Total pages in book: 190
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“You can’t really blame him.”
“Oh, I can, and I do,” she insisted.
“Okay, you can’t rationally blame him.”
“Rationality isn’t required here.” She shifted in her seat. “You’re my BFF, I love you, and I don’t like that he hurt you. That means I don’t have to be understanding—you can’t make me.”
My lips twitched. “Fair enough.” I took in a deep, cleansing breath, pulling in the intoxicating scent of the candle my mom had bought me. It smelled like old books, bringing to mind my parents’ home library. I’d practically lived in it growing up.
Thinking about them made my eyes fall to the framed family portrait on my desk. Alicia and I stood on one side of our parents while our younger siblings, Oliver and Harriet—or Harri, as we called the baby of the family—flanked their other side.
“You’re seriously not in the least bit mad at Grayden?” asked Sabrina, tucking a brown curl behind her ear.
“A little, but I do understand why he walked away. What else could he have realistically done? Felicity would have moved to Denver with their kids if he hadn’t agreed to make another go of things.”
Sabrina scoffed. “She was bluffing. She didn’t like that he was serious about someone, so she made a play to reel him back.”
“Maybe.” My desk chair squeaked as I leaned back in the exceedingly comfortable leather monstrosity that my dad had recommended. According to him, it was the best office chair in the world. I could agree. “It doesn’t really matter either way, does it? What’s done is done.”
Honestly, what bummed me out more than losing him was that I’d wasted time out of my life on him. Time I could have spent with someone who I could possibly have a future with.
I knew the whole “marriage and kids” thing wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Alicia, for instance, loved children but wasn’t so certain she wanted any of her own. I’d wanted to be a mom as far back as I could remember.
I’d been one of those little girls who’d mothered her younger siblings and had a passel of dolls she’d bottle-fed, rocked to sleep, and all that jazz. I’d even chosen my future children’s names. According to my maternal grandfather, Simon, my mom had been the same when young.
Sabrina heaved a sigh. “Love sucks sometimes, huh?”
Oh, indeed. Society encouraged you to seek it; essentially told you that everything else would fall into place once you found it. Only that wasn’t always how it worked.
I honestly wasn’t as enamored with love these days. It had never brought me hearts and rainbows. Aside from the short period I’d had with my college boyfriend, my dating history was sad as shit. I’d always envisioned that I’d be married with kids at this point in my life. But here I was, a week away from turning thirty, still single and childless.
Meanwhile, many of my friends had moved onto the next stage of their lives, including Sabrina. She and her partner, Tamara, were talking of having children. And my brother was engaged to be married to a total sweetheart who happened to be Sabrina’s younger sister, Marleigh.
As part of my job, I often organized weddings. Each time I watched yet another couple say their vows while I remained single, I felt a pinch of envy. And each time one of my relationships failed, I felt further away from the future I sought.
It didn’t help that I had to always be on my guard when it came to dating. The thing with having a rich family and a hefty trust fund was that you could easily find yourself being pursued by guys for the wrong reasons. Especially if they were also people in the same business as your father who thought that being with you could grant them an “in” with him.
Hell, one of my dates had actually brought his resume when I’d introduced him to my parents.
There had been guys who’d wanted me for me, but we’d often run across other issues. Most commonly, they’d felt intimidated by my family’s status or had begrudged that, because I had money, I didn’t need a guy to financially support me. The latter had made some feel unmanned.
“I’m starting to think I’m destined for spinsterhood.”
Sabrina’s brows knitted. “No way.”
“I think my chance of having all I wanted died along with Lake.” My college boyfriend had been everything I could have ever wanted in a guy.
Her eyes glistening with sympathy, Sabrina leaned forward. “Don’t say that.”
“I never used to put any stock in the concept of everybody having a certain someone meant for them. I thought it a nice, fuzzy idea. Not realistic, though. But these days, I’m not so sure.”
“Look, I know that since losing your prince you’ve found yourself kissing a whole lot of frogs—”
“Lovely metaphor.”
“—but that doesn’t mean there’s no one else out there who’d fit you.” She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. “Is it possible that you compare guys to Lake? If so, that could be part of the issue. I mean, he set the bar high.”