Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
I shake my head. “You don’t know my mom.”
“And if you think a little thing like her waning interest is going to stop him from marrying her, you don’t know my dad,” he states.
I look back at him. “Is that supposed to be comforting?”
“It is. Did I do it wrong?”
I roll my eyes at him and sigh, sinking back into the couch cushions.
At the end of the day, I’m taking the blame for this.
I should have known better.
I knew Landon was crazy, I just never thought in one hundred million years he would respond to me agreeing to meet Fake Javi for a bonfire by blowing up all our lives in such grand fashion.
My bad.
I should have seen it coming.
In hindsight, it makes perfect sense.
He is the worst.
I’m irritated when he gets out his phone. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is the complete destruction of our lives not interesting enough for you? Gotta check the socials to keep your attention?”
He shakes his head, swiping the screen. “I’m not checking my fucking socials. I wanted to show you something.” Then, he hands over his phone.
My eyes widen because it’s a video and the still is Brittany’s face. “What is this?” I ask warily.
Since I didn’t do it, he reaches over and presses play.
She looks like an abandoned puppy filming a “have a nice life” video for the assholes leaving her on the curb.
“Hey, Parker. I should have known,” she says with an uneasy smile. “Anyway, Landon wasn’t with me yesterday. I was just having a bad day and listening to some music at the beach by myself. He wasn’t with me, though. He hasn’t texted me back since he told me to stop texting him.”
My eyes widen in actual horror as I look over at him. “Please tell me you did not make that poor girl record this video.”
“I sure did.”
“Oh my god, Landon. What is wrong with you? That was so mean.”
His eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. “I don’t give a fuck. I won’t put us all in this position again, but I did this time, and I needed to fix it. You think I’m going to let our relationship get off to an uncertain start because you’re not sure you should believe me when I can easily clear it up for you instead?”
“Easy for you, not easy for her.”
“I don’t care about her,” he states simply.
“Clearly,” I murmur, sighing. “It was unnecessary, anyway, because I believed you. I know you have a temper and a history of bad behavior so when you were gone and we weren’t talking, I wasn’t sure, but once you told me you didn’t go to her, I didn’t doubt you.”
His brow furrows, but before he can respond, the study door opens and steals our attention. I stand abruptly, turning to face Mom. My heart sinks immediately when I see she has been crying, and I look to Hayden with dread, expecting to see a similar expression of defeat on his face.
But Landon was right, he hasn’t given up just because victory is impossible. I can see it in the firm set of his shoulders, the sharpness in his eyes. This is just another court case for him, and he’s not prepared to lose.
He glances over at me, his star witness, and I know what he needs as he hands her off to me.
Mom sniffles. I want to go over and hug her, but she looks too fragile to be touched right now. “Can we go to your room and talk for a little bit?”
“Of course.” I make my way over to her and follow her up the stairs. I glance back and see Landon walking toward his father, then they turn toward the study, so I guess they’re having a talk, too.
Great.
I send a plea into the universe for Landon to please, please just be cooperative. This is so important, and if I fail at holding it all together now, when we’re actually getting along, after suffering for the cause before that…
I can’t accept that reality.
But it feels like the only reality.
When we reach the top of the stairs, I head toward my room, but Mom glances toward hers. “Go on in your room. I’ll be right in,” she says, pressing her hands to her hot, tear-stained face. “I just need a moment.”
“Okay,” I say, my heart heavy with dread.
I sigh heavily once I’m in my room, allowing my shoulders to slump.
It has been a day.
While I have a moment to myself, I remember what I wanted to check before everything blew up. I make my way over to my jewelry box and pull out the card Javi gave me that day at the country club.
I sit at my desk and put down the card, then I take out my phone and pull up the contact screen with the phone number I put in.