A part of her felt so brave for having the guts to say that. She’d wished she’d said it seven years ago when he’d first left for France, but now that she had…a new emptiness filled her heart. She wished she could take the words back. “I can’t let you break my heart again. We’re better off being old friends. At least now we’re not enemies.” Only the truth was, no matter how much she’d tried to convince herself that she was over Andrew, her heart was still broken from all those years ago.

He opened his mouth, and then closed it. Without a word, he opened the door and got out of the car. Without looking back, he climbed behind the wheel of his car and sped off down Main Street.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Andrew paused with his hand on the front door of his parents’ house. It was still early, and there was no way he could sleep now. He turned and sat down on the top step of the front porch.

As much as it hurt to walk away from Kelly, he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and push her further away either. Walking away had seemed to be the best option, and as awful as that should have made him feel…it didn’t really. Happiness filled him when he was near her.

Even still rallying from the jet lag and being up all night, he was ready to conquer anything.

He’d played the role of student in France and had followed the path that had unfolded for him, and he’d excelled. But that was nothing compared to how he’d felt standing next to Kelly, creating for the sheer joy of doing it…that was real.

Is it the creativity I’ve missed? Or Kelly?

It had been so easy to be with her again. Her laugh still tickled him. He loved the way she pursed her lips when she was thinking, and her sheer delight in the finished product—as if it had been luck, rather than her talent.

He wished now that he’d gone in for that kiss last night when they’d been working the pliable sugar. It had taken everything he had not to put his lips to hers. He was sure she’d felt the same connection too, or at least something.

But he’d hurt her, and there was no making up for that in one night of walking down memory lane. That much he knew.

The door opened behind him, and he spun around.

“Your bed wasn’t slept in last night.” Mom stepped out on the front porch. “Where have you been?”

Why do I feel like I’m sixteen and caught sneaking in after curfew all over again? The thought made him chuckle. “I told you I was going to take a ride.”