Fearless, Abby Brooks [leveled readers .txt] 📗

I don’t get it all out now, I might never get it out at all. I loved you, Alex Prescott. I loved you in a way I didn’t expect and I miss you every day, but I am so grateful to have had you in my life, even for the heartbeat of time we were together.” I jostled my binder out of my arms and handed it to him. “I wrote a book and I think it might be good. Okay, I know it’s good and you’re in there just as much as I’m in here.” I held out his book, then realized I had no idea where to go from there.

In the car, I’d stopped myself from speaking about what I wanted out of my trip to Wildrose Landing. I’d hoped to show up and say something magical that would bring Alex and me back together.

I didn’t know how to handle the fact that he was on a date and the entire restaurant watched me pour my heart out, only to walk away with my tail between my legs. Because the truth was, I didn’t want to walk away. I loved it here. I loved the people, the places…

I loved Alex.

“Anyway, I guess that’s all I have to say.” I blinked as tears started to form. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your date, though I’m sure everyone who follows Greta’s Facebook page will be thrilled for the update.”

I turned to leave just in time to see Greta herself whip out her phone, her thumbs flying over the screen like a madwoman.

A chair scraped against the floor as I beelined for the exit. “Evie!”

I turned as Alex caught up to me, pulled me into his arms and kissed me until I forgot to breathe. Cheers went up throughout the restaurant. Applause broke out. Someone screamed, “Yes!” while others laughed in delight.

Chaos erupted around us, but the only thing that mattered was his lips on mine. My heart beat a triumphant rhythm, and I pressed my hands against his back, until Alex broke the kiss and leaned his forehead to mine.

“I don’t think your date is going to appreciate you making out with another woman,” I whispered as my breath heaved through my lungs.

A low rumble of laughter sounded in his chest. “Brighton’s my agent. I’m leaving on a book tour in the morning and—”

I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I kissed him so hard, so full, so deep because if he wasn’t on a date than I’d been right to come see him. I’d been right when I read his book and heard, “I love you, Evie” in every single beat, chapter, and scene.

“I am so sorry for everything I said. I didn’t mean it.” Alex’s hands stroked my face and his eyes begged me to understand. “I thought you’d be better off without me, but I’m nothing without you. I love you. I need you.”

“I love you too.” I placed my hand on his chest and smiled up at him. “But please, for the love of everything holy, never do anything like this again. I get to decide what’s right for me.”

“It’s a deal, beautiful.” He swept me into his arms again, his fingers threading into my hair. Another cheer went up through the restaurant, but it didn’t hold a candle to what was happening in my heart.

Chapter Forty-Three

Evie

Six months later

“Izzy Prescott!” I pushed through the doors of Sweet Stuff and pulled up short to find Jude leaning on the counter and Izzy blushing from head to toe. The second she saw me, she bolted and wrapped me in a hug.

“How’s my favorite writer?” she asked, her eyes wide and her heart pounding so hard I didn’t know how she didn’t drop dead on the spot.

“I’m fine,” Alex said as he stepped into the shop behind me.

Izzy rolled her eyes and slapped him on the arm. “I wasn’t talking about you. I was, in fact, talking about Evie.”

“You wound me, sister.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Who’da thought I’d be so easily replaced?”

“Don’t act so surprised.” Jude studied the wall of gummy candy. “Evie is way nicer than you. And her book is sitting one step above yours on the New York Times bestsellers list.”

Alex wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. When my debut novel launched like a rocket, he’d been so proud of me, he’d just stare at me with this goofy grin on his face. Two days after my book hit the bestsellers lists, Drew Stephens released a new book.

It flopped.

Hard.

Critics questioned if it was even written by the same person and an ‘anonymous’ tip leaked the truth of what he did to me. He went down, kicking and screaming while my book steadily climbed the ranks.

“Since when did you care about that kind of stuff?” Alex asked Jude.

“Since our sweet Evie started whoopin’ your ass.” He pounded Alex on the arm, dropped me a wink, and said a quick goodbye to Izzy before he disappeared out the door.

She sagged against the counter as soon as he was out of sight. Her attraction to him was so obvious, I had no clue how neither Alex nor Jude seemed to notice.

“What can I do for you two lovebirds on this fine summer day?” She held up a hand. “Wait, wait, wait. Lemme guess. Genius nuggets. Two bags?”

We laughed as the door pressed open again. Jack stumbled through with three shrieking children running in circles around him. He gave an apologetic glance to Izzy and broke into a wide grin when he saw Alex. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said, though the rest of the sentence was devoured by an adorable little girl launching herself onto his back and begging him to be her pony.

I use the word adorable lightly, mind you.

Izzy plucked the wild child off his back and Jack raked a hand through his hair. “I told them I’d reward them for not killing today’s sitter. Seeing as