What If You

my God.” I let out a groan as I exploded inside her.
The corners of her mouth curved upward as I dropped my hand to the counter and stared into her eyes as I tried to regain my breath. Pulling out of her, I reached down and picked up her panties and shirt from the floor. Handing them to her with a smile, I spoke, “I really missed that.”
“So did I.” She grinned as she hopped off the counter.
Everly
We snuggled together in my bed. Falling asleep in his arms was easy and I was happy he came to Providence. I loved him. For the first time in my life, I was in love. Being away from him hurt my heart every day. A hurt I hadn’t experienced before. The kind of hurt that lingered and no matter what I did, I always felt it. Now what? What happens when he goes back to New York? Did he feel the same about me? I didn’t know because I’d grown too close to him.
I woke up and looked at the clock which read three a.m. I was thirsty so I decided to go down to the kitchen for a bottle of water. When I flipped the light switch, I saw my grandmother standing there. A great sadness tore through me.
“Grandma, no.” Tears started to fall down my face.
“It’s okay, Everly. We knew it was a matter of time. Tell Daniel and Diana that I love them very much, and I will always be watching over them and that sweet baby of theirs.”
“I will.” I swallowed hard.
“Dry your eyes, my sweet girl. You know this isn’t the end.”
“I know.” I nodded my head as I wiped my tears. “But I needed more time.”
“You’re going to be okay, and life will go on. You have a long life ahead of you, Everly.” She smiled at me. “There’s something you need to do. You must tell Asher the truth. He has the right to know, Everly. No matter what the cost.”
“It’s going to hurt him, and he’s already been through enough.”
“It doesn’t matter. In order for him to be free of the pain, he needs to know the truth.”
“Everly?” I heard Asher’s voice from behind. “Were you just talking to someone?”
Turning around, I looked at him with teary eyes.
“What’s wrong?” He gripped my shoulders.
“My grandmother passed away.”
“What? How do—” He pulled me into a tight embrace.
“She was just here.” I interrupted him. “I need to call Daniel.”
“Your phone is on the nightstand.”
He hooked his arm around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder as we walked up the stairs.

28


Three Days Later
Everly
“That was a lovely service,” Mrs. Riley spoke as she took hold of my hands. “Your grandmother was so proud of you, Everly.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Riley.”
She was the last guest to leave the house after the luncheon had ended. While Diana and Daniel were in the kitchen cleaning up, I took a seat on the couch for a moment.
“I was looking for you,” Asher spoke as he sat down next to me.
“I was saying goodbye to Mrs. Riley.”
“Everly, I’m sorry but I need to get back to New York. There are some major issues going on with one our properties, and I need to get back.”
“I understand. I have a lot to do around here, anyway.”
He hooked his arm around me and pulled me into him.
“It was a beautiful service.” He kissed the side of my head. “The jet is coming to pick me up in a couple of hours. Are you going to be okay? I know how it feels after losing a loved one.”
“I’m fine.” I gave him a small smile. “I appreciate you worrying about me, but don’t. I’ll be okay. Thank you for coming here.”
“Of course. Thank you for letting me stay with you in this beautiful home.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” I gave him a light smile.
“I’ve called a car service to come pick me up, so I better get upstairs and get my things together.”
“Okay. I’m going to help Diana and Daniel clean up.”
He pressed his lips against my forehead and went upstairs. I didn’t want him to leave, but he was a busy man running a multi-billion-dollar company and he needed to be there. I understood to some extent, and I felt selfish for wanting him to stay longer. I had officially fallen in love with Asher Remington. Was it a good idea? Absolutely not. I knew how he felt about relationships and I knew he was incapable of giving love back.
One Week Later
Daniel and Diana left for New York shortly after the reading of our grandmother’s will. The shop had been closed since the night my grandmother passed away and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. The only time I’d heard from Asher was the day he went back to New York. He’d sent me a text message that night asking how I was doing. I was grateful for that, but I hadn’t heard anything from him since. Not only was I dealing with the sadness of my grandmother’s passing, I was also dealing with the sadness I felt since Asher left. I hated myself for letting these feelings come full circle, but I couldn’t help it. Like my gift, I had no control over them for I felt a connection to his soul. Something I had never felt with any man before. I could no longer see anything with Asher. Anything relevant, that is. I’d grown too close to him and that’s how it worked.
Later that evening, as I was sitting on the couch watching The Bachelorette, my phone rang, and it was Daniel.
“Hello?”
“Hey. How are you?”
“I’m okay. How are you?”
“I’m okay. Listen, Everly. Diana and I want you to move to New York. You shouldn’t be in Rhode Island by yourself when you have family here. Now that Tillie is gone, you have no reason to stay there.”
“It’s too soon for