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Chapter 146
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The Bound Collection Chapter 147
I stood in the spot he left me in when he returned with towels from the dryer. He set them on the counter, turned off the water in the now full tub, and removed his clothes. I watched in a trance until he was before me with nothing on. With my hand in his, he stepped over the side of the bathtub and then helped me in. The garden tub was made for two, and I nestled myself between his legs while he leaned back. The bubbles created a cover, hiding our bodies except for the parts of us not under the water. My fingers fidgeted nervously with the white foam until he took my hand and wound his fingers between mine.He might have been waiting for me to start, but I didn't know what to say. The silence was painful, and I ran through the scenarios of how this might play out...none of which ended well."What was his name?" The words of inquiry fanned out against my skin like a warm blanket. They were gentle and softly spoken, inviting me to open up about a piece of me I hadn't shared with anyon
The Bound Collection Chapter 148
My night had been restless, and just as quiet as the evening after Dan and I had gotten out of the bathtub. He left after dinner and went to Brett's house, but I didn't have the courage to ask him what he'd done while he was there. He returned in the same mood he'd left in, the one he was known for. To an outsider, he appeared unwavering-but I knew with time to think about it, he'd decide he couldn't stay."Did you want to get a new dress for tomorrow?" "For what?""To go to the courthouse? Or do you want to do the whole thing off the wall and wear jeans?" He kept unloading the dishwasher like he had asked what I needed from the grocery store. "I didn't think we were still doing that?" Maybe he'd taken up drinking.He turned toward me suddenly, dropping a dishtowel he'd used to dry his hands with. "What are you talking about? You said Monday. Tomorrow is Monday.""Dan...""No, don't Dan me. Has something changed that you don't want to marry me now?"Oh, for the love of God. I
The Bound Collection Chapter 149
I had called repeatedly, but each try had gone straight to voicemail. Either his phone was off, or it died without being charged overnight. I didn't want to speculate about which it was. I drove as quickly as I could and slammed the SUV in park in the first spot I could find before racing into the courthouse. I followed the signs to the Justice of the Peace, but when I reached the office, completely out of breath, Dan was nowhere to be found. The clock on the wall read 10:11 am. My eyes scanned the room, making sure to identify each person as a stranger before moving on to the next face. Surely, he hadn't left after ten minutes. He had to know I'd come. A guy slammed into my shoulder in his haste to rush out of the office, not even bothering to apologize for nearly knocking me over. But standing stock-still in the middle of the doorway probably wasn't the best idea. I just couldn't believe he'd left. I waited for hours for Matt to show up at the hospital, but Dan hadn't waited ten lo
The Bound Collection Chapter 150: Epilogue
Our story didn't stop at the courthouse. We had dinner with Brett and Annie that night and hovered around their kitchen table. My best friends allowed me to share Joshua with them and gave life to his memory. I showed them the only pictures I still had while holding Alissa in my arms. She smiled up at me as if she knew. That tiny human connected with me on a level she may never understand, but somehow, she knew-without Joshua, she wouldn't be here. Watching her run around with her friends as we celebrated her birth five years later, I couldn't help but think how foolish it would have been to walk away from all of this. Dan and I would never have children, but what we had was far better for us. Annie and Brett were more like siblings than friends, and their kids were amazing. We got to spoil them, take them anywhere we wanted, and send them home. We had family at holidays and special occasions, and we never missed out on anything either Grayson or Alissa were doing. But at the end of
The Bound Collection Chapter 1: Bound-Prologue
"Hello?" I answered softly. I'd been crying but hoped he didn't notice. I kept my voice quiet as I waited for him to say something. "Bird Dog..." The sound of my nickname on his lips nearly broke me in two. No matter how hard I tried, he still lingered in the back of my mind. Our memories, those we shared together, floated to the surface. "Hey, Gray." The sorrow was evident in my voice. I couldn't stop the hiccup or the crack of emotion as his name crossed my lips. I wasn't surprised he didn't ask me why I was crying. He should've known, but even if he didn't, at this stage in the game, he wouldn't question it. The real issue was why he was on the line with me to begin with. "Why are you calling me?""Do you still love me?" His question was blunt and straight to the point. I'd asked myself that question repeatedly over the last year but wondered why he needed that answer now, of all days and times, why this instant did he want me to profess my undying love to him. "What?"
The Bound Collection Chapter 2
A man had to have invented stilettos. No woman in her right mind would have ever set out to stuff her feet into a shoe held up by a toothpick-a stick that ensured she suffered every pound of flesh she carried with each step she took. I abhorred heels and the clink they made on the concrete. And right now, it was all I heard as I made my way to the back corner of the distribution center for my meeting. The noise was so loud it drowned out the shrill beeps of the forklifts taking boxes from racks that were roughly three stories tall, or at least, with the fluorescent bulbs and skylights, they seemed that high.Places like these weren't unfamiliar. I no longer felt uncomfortable with the lack of windows and industrial feel of the facility. Working at the consulting firm, I'd been in my fair share of warehouses and manufacturing facilities, my latest endeavor, a local distribution center, 3 Tier Auto. Searching for the managers' offices, I zigzagged through a maze of aisles that conta
The Bound Collection Chapter 3
I managed to find my way home in the bewildered state I'd left the distribution center-how, I'm not sure. The surroundings of my apartment complex went unnoticed as I pulled in. I didn't even see the beautiful landscapes that encompassed the quiet complex where I paid so dearly to live. As if my feet weren't already hurting after a full day in heels, they were about dead by the time I made the hike up to the third-floor apartment. When I finally reached my door, I threw it open, tossed my bag down by the door, and promised myself I'd work on the proposal before I crashed tonight. My first priority was ditching the confining clothes that sucked the life from my pores. I dropped them on the floor and made my way to my bedroom, where I fell face-first onto my bed, asleep before my feet left the ground.The blaring drone of my obnoxious alarm clock startled me back to consciousness. I cursed myself, realizing I'd hit snooze one too many times. Running late for class, I hightailed it to t
The Bound Collection Chapter 4
I was high as a kite when I unlocked the door to Walton's. Thank God it was Friday, and everyone had left at five, or I'd be showing my ass when I walked in all glassy-eyed and giggly. Stepping into the office, I acknowledged the stuffy interior-it was a beautiful space, but so highbrow I felt slightly suffocated at times. I pushed through the heavy door and passed the offices that all looked similar to my own but with slightly different color schemes to reach my door. Clutching my bag and the note from my car, I strolled through the doorway to perch my ass in the leather chair behind my massive mahogany desk. This was a tough industry, price competitive and cutthroat. People worked years to get in with a top firm; most of them stepped on people's faces while they climbed the corporate ladder. My parents had owned a consulting firm all my life-different industry than the one I worked in, but consulting all the same. I'd spent most of my childhood and teen years working in their offi
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- The Bound Collection Chapter 150: Epilogue
- The Bound Collection Chapter 149
- The Bound Collection Chapter 148
- The Bound Collection Chapter 147
- The Bound Collection Chapter 146
- The Bound Collection Chapter 145
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- The Bound Collection Chapter 143
- The Bound Collection Chapter 142
