Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
I got a few messages from vendors that wanted to partner with my restaurant, but those messages went unanswered. I had so much to do, but now I didn’t have the heart to bother. Running a restaurant had once been my passion, but now I couldn’t picture myself ever cooking again.
My father texted me a few times too, asked how I was doing, hoped I was having a good day, asked if he could see me.
I ignored them all.
There was no one in the world I wanted to see right now. No one I wanted to talk to. I’d rather stare at the wall in silence than try to carry on like nothing had happened, like Axel’s final words wouldn’t haunt me for the rest of my life.
I was on the couch when someone knocked on the door.
I immediately muted the TV and remained quiet, hoping the person would just walk away.
But they knocked again. “Sweetheart, I just want to check on you.”
A rush of disappointment moved through me, and I hated myself for that.
“You gave me a spare key, remember?”
I still didn’t move from the couch, calling his bluff.
But I heard the key move into the lock, and then the doorknob turned. He stepped inside, and his eyes immediately found mine, turning sad. “Sweetheart…” He must have seen the days of tears coated on my cheeks, must have seen the look of death in my eyes because he came to the couch and moved his arm around me.
My head automatically dipped to his shoulder, and I started to cry.
He squeezed me hard as his chin rested on my head. “Please don’t cry, baby girl.”
With a wad of wet tissues tucked in my closed hand, I sat next to him on the couch. “I went to his place and shared everything you said to me, that love deserved a second chance and how much Axel loved me…but that just made him angry.”
“Why?”
“Because he thinks I only changed my mind because you changed it.” I couldn’t explain everything, not without breaking my promise to Axel. It was hard to sit there and keep it to myself, to not confront my father about the horrible allegations. But I kept my mouth shut because I still loved Axel, even if he didn’t care for me anymore. “Said he’s tired of being in a relationship with not just me, but you.”
My father stared at the coffee table.
“Then he…” It was hard to replay this part of the conversation because it was so devastating. “Said that I was a bigger mistake than his first wife…and he deserves better than me.” New tears sprung to my eyes, but I blinked them away. “Kicked me out of his house. Said he’s done with me.” It somehow hurt more to repeat it than to go through it in the first place. It was still raw, a flesh wound so new it hadn’t even had the chance to stop bleeding.
My father was quiet for a long time, clearly at a loss for what to say.
I suddenly felt cold and pulled the blanket over myself. Sleeping all the time and not eating made my body function differently. I didn’t have the energy to keep my body warm, and with every passing day, I seemed to grow colder.
“Give him space. I’m sure he spoke out of anger.”
“He did speak out of anger, but he meant every word he said.”
He rubbed his palm across the stubble of his jawline and gave a sigh. “I’ll talk to him.”
“I’d rather you not. Just leave it alone.”
“I don’t appreciate the way he spoke to you—”
“Please.” I turned to him, my wet eyes pleading. “Just leave it alone.”
He stared into my eyes, the sadness heavy in his gaze. It was like looking in a mirror because my sadness reflected perfectly across his features. His eyes were depthless in their sorrow. His shoulders even sagged, which was noticeable in a man who always maintained a rigid posture. His skin was even a little pale, like the blood had left his extremities and flooded his organs. “I hate seeing you like this.”
“I know you do. I’m sorry.”
“No,” he said with a deep breath. “I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
He looked away, staring at the shelves mounted on the wall, his eyes glazing over. “But it is.”
Chapter 10
Axel
I walked into the restaurant and found Theo sitting alone at a table. It was his place because he preferred to pay himself rather than pay someone else. I moved between the tables and sat in the chair across from him. A glass of scotch was already waiting for me.
I picked it up and took a drink. “Better than pussy.”
Theo gave a shrug. “Depends on the pussy.”
“I’ve never had any that compares to this.”
“Really?” he asked, cocking his head slightly.
I took another drink. “Nope.”