Chapter 17: Chocolate chip cookies and history

I DIDN’T GET up the next morning. My eyes stayed closed until afternoon. By the time I showered—again—and rolled down the stairs, the house was silent. The key hook was empty and the car gone, so I figured Jocelyn had made good on her intent to hit the gym. Part of me wished I’d been able to go with her.

Instead, I went outside and walked around the woods. October in north central Florida meant it was still relatively mild, and hiking the paths that wound around and between the other townhouses helped clear my mind.

Once I’d stopped tossing and turning the night before, I’d slept deep. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that hit me hard when I woke up. Joss had been nothing but decent to me. She hadn’t asked for anything, she hadn’t pried. She’d opened her house up to me and cooked me dinner. And I acted like a class-A asshole. I took a deep breath and let it go, wishing I could take back the words.