Read Online Unintended Love: A contemporary romantic novella by Harley O'Riley - Free Book Online

brunch.
    It had been a rough week so far, and apparently this day was going to be difficult as well. Still, for both their sakes, the kindest thing was to be honest and to end it with Martin as soon as possible.
    She dressed casually, throwing on an old favorite pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt, and only accenting her outfit with small, gold hoop earrings. She pulled her hair back into a pony-tail and rubbed on a bit of light pink lip gloss.
    On her way out, she glanced in the mirror which hung on the wall by her front door and was surprised. The woman reflected back at her was glowing with health and good looks. She supposed the shaky sadness she was feeling on the inside, hadn’t yet caught up with all the good that walking, along with having lovely sexual experiences in the wilderness had done for her. 
    Martin had wanted to pick her up, and had sounded disappointed when she’d insisted on meeting him at the small, casual diner where they’d had several meals together in the past few months. He was waiting at a table when she arrived.
    “Hi, I told the waitress to bring you coffee.”
    “Oh, good, thanks,” she said.
    On the drive there she had thought about how to approach the subject. She hadn’t broken up with anyone since she was a teen, and she had never said no to a proposal. Sam was the only man who’d ever asked her to marry him and that had been right out of high school. What was she supposed to say?
    “Martin...”
    “Are you ready to order?”
    Melanie was interrupted by a cheerful young waitress who poured her out a cup of hot coffee and topped off Martin’s. She hadn’t planned to stay, but she was hungry.
    “I’ll have blueberry pancakes, orange juice and a side of bacon, please.”
    She made a mental note to make sure to pick up the tab.
    After a while Martin seemed to notice how quiet she was while he talked on about his ideas for their wedding.
    “Melanie, what’s wrong? If you don’t like the idea of getting married in Greece, just tell me.”
    “Martin, we need to talk...” she began.
    He leaned back and frowned. “I don’t like the sound of this already.”
    She saw the expression of worry in his eyes, but breathed deeply and plunged ahead.
    “I had a lot of time to think the last few days. I don’t think it’s going to work with us.”
    Martin was quiet for a long time, but she resisted the urge to explain. She was sure that it was kinder.
    “It’s that pilot. What’s his name? Alan?”
    “Alex. And no it wasn’t him.”
    This was the truth. It may have been the time she spent with Alex that made her realize that Martin was the wrong man for her, but he wasn’t the reason she was breaking things off. After all, it was possible that she would never see him again.
    Alex probably wasn’t right for her either, although for completely different reasons.
    “Are you sure? You sounded so distant on the phone when we finally found you. I felt almost like I’d interrupted something.”
    Melanie looked Martin in the eye.
    “This is about you and me, not me and Alex. You are so great, Martin. Everything I should want in a man,” she said solemnly.
    Martin stared back at her, a look of understanding dawning.
    “But not everything you do want.”
    “I guess not. I’m so sorry.”
    “Not as much as I am, but I can’t really do anything but try and understand. Can I? You don’t suppose we just went too fast, do you?”
    She shook her head. “No. That wasn’t it.”
    “Oh well,” he said, “I’m ready to get married. I’d hoped it would be you, but someone else will come along.”
    “Right,” she said.
    She realized that she really hadn’t known him well at all.
    Then the waitress was there, placing steaming plates of food in front of them and easing the silence that had grown between them. Martin poured ketchup over his hash-browns and began to eat, his appetite apparently not hampered by Melanie’s rejection. Melanie felt relieved and suddenly very