Booktree.ngIt-Starts-with-Us-Colleen-Hoover

“Yes, he is a god,” Allysa whispers.
What is he doing here?
And why does he look like a god? It makes the decision I’ve been
weighing that much more difficult. I can’t even find my voice long enough
to say hello to him. I just smile and wait for him to reach us, but the walk
from the door to the front counter seems like it’s expanded by a mile.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he makes his way over. When he
reaches us, he finally acknowledges Allysa with a smile. Then he looks
back at me as he sets a plastic bowl with a lid on the counter. “I brought you
lunch,” he says casually, as if he brings me lunch every day and I should
have been expecting it.
Ah, that voice. I forgot how far it reaches.
I grab the bowl, but I don’t know what to say with Allysa hovering next
to me, watching us interact. I glance at her and give her the look. She
pretends not to notice, but when I don’t stop staring at her, she eventually
yields.
“Fine. I’ll go flower the… flowers.” She walks away, giving us privacy.
I turn my attention back to the lunch Atlas brought. “Thank you. What is
it?”
“Our weekend special,” Atlas says. “It’s called why are you avoiding me
pasta.”
I laugh. Then I cringe. “I’m not avoid…” I shake my head with a quick
sigh, knowing I can’t lie to him. “I am avoiding you.” I lean my elbows
onto the counter and cover my face with my hands. “I’m sorry.”
Atlas is quiet, so I eventually look up at him. He seems sincere when he
says, “Do you want me to leave?”
I shake my head, and as soon as I do, his eyes crinkle a little at the
corners. It’s barely a smile, but it causes a warmth to tumble down my
chest.
Yesterday morning when I ran into him, I said so much. Now I’m too
confused to speak. I don’t know how I’m supposed to have a full-on
conversation with him about everything that’s been going through my mind
over the last twenty-four hours when I feel so tongue-tied around him.
He had the same impact on me when I was younger, but I was more
naïve back then. I didn’t know how rare men like Atlas were, so I didn’t
know how lucky I was to have him in my life.