bank card cutting into my thigh.
While moving it to its’ proper place, inspiration struck. There
were dozens of receipts to account for tucked in my wallet, and
with any luck I could fill the next hour calculating.
    The receipts were organized by date, stacked
on my right. I double checked that all of them had been added to my
checkbook, and then took out my pocket calculator. Slumped over my
work, deep into computations, I heard the sound of footsteps and
cautiously covered my balance sheet.
    A dark chuckle sounded directly behind
me.
    “Cheese and crackers!” My hands clutched at
my heart as I turned.
    It was him. Tall, slightly leaning,
unintentionally handsome and looking right at me. “Hello, Gracie,”
he greeted me. The alluring accent lingered with his smile,
enjoying my three-alarm surprise to his stealthy approach.
    “ You scared the crap out of
me!”
    “Sorry, but I wasn’t sneaking up on
you.”
    “It’s alright, uh…”
    “Evan,” he reminded me, grinning.
    “Evan,” I nodded, “that’s right.”
    “It is nice to see you again, Gracie.” He
took my hand between his, patting twice before he let go.
    “How have you been?”
    “I shouldn’t complain. And yourself?” He
stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and cocked his head
to one side.
    I couldn’t honestly say I was fine, and just
forced an awkward smile.
    “I’m glad to run into you. May I?” He
gestured to the empty chair.
    “ Please,” I scooped the pile of
receipts into my purse. The mess would give me something to do
later.
    “ Am I interrupting?” he hesitated,
smoothing his hair between his fingers and hiding it beneath the
hood of his sweatshirt.
    “I was trying to keep busy. I hate sitting
alone. It feels like everyone is staring.”
    His eyes scanned the area. “No one’s looking
now.”
    “ Now that I have someone to talk to,”
my voice cracked on the last word. I clamped my mouth
shut.
    His hand was still stationed on the empty
chair. He was quietly staring, possibly having second thoughts
about socializing with a basket case. I wanted him to stay, to help
me pass the time, to make my life a little more bearable for a
moment with the balm of his company.
    He just stood there. The silence was
painful.
    As I was about to let him off the hook, his
face and neck flushed.
    “I have an ulterior motive,” he announced,
setting a rectangle on the table. “I found this in the lift. I
called your house this morning and the woman who answered told me
you were here. I wanted to see you. To give it back.”
    “My phone!” I snatched it from the table and
flipped it open. Immediately scrolling through the pictures, I
landed on one of Sol getting a face full of snow during the weekend
we spent at a mountain cabin. The image made my face pucker. I hid
it behind my hands.
    “I’d have had it back sooner, but the
chargers for this model