Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“You definitely have your moments.”
His grin grew wider, then immediately faded when he saw what I was wearing. “So, what’s with the getup?”
“What?” I looked down at my black knee-length skirt and a white blouse, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”
“That depends... Are you trying to look like a high school principal?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “You should unbutton the top a bit, and you know, it wouldn’t hurt for you to try using some conditioner. Your hair is an absolute mess.”
“My hair is fine.”
There were definite pros and cons to having a gay best friend like Jackson—one of them being the fact that they don’t hold back, especially when they don’t approve of something. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my hair, but I had no doubt that Jackson would fill me in. His nose crinkled with disapproval as he questioned, “When’s the last time you had that mop trimmed?”
“I’ll admit it’s been a minute, but it’s not that bad.” I rolled my eyes, fighting the blush that threatened to rise to my cheeks as I quickly tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “And to think I was actually happy to see you.”
“Oh, come on.” He gave me a playful nudge with his shoulder. “You’re still happy to see me.”
“Yeah, maybe just a little.”
“So, where’s our boy?”
“He should be out in a minute.”
And just like that, the music started to play, and Dalton and his classmates appeared on the makeshift stage. My heart swelled with pride as I watched my son take his place with the other children, and two hours later, my son had officially graduated from preschool.
As soon as the graduation ceremony ended, Dalton ran towards me with his tiny arms outstretched, and I scooped him up in a bear hug. His face lit up with a huge smile when I told him that Jackson and I were taking him to his favorite pizza place for lunch, and he immediately started talking about which pizza he wanted and the arcade games he wanted to play.
We spent a couple of hours at the pizza place, then went to the theatre to see the latest kid-friendly movie before heading home. When we finally made it back to the house, Dalton went to his room to change clothes while Jackson and I went into the kitchen for a drink.
I was pouring us both a glass of tea when I heard Jackson ask, “What’s this?”
“Hmmm?” I glanced over my shoulder and found him pointing to the envelope that was clipped to the refrigerator door. “Oh... That’s the invitation to Skylar’s wedding.”
“Your friend from high school?”
I nodded. “I’m actually kind of surprised that she invited me. I haven’t spoken to her in months.”
“Are you going to go?”
“I’m not sure.” The thought of going back home and revisiting my past wasn’t something I was looking forward to. In fact, I absolutely despised the idea. “I have a lot going on at work, and ...”
“You don’t have to make up excuses for me.” He cocked his brow. “I know Malcomb is the real reason you don’t want to go.”
He was right.
I hadn’t seen Malcomb since the night he ended things, and I was in no hurry to remedy that. “I’m just not ready to face him.”
“It’s been five years. I think the time has come for you to get over this guy.”
“I would love to get over him and move on, but every time I look at Dalton, I see Malcomb staring back at me.”
I wasn’t exaggerating. It had been like that since the day he was born and was one of the many reasons I’d had such a hard time letting Malcomb go. I loved him. I loved him hard. And even though I was young and naïve, I knew I’d never love anyone the way I loved him. That notion was confirmed the day our son was born, and I held him for the very first time.
He looked up at me, and in his eyes, I found unconditional love. I found forgiveness, but most of all, I found hope. That hope gave me the strength to keep pushing forward. I didn't give up. I finished college and found a job—I did what had to be done for my son.
I tried to put Malcomb behind me. I honestly did, but living with his miniature twin made that difficult. If anything, it made me love him even more.
I was trying to explain that to Jackson when I said, “They have the same eyes, the same smile, and freckles. They even walk the same. It’s like they were forged out of the same damn mold or something.”
“But he broke things off with you.”
“Yeah, he did.”
“And he basically told you he was with other chicks.”
“He did that, too.” I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment. Regardless, I’m just not in the right mindset to see him. I’m not sure I’ll ever be.”