Is Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride Novel - Chapter 40

Chapter 40 97 % 田 10 X I was terrified when I recognized him . My body reacted before my brain had fully processed the situation I curled up in my seat , sliding under the table as far as I could without looking completely ridiculous . My heart was hammering in my ears , drowning out the soft clink of spoons against bowls of ice cream . James couldn't see me there . What explanation would 1 give ?

" Oh , I'm just investigating your dead ex - girlfriend by reading her diary while I wait for our divorce ? With the bangs falling over my eyes , I watched him pick up the ice cream from the counter . Two perfect scoops of pale green stacked in an antique glass bowl . Pistachio . A flavor he had never mentioned liking in all our time together. James thanked me with a nod , and to my relief , headed outside . His tense back and rigid posture contrasted with the lightness of the place .

When I was sure he wasn't coming back , I slowly stood up and watched him through the foggy window . James sat down at a secluded table , placed his glass in front of him and just … stood there . Staring into the void , as if he saw something - or someone - that was only present in his memory . Minutes passed and the ice cream began to melt , forming green puddles in the bowl . He didn't even pick up the spoon . A lump formed in my throat .

There was something so deeply sad about the scene that I felt like an intruder violating a sacred moment . Finally , James left a generous tip on the table and stood up , leaving the ice cream untouched . Our gazes almost met as he passed the window , and I felt a shiver run down my spine . For a panicked instant . I thought he had seen . me , but his eyes were glazed over , focused on a distant point that only he could see . But I knew he was looking at his past with Veronica .

When he disappeared around the corner , I took a deep breath for the first time in minutes . My hands were shaking so badly that I dropped my spoon , the clang of the metal against the floor drawing the attention of the lady behind the counter . " That man , " I began , trying to keep my voice casual as I pointed discreetly toward . the door , " isn't that James Reynolds ? " The lady wiped her hands on her white apron and smiled with a familiarity that disconcerted me .