Hey Sunshine by Tia Giacalone Read Free Book Online

pulled away slightly, trying to temper my reaction. He hadn’t known how to tell me that we were breaking up, that he was dumping every plan we ever had, so he just didn’t. And now he expected me to say it was fine, when my life had been turned upside down the day he left, and I’d spent the last four years reevaluating everything.
    The real answer was yes, it was okay. If Chase had never left, I wouldn’t have Annabelle. She was worth a million heartbreaks, a million desertions. If everything happens for a reason, then Chase would’ve left no matter what, even if he wrote me a hundred goodbye poems or tattooed my name over his heart, because Annabelle was supposed to be here, exactly as she is.
    And if Chase is supposed to be my endgame, the love of my life, then he would be, no matter what stupid things came out of his mouth in the meantime, or how many sleepless nights he'd caused me, or all the weeks I'd spent crying after he left. Right?
    “It’s okay,” I said softly. I didn’t meant it and it didn’t sound genuine, but Chase didn’t notice. Or maybe he did, and one of us was just better at pretending than the other.

Chapter 5
    Despite my best intentions, over the next few days I found myself looking for Fox when I was out and about. My curiosity was at an all-time high but I couldn’t ask Chase any more questions without drawing suspicion.
    Honestly, my own motives were fuzzy at this point. I wanted to see him and yet I dreaded seeing him again. No man had sparked that reaction in me… well, ever. Those feelings are highly inappropriate and completely one-sided , I told myself sternly. It wasn’t even a crush, it was just a silly hormone thing. Chase was the guy in my life, and he deserved my undivided romantic attention. But that still didn’t stop me from craning my neck around while I ran my errands, hoping for a glimpse of that blond hair.
    The first time it happened, I was caught completely off guard, despite my hyper-vigilance. Heather had asked me to help her load and deliver an order for The Kitchen, and we were placing the last boxes of cookies in the backseat of my car when I spied a lone figure loping along the other side of the road toward us.
    There was something about the runner’s gait that made me notice him – it wanted to be strong and fluid but there was just a slight hesitation every few strides.
    “Is that Fox?” Heather asked from beside me. She shaded her eyes with her hand to get a better look.
    My face flushed immediately with recognition. Of course it was. The runner’s sleeveless shirt was damp with sweat, sticking to a well-muscled chest and torso. He had his unmistakeable blond hair tied back, but a bit of it escaped and fell down around his eyes. I tried not to stare as he got closer.
    “Hey, Fox!” Heather called, elbowing me in the ribs when I just stood there mutely. It was just as well because even though he barely spared us a wave and a small smile as he ran by, my face flamed a shade of red that had Heather teasing and cackling for what seemed like a solid fifteen minutes.
    “What is wrong with you, Avery? Fox got your tongue?” she laughed.
    I gave her a half-hearted shove. “Very funny.”
    “He sure is cute, and polite, and has that broody dangerous thing going on… Did Chase bring home some competition?” She raised an eyebrow at me.
    “Shut up, Heather, and let’s just deliver the damn cookies, okay?” I grumbled.
    After that, Fox was everywhere. I saw him running most mornings when I dropped Annabelle off at preschool, and when I picked her up in the afternoons he was doing pull-ups and stretches on the old playground equipment across the street. Brancher didn’t have a proper gym except at the high school, so that seemed reasonable, but it was definitely a hazardous distraction for any passing motorist. I tried not to stare at him while he worked out, but the image of his tanned, defined arms effortlessly lifting and pulling his body weight