Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“You think?” I look at her as she leans back in her chair.
“Well, I went over there yesterday for dinner, and she showed up.” The memory makes me ill. “And before that, she showed up at the office, not when we were dating, and said she was his wife.”
“What did he say about this?”
“He said that I’m not in the middle of anything because there is nothing to be in the middle of,” I admit to her, “and then I came here.”
She gasps, “Grace.”
“I know.” I shake my head. “I know I should have gone to him.” She nods her head. “But I was scared.”
“Scared of what?” she asks.
“Scared I’ve fallen in love with both of them, and he’s going to tell me he’s going back to his wife.”
“But how are you going to know if you don’t talk to him?” She uses her mother voice.
“Mom, this is the first time in my life I’ve ever been in love,” I admit. “It’s the first of many.” I hope she gets what I’m saying. “So, I’m in uncharted territory.”
“Well, rule number one is communication.” I roll my eyes at her. “You think I knew what love was when I met your father?” I know she didn’t because she was left for dead by her stepfather. “I knew nothing, but I knew he was different.”
“Mom.” I put my hand to my stomach. “There is so much going through my head right now. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Well, start at the beginning, besides the baby momma drama.” She smirks. “What is bothering you?”
“Well, besides the fact he’s my boss.” I close my eyes. “It sounds even worse when I keep saying it out loud.” She laughs at me. “What is everyone going to say?”
“Who is everyone?”
“Dad, Pops, to name a few.” I put my hands on my head. “My coworkers.”
“Don’t worry about your family. They will accept anyone who makes you happy,” she tries to tell me. “Your father was my boss also, and then I married him.”
“Mom, it’s different,” I tell her.
“How so?”
“Well, for one, he’s got a child,” I point out.
“Okay, well, if your father had a child, I would still have fallen in love with him,” she informs me, “even with the baby momma drama.” I inhale deeply. “The question is, are you really in love with him? Put everything aside, what you think people will say, what you are afraid of. How do you feel about him?”
I look at her, knowing this answer. “With one thousand percent certainty, I can say I’m head over heels in love with him.”
thirty
Caine
I pull into the parking lot later than normal because I knew if I came early, she would be here, and I’m not sure I’m ready to see her. I avoid even looking at her car while I walk over to the elevator.
I tap my phone with my finger as I look up at the numbers going up, stepping out when it pings, and the doors open. Every step I take echoes in my ears, and I feel a tightness in my chest. The same tightness I felt all weekend long, knowing she wasn’t going to be around me. During the day, it was easy to pretend it wasn’t there, but once Meadow went to bed and it was just me in the house, I couldn’t pretend anymore. I was in love with her. I was head over heels in love with her. No matter what I said or how I put it, that was the conclusion every time. No matter how many times I told myself it was wrong. No matter how many times I pointed out all the cons, all I had to do was picture her smiling face and all the excuses were out the window.
“Good morning,” I greet the receptionist before I round the corner, and my eyes go to her. She’s looking at her computer and the tightness in my chest gets even tighter, making it hard to breathe. Instead of going to my office, I make my way straight to the conference room. The meeting has already started since I’m so late.
“Hey,” I mumble, sitting down in my chair. I look over at Grace, who appears unaffected by this whole thing. I don’t even listen to what is being discussed in the meeting, and when I look back, I see her laughing at something Kayla says to her, making her more beautiful than my memories of her that played over in my head all weekend long.
The meeting finishes, and when I walk out, I’m more pissed than ever, and I don’t even know why. Well, I do know why. It’s because she just left. She left and didn’t even stick around to talk about it. I walk toward my office, and she looks up at me, her face going into a full smile when she sees me, making my stomach tense. “Good morning,” she greets cheerfully.