Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“In other words, you’ll gang up on him.”
“Of course, but Tyler can handle it. I’ll text you the reservation info. Gotta run. I have a chat with my editor.”
“Right. Go. I prefer funneling anger at you in person when I can hit you, anyway.”
He laughs again and disconnects.
Now I have to tell Tyler he’s set-up to be a victim in a family slaughter. I’m not sure he’ll even feel comfortable meeting my father. Meeting the parents is when things get serious.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Bella
I text Tyler before I head to his office: I just signed Becker. Can I come help?
He replies right away with: The door is shut. Just come in.
When I arrive a few minutes later, as expected, Tyler’s door is shut, and I go on in. Tyler is as I expect him to be, on the couch again, with boxes all around him, but I’m a little surprised to find Gavin at the conference table. He glances up at me and back down at his file, not a greeting in sight. Okay, then. This is awkward. I actually can’t believe I didn’t ask Tyler in our text exchange what is going on with him.
I join Tyler in the sitting area, claiming the chair next to the couch. “Any luck?”
“None,” he says. “But there are plenty of boxes left.”
“The boxes don’t matter if he’s engaged,” Gavin calls out. “Just do it and put this behind him.”
Tyler grimaces, the look on his face pure agitation, but when he catches my gaze there’s an apology there. I realize then that he doesn’t understand that I plan to do this with him. I guess I never actually said the words. It just felt assumed, considering where we are together. But he’s now watching me with a crazy intensity and I don’t know what he thinks he reads in me, but he calls out to Gavin, “We need a minute.”
Gavin doesn’t argue, not that I expect he would.
He leaves and shuts the door behind him.
“Ignore him, Bella,” Tyler states. “What’s between us is between us.”
“But it’s not, and that’s okay. Tyler, I’m going to do this with you.”
He turns to stone as if he’s afraid that even the slightest movement will change my mind. “Do what with me, Bella?”
“There’s zero chance I’m letting you get engaged and ultimately marry someone else. Now it’s my turn to say, it has to be me.”
He searches my face with the scrutiny of a judge and jury, though I do not believe Tyler is judging me at all. He’s trying to understand my drastic shift on this topic. “What of your work reputation?”
“My father made me see that I was acting on fear when I never act on fear.”
His brows shoot up. “Your father? What exactly did you tell your father?”
“Everything,” I say.
“You told him everything?” His tone is pure disbelief.
“We’re close, Tyler, and when I need advice, he doesn’t tell me what I want to hear. He tells me what I need to hear. He sided with you.”
His attention grows sharper. “What did you want to hear, Bella?”
“I didn’t know what I needed to hear when I called him. I just needed to talk to him, but part of me expected him to scold me for my careless behavior. Instead, he literally told me that if he and my mom would have met at work, they still would have gone at each like rabbits.”
“All right then. I guess I owe your father a thank you.”
“Actually, you can thank him tonight. He called. His race is off for next weekend, so he decided to show up. He wants us to have dinner with him, Dash, and Allie. And, yes, they are going to team up on you. You don’t have to go, but I’d love it if you did. And I know this is a little fast and awkward, but—”
“I’ve met your dad. I like him, but before we go in front of the council of your father, we need to talk about us. I want you to do this, Bella. But I don’t want you to hate me for it.”
“We talked this out last night. I won’t hate you. I made this decision, and we both know I didn’t do it rashly. And so does my father.”
He goes down on a knee in front of me. “I really hate that he knows all this contract stuff and fake fiancée bullshit, Bella. It doesn’t define us.”
My fingers curl on his cheek. “I know. And so does he. That’s why he was Team Tyler.”
“Yeah, well some part of him won’t be sure about me, and I’m fairly certain that’s the purpose of the impromptu visit.”
“You don’t have to go with me.”
“I’m going, Bella. You know I’m going. I got you something today.”
“You did? When did you have time?”
“On my way here.” He stands up and takes me with him, leading me behind his desk. “I’ve seen this in the store window for a long time and it reminds me of you.”