Read Online Coming Back To You by Donya Lynne - Free Book Online

I’m right.”
    Mark smiled. His first smile in days, if not
weeks. “Have I ever told you how modest you are?”
    “Once or twice.”
    He and Rob stared at each other for a long
moment.
    “Do you realize I bought her a Christmas
gift?” Mark knew how pathetic that sounded. Why would you buy
someone a gift you may never be able to give?
    “Who? Karma?”
    Mark nodded. “Yes. A scarf. It’s in a gift
bag on my credenza.”
    Rob blew out a heavy exhale, his cheeks
puffing out. “My man, you’ve got it bad. What are we going to do
about you?”
    “There’s nothing to do. I committed to this,
and come hell or high water, I’ve got to see it through. Is the
waiting around driving me crazy? Hell, yes. But this is the deal I
made. I have to live with it.”
    “No, you don’t. You just think you do.” Rob’s
earnest gaze scratched something deep inside Mark’s soul, awakening
a niggle of discomfort.
    He looked away and shuffled his feet against
an icy patch of snow, letting silence consume the uneasiness for a
long moment. “By the way. Congratulations.” He hesitantly met Rob’s
eyes again. “Really, I’m happy for you. Honestly, I am.” He waved
toward the gym. “I’m sorry I was such a douche in there.”
    “Don’t worry about it.” Rob fist-bumped him,
bro code for I forgive you .
    “When are you going to pop the question?”
    “Valentine’s Day.”
    A tremor of pain throbbed inside Mark’s
heart. For so long, he’d been the hopeless romantic. Big tough guy
like him, and all he’d wanted was a wife to give flowers and a
heart-shaped box of chocolates to on Valentine’s Day. To take
dancing, kiss, and make love to on a bed covered in rose petals.
That had been his dream for so long. He’d thought Carol would be
the fulfillment of that dream, but then she’d destroyed everything.
Now he wasn’t sure he would ever see his dream fulfilled.
    “Be my best man,” Rob said.
    Mark’s pulse kicked up a notch at the idea.
“Rob—”
    “I want you to be my best man, Mark. I
know how you are with churches and weddings, but you’re my best
friend. You have to stand up with me.”
    Mark dropped his gaze to the snowy
pavement.
    “Please.” Rob’s voice implored him.
    He knew he couldn’t bail on Rob. Doing so
after being best friends for twenty years would be a betrayal.
    “Okay.” Mark met Rob’s gaze. “I’ll do it. For
you, I’ll do it.”
    Rob was his brother from another mother. No
way could he let Rob down and not be there for him on the most
important day of his life. Hopefully, Rob’s big day would go better
than his had seven years ago.
    “How about a beer?” Rob said.
    Mark nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that. I could use a beer right now.” Maybe the alcohol would dull the
rampage of despair and frustration inside his head. At least for a
little while.
    Rob pushed away from the car and grabbed the
handle of the driver’s side door. “What you could use is a
shower. I think your sweat is freezing to your hair. Jeez, how long
were you at it in there?”
    “Over an hour.” More like ninety minutes.
    Rob sighed. “Well, at least all this anger is
getting you ripped.” He opened his car door.
    Mark picked up his duffel. “Let me run by my
place and get cleaned up. I’ll meet you in an hour?”
    “I’ll see you then.”
    Mark waved as Rob pulled out of the parking
lot. Then he climbed behind the wheel of his BMW.
    Before putting the car in gear, he grabbed
his phone and pulled up Karma’s contact information. For about the
hundredth time since returning to Chicago, Mark typed her a text
message.
    I miss you. Can’t stop thinking about
you.
    He stared at the message, his thumb hovering
over the send button. One of these days, when enough time had
passed, and when he no longer felt like his heart would
self-destruct if she didn’t reply—or did reply and told him not to
contact her again or that she had gotten married—he would actually
grow the balls to send one of his