Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
An exhale of relief passes through me. “Okay, good, okay, I won’t be long, I promise. And then I’ll tell you everything.”
She nods, her smile falls and then so does her head, I see one solitary tear drip from her eye and onto her cheek.
If murder was possible through eye contact, Adrian will have killed me. He’s livid, and I know what he’s thinking: I lost to this guy and he’s leaving the treasure behind?
I’d want to kick my own ass too.
I do want to kick my own ass for even being in this stupid position, for being put here for not dealing with my past, for just being a general failure in facing my demons.
Reaching out to touch Scarlett isn’t a good idea right now, so I give her my back like I did a year ago, only this time, it’s because I’m going to turn right back around in a few minutes, this time it isn’t final.
Please, God, let it not be final.
She’s not all right.
I’m not all right either.
Cassidy’s by the stage, giving me a cheerful smile as I approach. She has her hand on her stomach. I smile, happy for her, and offer her my arm. “Okay, let’s go talk, but I have a girl I kind of love that I need to get back to, so let’s make it quick.”
Her smile gets even wider. “My only advice, don’t let her walk away from you, and don’t walk away first because you’re afraid she’ll take the first step.”
I stop walking.
She stops with me but doesn’t meet my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I whisper.
“Breaking us.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Scarlett
“Want me to punch him in the throat?” Adrian asks in a voice that is way too calm. “I do know a guy who used to poison people for the mafia. Naturally, he’s baptized now but he knows his stuff.” He nods to himself like that’s a better plan. “Even have a fourth cousin who runs one of the crime families in Chicago. He’s a politician. Even better, politicians can hide everything!” He slams his fist on the table, giving me a jolt and making Dustin spill his cake onto his shirt. “Whoops.”
“Red velvet stains,” Dustin says in a sad voice as the cake slowly falls in clumps down to his pants. “Ah, I’m reminded of last night when my balls needed ice, now they clearly need cake too. Must they take everything from me?”
Adrian leans over and whispers, “I think the mouse incident is still messing with his head.” He pats Dustin’s shoulder. “Do you have a form for something like this? Where you talk to your dick, balls, and cake? If so, I can probably grab one for you.”
Dustin glares up at him. “It’s been a traumatic few days, all right? Make fun of me again and I’m finding ten Gus-Gusses and putting them in her bed!”
I gasp. “You wouldn’t!”
“I WOULD!”
Laughter bubbles out of me for the first time in an hour. “Dustin, first off you’re the one with the creepy mouse facts, second, you looked ready to shit your pants—”
His voice comes out an octave too high. “It was on my dick! I need that!”
“’Cause you use it so much?” Adrian asks under his breath.
Dustin stands, his pants are stained with red velvet as is his shirt. “I use it all the time, I’ll prove it to you!”
“We don’t need to watch,” I say politely. “And you have nothing to prove, I’m sure it’s a great, um, dick.”
“It is! I get compliments all the time. I even have a girlfriend back home.”
Adrian bursts out laughing. “Do you have a picture of her? Is she from Canada, though? Like have you met her?”
“Is she mail order?” I join in. “From overseas looking for a green card?”
He lifts his chin. “She’s beautiful and she’s waiting for me after I get out of this hell hole.”
“But is she real?” Adrian specifies. “Oh, wait!” He snaps his fingers. “Are you into that whole AI girlfriend thing? Is that your kink?”
“You”—Dustin points a finger at him—“are the devil.”
Adrian and I share a smile as Dustin storms off, probably in search of more cake to smear on his pants and to print out more documents and find a picture of the girlfriend who probably does exist, poor thing.
I’m afraid to see how the conversation between Killian and Cassidy is going. They’re still talking out by the vineyard, but they don’t seem upset. If anything, she just keeps smiling at him.
Is that his baby? Am I crazy for thinking that? Are they still in love? Is she the one that left him or broke his heart? Was it the opposite way around? Is that why he left me and didn’t contact me for a year? I have so many questions with answers I don’t think I want to hear. I move to stand when Adrian tugs my arm down. “Sit, you don’t know yet, and the worst thing you can do in any romance movie is to walk away assuming the worst. Let him speak his peace.”