30 Days Until He Loses Me by Aaren Collins novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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Felicia Delgado was supposed to get her marriage license today with her childhood sweetheart, Joshua Crawford. She waited at City Hall all day–only to get stood up for the third time.

Heartbroken, she went straight to the hospital. “Mr. Paul, I’ve decided to take the hospital’s recommendation for overseas studies. Here’s my application, all filled out.”

Terrence Paul, the department head, stared at her, shocked. “It’s a six–year commitment, and you’d leave in a month. I thought you were gettin‘ your marriage license today. You really thought this through? You sure you won’t change your mind?”

Felicia shook her head. “No. I won’t.”

Not a second of hesitation.

Four years of datin‘, three times they’d planned to get that license. She’d given Joshua more than enough chances.

From today on? She was done with him.

Night fell.

The front door opened.

Instead of jumpin‘ up to greet Joshua like she usually did, Felicia stayed on the sofa, watchin‘ him quiet–like.

He flipped the light on, and their eyes met.

Then he spoke–no panic on his face at all, like he’d had an excuse ready the whole time. “Somethin‘ urgent came up in the lab. I didn’t mean to stand you up today.”

“Here. A peace offering. About the license–you can reschedule it whenever you want.

He set a gift box on the table and headed to wash up.

Felicia didn’t open it.

For years, Joshua always got her a little somethin‘ after lettin‘ her down. She used to forgive him no questions asked ‘cause she truly believed they had a future together.

But not anymore.

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She knew he’d just lied to her–nothin‘ urgent had happened in the lab.

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The “urgency” was Whitney Osborn, his grad school junior who’d just come back from abroad.

Knowin‘ they were about to get their marriage license, Whitney had gotten drunk and had a heart attack.

So he’d rushed off to be with the woman he really loved–and stood Felicia up for the third time.

After Joshua went into the bathroom, Felicia opened the video Whitney had sent her, face totally

blank.

Three months ago, the day Whitney came back, she’d hit her up on WhatsApp.

The video was shot in Joshua’s on–campus apartment at the research institute.

Wearin‘ his shirt, Whitney sat on his lap while he spoon–fed her medicine.

“Joshua, are you really gonna marry Felicia and just settle for her for the rest of your life?”

Joshua didn’t answer. He just blew on a spoonful of medicine real careful and brought it to her lips.

“I already know the answer. You don’t gotta say it. You only agreed to marry her to push me into comin‘ back. You never got over me. You wouldn’t have stood her up three times if you had.”

“I’ve always been the one you love, Joshua.”

Joshua stayed quiet, but his eyes were burnin‘ with this affection Felicia had never seen before.

Then he set the medicine down and kissed Whitney hard–tellin‘ her with his body what he wouldn’t say out loud.

The video cut off.

Joshua walked out of the bathroom right then. He was textin‘ someone on his phone, dryin‘ his hair with a towel in the other hand, headin‘ for the study.

“I’ll sleep in the study tonight–got a remote meeting. Go to bed early.”

He probably didn’t notice how weird his smile was.

The usually calm, quiet professor from the University of Southern Maine looked like some lovesick teen.

Felicia watched him, not movin‘, not speakin‘. That side of him? It’d never been hers.

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Early the next morning.

Felicia grabbed a black marker and drew a thick X on her one–month countdown planner.

“Twenty–nine more days. And it’ll all be over,” she muttered to herself.

Right then, Joshua’s footsteps sounded behind her. “What’ll be over?”

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