Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
My eyes blurred even more when the video chat connected, and my little sister held her coffee close to her chest, encouraging me to fill her in until I broke down and did. I told her everything — what Theo said to me in the hot tub, how I could see how I affected him when he got out, the pool party, Positano. I spilled everything until my face was hot with shame and it was all I could do not to bury my face in my hands to avoid the way my sister was looking at me now.
Like she had no idea who I was.
Join the club, sis.
“You hate me, don’t you?” I asked on a sniff.
“No, no,” she assured me, sighing before she took a sip of her coffee. She paused for a long moment before she spoke again. “I think we all lose our way from time to time. You know?”
I nodded, looking down at my hands in my lap.
“You held hands with another man, Aspen.” She lowered her voice, looking around like she was afraid my parents might hear her where she was set up in her old bedroom at their house. “You almost kissed him.”
“I know,” I said, covering my face with my hands.
“That’s… cheating.”
“I know,” I repeated, groaning before I dragged my hands down my face and let them fall into my lap. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Juniper. I…” I shook my head, throwing my hands up. “I’m feverish when I’m around him, and yet I’m addicted to the heat. And with Joel…” I pressed my lips together against the emotion in my throat. “I don’t even know who he is anymore. I’ve never seen this side of him, and now that I have…”
I paused, shaking my head, not willing to finish that sentence.
“Nothing makes sense. Nothing feels right except being with Theo, which I know is the one thing that should feel wrong.” I panicked the more I admitted, shaking my head more and more, faster and faster as every inch of me trembled. “I’m spiraling out of control.”
“Listen to me,” Juniper said earnestly, setting her coffee aside and leaning in toward the camera. “This is all just a weird string of coincidences, okay? You and Joel are having some issues. What couple doesn’t? He’s got a lot on his mind with work, you’re feeling out of place, neither of you expected this to happen, for you to be on the yacht with him. It’s just a lot of unexpected stress, that’s all.”
I nodded, wiping my nose with the back of my hand.
“But the ball is still in your court. Okay? You still get to decide what happens from here.”
“What do I do?”
Juniper shrugged. “Nothing has actually happened yet, right? I mean, the hand holding, but it was just for a moment, and you stopped the kiss.”
My gut churned at the memory, at how much I wished I hadn’t stopped the kiss.
But I didn’t tell Juniper that.
“Just take it back to friendship. Set boundaries with Theo, whether that means staying away from him or having a conversation the next time you’re together.”
My stomach twisted again.
“And sit Joel down tonight. Don’t take no for an answer. You two need to work this out.”
I sighed, nodding, my lips rolling together as I fought back the urge to tell her that staying away from Theo was the last thing I wanted to do.
She was right.
I wasn’t a cheater. I wasn’t the kind of girl who would betray my boyfriend of almost four years just because some rich, beautiful man messed with my head.
But what if he’s not messing with you at all?
What if he actually means everything he’s said?
I shook my head, denying the possibility before it could even fully bloom. “Thank you, Juni,” I said, shoulders slumping on my next sigh. “I wish you were here.”
“Oh, trust me — so do I.” She smiled, but her eyes watched me with pity. “Are you going to be alright?”
“Yeah,” I promised with the best smile of my own that I could manage.
“Call me if you need anything, okay? No matter what time it is here or there. If you need someone, or if anything happens, I’m just a call away.”
I nodded again, and then we ended the call and I slunk back into bed, covering my head with the sheets.
Later that night, Joel stumbled into our cabin like a rhino in a room full of bowling pins.
The door slammed back against the wall, and he cursed, laughing at himself as he managed to shut it again. Then, he tripped over something, falling into the dresser and knocking half of what was on it off onto the floor. He laughed again as I rubbed my eyes and reached over to turn on the lamp beside the bed.