Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Today,” she said.
“No shit!” Jack said, alarming several of the early lunch customers.
“I took the test this morning,” Jodi said. “I’m still processing it myself, to be honest.”
“Wow,” Jack said. “That’s amazing. Seriously. I am freaking thrilled. I can’t wait to tell all our friends.”
“About that,” Jodi said. “You might have to tell them yourself. I’m not going back.”
Suddenly, I felt my heart get a million times lighter. Just hearing her say that, especially to her brother, meant everything to me. It meant she was serious about what we talked about before. She could easily go home and likely live in luxury or try to do something where we would split time together. But apparently, she was in this for the long haul, which was great, because so was I.
“Oh,” Jack said, seeming like he was mulling over how he felt about it. “Well, I guess that makes sense. What’s for you back home anyway? Mom and Dad? Pfft.”
“It’s less what I have for me there than it is what I have for me here,” she said, looking over to me. Jack rolled his eyes dramatically, but the smile only got wider on his face.
“You two are too cute,” he said. “Seriously, adorable. It makes me ill, but I love it. I am so damn happy for you, Jodi. So damn happy.”
“Thank you,” she said. “You will always be my brother, but I want to stay here and try to do the family thing. You can see me whenever you want to, but I need somewhere stable, and preferably not near our crazy parents, to raise my baby.”
“I get it,” Jack said. “No need to convince me. You are one hundred percent right. Besides, I have business here now. I can always come up with a reason that I need to go to King Vineyards for something.”
“Good,” she said. “I want you here and in my kid’s life. I just also want to be here.” She looked up at me and grinned. “All this was sort of an accident, but it’s the best one I’ve ever made.”
I held her tighter and sat back to listen as the twins continued to catch up, munching on fries and enjoying the occasional looks out of the kitchen window by Ally, who just grinned, shook her head, and motioned for me to stay where I was. What was going on at that table was far more important. Frankly, any excuse to hold Jodi was more important than anything else I could think of.
28
JODI
The relief that flooded my body when I realized that not only was my brother not going to send me back home or tell my folks about it, but that he was on my side was incredible. I felt like I had the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders and tossed away. I kept having to hold myself back from falling into a crying puddle at the release of all that tension, most of which I hadn’t even let myself feel.
But it was gone now. I had spent so long on my own, ducking from town to town, working as much as I could wherever I could and saving up the money to keep moving. I had lived essentially on the streets. I had done what I needed to survive and maintain my dignity, but it wasn’t easy. There were cold nights and long, hard days. There was the constant terror of being found, of being chased.
There was the heartbreak and crushing loss when I thought my brother was against me.
It was gone now. I could barely believe it, but it was gone. I didn’t even care how my parents felt anymore, though I was sure I would care at least a little when I came down from that high. Yet, at that moment, with Derek beside me, my brother having my back, the entire King clan inviting me into their family and welcoming me warmly, genuinely, and a baby in my belly… I didn’t care.
I hated that I thought my brother had really turned against me though. It weighed on me that I didn’t give him a chance to explain himself, to question why he said what he said. If I had just listened, if I had just waited…
I knew that wasn’t reasonable. I was terrified, and with good reason. My parents were not known for taking disappointment lightly. They were known for being ruthless business people. My brother and I had spent our entire life trying to be what they wanted us to be: the perfect children. I knew deep down they loved us, as much as they seemed capable of love. They were just singular focused and singular minded. Somehow, I attributed that to my brother, just because he was successful in their business. It wasn’t fair to him. But I had to be fair to myself too. I didn’t make decisions with a rational mind all the time. I was on the run. I had to protect myself.