The Bookworm's Guide to Faking (The Bookworm's Guide #2) - Emma Hart Page 0,8

would have told her that yesterday if she’d let me finish before she’d gone on her tirade about my usage of the word ‘but.’ However correct she was about it.

I blew out a breath and stepped out into the cooler air. The retirement home was about fifteen degrees too hot for my liking—yet another reason I couldn’t live with my grandfather—so the colder November air was a relief.

I got into my truck and started the engine. I’d only been cleared to drive for around a week, but I was so glad to have my freedom back. To have it back in my hometown was a blessing.

My entire life had been turned upside down thanks to my injury. Coming home had made this more bearable for me.

It was just a shame I’d come home ten years sooner than I’d planned.

I pulled away from the retirement home and headed in the direction of town. Since I’d seen my doctor this morning then had an appointment with my physical therapist, I was dressed in clothes fit for a workout and needed a walk to clear my head.

I wasn’t sure I’d think about much except for the mess that was my life or Holley Stuart, but a walk up to Peak Place was called for.

I pulled up behind the ice cream place and grabbed a beanie from the passenger seat. It was emblazoned with the logo of my team, and I pulled it over my head so it covered my ears, then got out.

There was only one other car in the parking lot. I gave it a glance as I headed for the trail that would lead me up to Peak Place, then quickly checked my phone. I only had a message from my sister reminding me that I had my final suit fitting at four-thirty this afternoon, but it was barely after lunch, so I had plenty of time to take my walk, shower, and head to the tailor to get it done.

I responded that I wouldn’t forget and made my way to the trail start. Her wedding was one week today, and my entire family was walking on eggshells. She’d been planning this day officially for two years, unofficially for the last twenty-five, and the only person she hadn’t yelled at was me.

That was what happened when you paid for your sister’s dream wedding venue.

A venue I knew would be dusted in snow this weekend since it was halfway up a mountain.

I shivered just thinking about it.

Not to mention that I was in desperate need of a date.

It wasn’t like I was short of options. I was, by all accounts, pretty damn good looking. I was also a rich baseball player, and that apparently worked in my favor.

The only problem was that all the options saw that.

The rich baseball player.

That, and I didn’t want to take any of those women to my sister’s wedding.

And the one woman I wanted to ask had, twenty-four hours ago, threatened to tear my rotator cuff again.

I was also pretty certain she never wanted to see me again.

If that wasn’t the making of a good date, I didn’t know what was.

Ever since our senior prom, my one regret was that I’d never sat Holley down and spoken to her. Back then, we were nothing more than kids. Sure, at eighteen, we thought we knew everything and could never be wrong.

Ironically, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

After that night, when she’d caught me kissing her high school bully, I’d left her alone. She’d demanded that I didn’t go near her and ordered me to never speak to her again, and I’d listened to her.

Eighteen-year-old Sebastian had done exactly what she wanted, thinking she’d come around. I’d thought I was doing the right thing by respecting her wishes and giving her the space she so obviously needed after I’d hurt her.

Twenty-seven-year-old Sebastian regretted every moment of that.

I wish I’d had the confidence to make her listen. I wish I’d had the sense of self to sit her down and tell her what I needed to tell her even without caring whether she wanted to hear it or not.

Now, for the first time in years, I had the chance to make it right.

I was home for long enough that I could bug the shit out of Holley until she did just that—listened to me and learned the truth about that awful fucking night.

Until she learned that thanks to the darkness of that room and two red dresses that were barely