Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Kingsley untangles himself from me until he’s able to meet my gaze. I’m struck by the realization that the somber boy now staring at me does not resemble the lighthearted one I met at the beach in June. It’s like they aren’t even the same person. Then again, maybe I’m not the same girl he met either. It’s as if we have crammed years of living into a few brief months. And we’re both exhausted by it.
When Kingsley clears his throat, I shove those depressing thoughts to the back of my mind. “I had a conversation with my father last night.”
The air gets wedged in my throat as I steel myself for the inevitable bomb he’s about to drop.
“I convinced him to void the contract between our families.”
My brows jerk together. “What does that mean?”
Any emotion that had seeped into his voice disappears. “You’ll no longer be forced into marriage and your family will keep ownership of Hawthorne Industries.”
“Why?” The idea of Keaton performing a complete one eighty makes little sense. The revenge he sought against my family has been all-consuming and now, for some unknown reason, he’s willing to drop it and move on?
Kingsley stares out the window before jerking his shoulders. “I think we can all agree that there’s been enough pain and loss to last a lifetime. Several of them. I don’t think any of us can stomach more.”
Sorrow rushes in, flooding every cell in my body. The price that has been extracted is higher than any of us could have ever imagined.
“Dad’s lawyers have drawn up new documents for your mother to sign that will split Hawthorne Industries evenly between our families.”
“What about everything that was stolen from your ancestors? Your father is willing to let eighty years of lost profits and interest go unpaid?” I may not know Keaton well, but from everything I’ve witnessed, this seems completely out of character.
Kingsley swipes his tongue across his front teeth as if carefully considering how to answer the question. “I won’t lie, it took convincing on my part.” I glimpse a flatness in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. Exhaustion and defeat creep in at the edges. “I can’t do this anymore. It needs to be over so we can move on.”
His words are like a punch to the gut and I find myself unable to suck fresh oxygen into my lungs. My heart constricts as if his fist has tightened around it, wringing the very life from me. Maybe he has chosen not to give voice to his thoughts, but I hear them loud and clear.
The loss of our baby is my fault. No matter what I do or where I go, it’s a guilt I will always carry around with me.
Before I can offer another apology, he continues, voice devoid of emotion. “Mrs. Fieber packed up your belongings. As soon as your ready, I’ll take you home.”
My mouth turns cottony as my heart beats a painful staccato. In the silence of the room, my thickly whispered voice is deafening. “That’s it then?”
“Yeah.” Emotion flickers across his face before it’s snuffed out. It’s there and gone before I can figure out what it meant.
I glance away, blinking back the wetness that pricks the back of my eyelids. Grief and sorrow fill me, which doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. Why am I upset by this? It’s exactly what I wanted. Even though I had feelings for Kingsley, I didn’t want to be forced into a relationship or marriage. I fought for the right to choose.
And now I have it. I’ve been magically released from the shackles of this contract.
From the suffocating hold Keaton had on me.
This is amazing news.
So...why doesn’t it feel like it?
Chapter Thirty-Six
With my suitcase in tow, I stand in front of the entrance to the house that once belonged to my grandmother. As I reach for the handle, it’s ripped open and my mother hovers impatiently on the other side of the threshold with tears shining in her eyes. Her hand snakes out before yanking me into her arms, crushing me against her thin form. If I’ve lost weight gradually over the last couple of months, her loss has been more dramatic in a matter of weeks.
My arms slip around her slender frame, squeezing her tight, as if I’ll never let go. As confused as I am about how life has unfolded in the last twenty-four hours, it’s a relief to be with her. Ironically, this place didn’t feel like home even a couple of short weeks ago, and now...
I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
“Oh, Summer!” she whispers, thick emotion overpowering her voice, making it wobbly. “Why didn’t you tell me about the pregnancy?”
My body wilts against hers. It’s as if all the oxygen has been sucked from the atmosphere, making it impossible to breathe. Humiliation licks at my cheeks. I hate that she knows about this. It feels like a shameful secret that needs to be forced into the shadows.