Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 52643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Me
Can you please meet me somewhere tonight?
Liam
Yes. I was about to ask you the same thing.
6
GENEVIEVE
Whimstery Beach is purposely named to mislead tourists. It’s a hole in the wall coffee shop that serves chicken tortilla soup and grilled cheese sandwiches whenever the manager feels like it.
It’s the perfect place to go when you feel like shit.
I make sure my oversized sunglasses are secure before stepping inside. Looking around, I spot Liam near the back, nursing a cup of tea.
“Hi.” I approach his table.
“Hey.” He pats the seat next to him, but I sit across instead.
“Lauren hates me,” I say. “She fucking hates me.”
“I know.” He leans over and gently pulls the sunglasses off my face. Staring into my eyes, he clasps my hand atop the table, temporarily calming me.
“Have you eaten anything since you told Brett?” he asks.
I shake my head, and he signals for the waitress.
He orders enough to feed four and a coffee carafe.
“I’m sorry Brett ruined your chance to tell Lauren,” I say. “If I’d known that’s how he would’ve reacted, I swear I would’ve come up with a different strategy.”
“Don’t,” he interrupts. “We can’t start a new chapter with a recap of the one before it.”
“I can give you a list of authors and their books who disagree.”
His lips curve into a smile. “Do you have plans for next weekend?”
“Outside of crying, writing, and showering, no.”
“We should get out of town for a while, then,” he says. “I want to show you something.”
“We can’t avoid discussing what happened, Liam.”
“No, but we can delay it a little longer,” he says. “Can we hold off for a couple days or so?”
I nod as the waitress sets down our bowls.
Liam moves next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
“Can I ask you something?” I say.
“Always.”
“How many women have you been with since you left me?”
“Not many.”
“I’ve been with eighty men,” I say. “I fucked my way through a mini suburb to get over you.”
He cups my chin, gently turning my head toward him. “I wasn’t planning to ask.”
“I thought I’d tell you anyway.”
“You could at least tell the truth,” he says. “You’re not very good at lying.”
“You don’t think I could sleep with eighty men?”
“I know you wouldn’t,” he says.
“I want you to ask me, Liam.”
“I don’t want to know.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t fuck anyone for two years after I left you,” he says. “I couldn’t, so I’d prefer not to think about another man having what’s always been mine.” He trails a finger against my neck. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, I can do that…”
“Thank you.”
7
LIAM
20 miles away from
Exeter, New Hampshire
Ipark my car near a grove of trees and help a blindfolded Genevieve out of the car.
Walking her up the steps, I unlock the doors and gently pull the blindfold from over her eyes.
“Wow…” She looks around. “What is this place?”
“Soon to be a private writers retreat and resort,” I say. “I got the idea from a student I couldn’t forget.”
“What made you pick this city?”
“It was far away from the student I couldn’t forget,” I say. “I wanted to be multiple Amtrak rides away.”
She nods. “It’s beautiful.”
“I’ll give you the official tour later.” I kiss her forehead. “Let’s catch up for now.”
“Where’s the bed?”
“We’ll get to that later, too.” I gently push her down onto the sofa chair. Then I pick up a few books from the lamp table. “I need to know what you thought about these.”
“What makes you think I’ve read them?”
“We’ll be here for a week until you do if you haven’t.” I sit next to her. “I need to know your thoughts.”
“I read them all on release day.” She smiles, curling into my lap. “I have some conspiracy theories about the new underworld.”
“It has to be linked to the heavens in book two, right?”
“What? No. I was thinking Book five, but…That makes so much more sense.”
Like we used to, we stay up all night and the next discussing literature, kissing and making love in between.
8
GENEVIEVE
Several days later
Lauren’s friendship bracelet is dangling off my doorknob when I return to my apartment. A box of things I once lent to her is sitting below it, addressed it “The BITCH who fucked my boyfriend.”
Sighing, I kick it inside and place it in the kitchen.
BANG! BANG! BANGGGG!
Loud knocks sound at the door, and I stare at it, assuming she’s making another drop-off.
BANGGG! BANG! BANG!
I walk over and peer through the peephole, but I don’t see Lauren.
It’s my mother.
I wish it was Lauren…
I force a smile and open the door.
“You were sexually assaulted at Exeter?” She nearly screams. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Wait, what? What are you talking about, Mom?”
“I’ll never forgive myself.” She pushes her way past me, pacing and wringing her hands in my living room. “Your father is losing his shit.”
“Mom?” I place my hands on her shoulders. “What the hell is going on?”