Page 44 of Until August

“You’re not me. You know your own worth. You don’t need a Michelin star to make you feel like you’ve achieved something or to make you feel like you matter.”

I used to know exactly who I was, but lately, I wasn’t sure I did. “That’s why you wanted a Michelin star? To feel like you’re worth something?”

He shrugged. “I never thought about it at the time, but I’ve had five years with a lot of time on my hands, so yeah, I figured some things out about myself. And that’s one of them. At the time, I needed all the acclaim and praise. I had something to prove and a giant chip on my shoulder weighing me down.”

“And now?”

“And now… I just want to work with you.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “Why? Because nobody else will hire you?”

“No. Because I think that together, we can create magic.”

Coming from anyone else, it would have sounded like a cheesy line, but August was a cool guy, and it didn’t sound even remotely corny when he said it.

Maybe because I’d felt it too. “Magic? Is that what you’re calling it?”

“What else would you call what we do?”

Magic. Yeah, I guess it was.

But I still wasn’t sure if I should let him off so quickly. He’d withheld important information. He’d lied to me. And regardless of how good his reasons might be, he’d been involved in drugs. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m not a serial killer?”

I stared at him for a few seconds, and then I laughed.

I needed to have my head examined.

But everyone deserves a second chance, and I would give it to him. I pointed my finger at him. “If you ever lie to me again or step out of line, you’re out. This is your last chance.” I wanted to make that clear and be sure he understood, so I waited for his answer.

“I know.”

“Don’t make me regret this decision.”

“I won’t. Promise.” He crossed his heart, and I had to believe that meant something, right? That his promises weren’t empty. I needed to believe that.

I was giving him another chance, mainly because of his son. August was a dad, and it sounded as if he had a lot to prove to that little boy who had already been through so much.

Whenever kids were involved, it was a game changer.

August held the door and followed me inside.

“So, I was your first kiss, huh?”

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

August

I wipedthe sweat off my forehead with the back of my arm. Then I jabbed my finger at the doorbell.

My heart was beating triple time, and I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. I’d never had a panic attack, but this felt pretty damn close.

Jesus. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous about anything. But it wasn’t every day that you met the son you’d abandoned five years before.

What the fuck was I going to say to him? I’d spent the entire day trying to figure it out and, in the end, came up empty. Guess we’d just play it by ear.

Where the fuck was Sasha? I checked my phone for the time. It was five o’clock on the dot, the time she’d decided on. I was only getting two hours with my son, and with every second that ticked by, I lost valuable time.