Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Ask her yourself,” she said equally curtly.
“I would, but she’s blocked my number.”
She chuckled. “She always was a bit dramatic.”
“I’m standing outside her apartment, but she’s not home. Can you help… please?”
“You know, if I didn’t think you genuinely loved her, I would disconnect this call,” Maggie said.
I fidgeted with impatience, but I kept my mouth shut.
“She’s at her mother’s house,” she continued. “I’ll text you the address. And hey… good luck.”
I should have been practicing what to say to her, getting the words together, but I couldn’t. All I could think of was how much I longed to see her. To hold her. To look into her eyes. To whisper sweet words into her ear and see a smile brighten up her face.
My GPS led me to a well-kept family home. I parked and hurried up to the front door and rang the bell. A woman opened the door. She bore a slight resemblance to Lillian.
“Hello, you must be Mrs. Hudson,” I said quickly. “I’m Max Frost and I’m looking for Lillian.”
She smiled. “Oh, Lillian’s boss. Come in. I’ll get her for you.”
“Thanks, but I’ll wait for her out here.”
“Okay.”
She left the door slightly ajar and disappeared into the interior of the house. A couple of minutes later, soft footsteps sounded, the door fully opened and Lillian stood there.
The sight of her took my breath away. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face looked pure and beautiful. It was such a treat to be standing so close to her, inhaling her sweet scent and staring at her face, remembering every soft curve. I had missed her more than I’d thought it possible to miss someone.
But she kept one hand on the doorknob as if she was planning to slam the door in my face.
Pure fear speared through me. This woman held my future happiness in her hands. If she didn’t want anything to do with me, I would be condemned to a life of misery. Like my mother. A sad life of watching other people live full lives while I became bitter with the knowledge I’d lost the one great love I’d found because I was such an idiot.
“What are you doing here?” she asked coldly.
The Lillian I knew would not have been so rude. “I’m missing something.” I should have practiced a speech. Now, I was just blurting out whatever came to my mind.
“What?” she snapped.
I scrambled to find words that would floor her, but I couldn’t. All I had was my raw truth. “I miss you, Lillian.”
She folded her hands across her chest, a wary expression in her eyes. “Cut the flowery shit. You’ve got what you wanted. You’ve found out who your enemy is and your precious business is safe. What else do you want?”
“You. I want you.”
“Yeah, I know you want me for sex. Go somewhere else because I’m not interested.”
“I know I’m rude, aggressive, demanding, hostile, impossible to please, and completely lacking any kind of empathy towards my fellow humans, but I love you, Lillian.”
Her jaw dropped and she stared at me incredulously. “What did you say?”
“I know I’m rude, aggressive, demand-”
“Not that part,” she interrupted impatiently, “the last part.”
“I’m in love with you, Lillian.”
She took a step backwards as if my words were poison or dangerous to her. “When did you realize this?’
“When I went to Connecticut without you. I sat in my old room and knew that you’re my source of joy… the woman who has my heart.”
“You broke my heart, Max.”
“I’m really so very sorry I hurt you, but whatever hurt I caused you I’ve suffered more.”
“How can I ever trust you again?” she gasped.
“Because you know me. Even when I thought you were my enemy, I couldn’t stay away from you.”
“What would you have done if it had turned out that I was the leak?”
“I think I would have forgiven you. How can you punish a child for stealing bread to feed her mother?”
“So what now?”
“I want to marry you.”
She let out a cry of delight. “You mean that?” Then her expression became sad.
“I love you too, Max, with all my heart, but what future is there for me if your first love is your business? Will you throw me under a bus every time you have to choose between your business and me?”
Strong emotions swirled inside of me and I felt my eyes mist. I loved this woman so damn much. “I want kids,” I blurted out.
Her eyes widened. “Are you trying to bribe me?”
“Is it working?”
“Kind of.”
“How big a family do you want?”
“Big,” she whispered.
“Are ten kids enough for you?”
She shook her head and tears filled her eyes. “You’d have ten kids for me?”
I nodded vigorously. “I’d have a hundred kids if it would make you happy.”
“I want four.”
“I want whatever you want.”
I couldn’t stand the distance between us anymore. I tugged her hand and she crashed into me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her so tight she squealed.