Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Is it getting hot in here? “Maybe someday, but not today.”
“Okay. Fair enough.”
Our food arrived, and thankfully the subject changed. Owen told me about some of the luxury properties he’d sold recently, and I talked about how I’d been managing my casting-agent duties remotely.
After we finished our meal, Owen wiped his mouth and looked at me like he wanted to say something. “I’ve always wanted to ask you something…” he began.
“Okay.”
“The first night we met… If you’d come to town to take care of Heath and Hannah, what were you doing at that bar?”
“Are you judging me?”
“Hell no.” He shook his head. “I’m very grateful for that night. Just curious what made you go there.”
I sighed. “I’d just gotten into town, and I was stressed about how I was going to handle everything. A friend of my mother’s here in the City—a really nice woman named Laurice—came by the apartment and saw how frazzled I was. She’s one of those rare people who understands my mother’s true colors but somehow stays friends with her anyway. She told me she’d give the kids dinner and look after them for the evening while I went out for a breather. I took advantage of her hospitality—a little too much.”
“I should probably thank Laurice, then.”
I blushed, and when I looked back up, Owen was staring at me intently.
“I don’t get too much time alone with you, so I’m just gonna say this before we both have to go back to work.” He lowered his voice and leaned in. “I think about our evening together a lot. Not just for the obvious reasons, but because… I was broken before that. That’s something you don’t know about me. I’d been unable to feel anything for anyone in a very long time. And you brought me out of that. It was a great night—even if that’s all it was, one night. And even if we’re never anything more than friends, Devyn, I want you to know you’re someone I won’t forget.”
I said nothing. Why had he been broken?
“If you’re definitely going back to California, it is probably best if we don’t date,” he added. “You’re not the type of girl I’d want to just mess around with and walk away from. You’re going through a lot. And you’re right, you don’t need any more complications. So, I want you to know I respect why you’ve been hesitant with me. I don’t blame you at all.”
“Why were you broken, Owen?” I asked. “Did someone hurt you?”
He ran his finger along his glass and shook his head. “It’s not as dramatic as that. I don’t have a clear answer as to why.” He stared off for a moment. “It’s been strange watching two of my best friends fall in love while I’ve been unable to feel anything for anyone, unable to relate to their experiences. I’ve always kept busy with work, and everyone thinks I just have no time for more in my life.” He paused. “But the truth is, there’s always time for the things you really want.”
“So you want to find someone to spend your life with?”
“I do. But I’m not in any rush. I couldn’t care less if I get married or have kids. But I do want a connection with someone—the right person. It can’t be forced, just because you feel like you’re at a certain age or need to keep up with your friends.” He looked beyond me for a moment. “I think I changed a lot after our friend Ryan passed away. Part of me died with him. And that might have something to do with the funk I’d been in for so long. It made me more apathetic and closed off.” Owen shut his eyes for a moment. “All this to say, no one I’d met in all that time did it for me. Until you.”
My heart fluttered. Owen and I were more similar than I’d thought. “Marriage and kids are not something I need to be fulfilled, either,” I said. “I have a great career that I’m very proud of and don’t need all that much more. I get annoyed when people assert that you need to have those things to be happy. I think part of the reason I’ve hung onto whatever I had going with the actor I told you about is that I haven’t wanted anything complicated.”
“Have you ever been in love?” Owen asked.
“No. And I don’t know if I’m capable, to be honest.”
He frowned. “Really?”
“I’d prefer not to get into it right now, but basically my family life—or lack thereof—trained me not to get too attached to anyone.”
Owen nodded and didn’t push for more. “I’ve never been in love, either,” he said. “All of my friends have been at one time or another. And I’ve felt happy for them—don’t get me wrong. But I’ve also felt detached from their joy, because of my own hang-ups.”