Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Chris narrowed his eyes. “You shouldn’t compare your achievements to anyone else. Look at your success. You’re excellent at your job, Hallie, and that’s why you work for one of the best event-management companies in the country. Never undervalue yourself.”
I softened my cheeky grin, moved by his praise. “Thank you for saying that. As for your book, you know I think it’s amazing.”
“I can’t believe you told her about the book,” Richelle murmured.
She and Chris shared a look I didn’t understand.
Eventually he shrugged. “Hallie knows to keep it to herself.”
“Did you tell your father about it?”
Just like that, it felt like Richelle’s words had conjured this wall between us and Chris. The tension radiating off him was palpable, and I knew from our discussion last night that things between him and his dad were awful.
And I thought my relationship with my parents was a mess.
As if on cue, my cell rang on the table beside my plate. I’d changed my ringtone Friday night to “Keep Moving” by Jungle, so it was pretty loud. It felt incredibly inappropriate at the moment. Seeing that it was Dad, I winced and muttered an apology before I left the table. I answered as I stepped away, hoping maybe the interruption would dissolve the tension the mention of Chris’s father had created.
“Hey, Dad, can I call—”
“You need to call your mother right now,” my father barked furiously in my ear.
In all the arguments I’d been stuck in the middle of, Dad had never spoken to me like that. My stomach dropped. “What’s going on?”
“Your mother and Jenna were drunk and toilet-papered our yard last night. This is beyond acceptable behavior, Hallie! This is intimidation! Miranda is in tears, Alison is mortified, and my neighbors are affronted. I can’t—”
“Dad, Dad, slow down. Are you sure it was Mom?” Of all the crazy stuff she’d done, I just couldn’t imagine her toilet-papering Dad’s yard.
“I saw her!” he raged. “I woke up because I heard them laughing, and when I went to investigate, they took off in that cheap lime-green monstrosity Jenna refuses to stop driving. I checked the security camera on the front door to make sure, and there was your mom, laughing it up and stumbling all over the fucking yard with rolls of toilet paper in hand.”
Oh my God.
“Dad, I’m sorry. That is ridiculous.” What was she thinking?
“It’s beyond ridiculous, Hallie. It’s criminal. Now you get on the phone to your mother and tell her to get her ass over here and clean this up, or I am pressing charges. She puts me through hell, and just when I’m getting back on track, she starts harassing my family? That’s not happening!”
I winced at him calling Miranda and Alison his family.
“Right. I’ll call her.”
He hung up on me.
Like it was my fault too.
Resentful tears filled my eyes, and I squeezed the bridge of my nose to stop them. My wrist throbbed, and I released the pressure with a hiss of frustration. Despite the stumble over Bandit, I’d been having the best weekend I’d had for as long as I could remember.
But, of course, my parents would ruin it.
A firm hand settled on my shoulder. “Hallie, you okay?”
The hair on my nape rose.
I turned to face a concerned Chris. “I have to call my mom. I’ll be two seconds.”
He nodded, a deep frown between his brows, but he returned to the table while my phone rang out. Just as I was about to hang up, Mom answered.
“So you remembered you were supposed to be here for lunch?” she snapped, her tone hurt.
What? “When? We didn’t make plans.”
“I texted you.”
“I didn’t get your— Mom, that’s not why I’m calling. Dad just called me, and he’s furious at you and Jenna. You have to get over there and clean up his yard.”
There was silence, then a petulant “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Frustration squeezed my throat, and I gritted out, “You toilet-papered Dad’s yard last night.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Mom, he’ll press charges if you don’t get over there and clean it up.”
“Why should I clean up something I didn’t do?” She raised her voice.
“You’re on camera, Mom.”
I heard her intake of breath.
“Mom?”
“I didn’t do it,” she insisted angrily. “And it’s so like you to take that bastard’s side in this!” She hung up on me, making her the second parent to do so.
Stomach churning, I hurried over to the table, where Chris and Richelle waited, wearing worried expressions. Mortified, I gave a quick explanation. “So,” I continued after stumbling through the embarrassing details, “I have to get to Ridgewood and clean up the yard. I don’t want to spoil your Sunday, Chris, so do you have a cab number? I can get a cab to the station.”
“No, I’ll drive you.” Chris stood up from the table.
“No, really, I don’t—”