Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Not some stupid picture of myself or my name on a plaque.
The only thing that matters to me now.
Whatever it is, Holly. We can work it out. I promise. Just don’t do anything stupid or run where even I can’t find you.
Madison can sense my mood almost as well as Sister O’Halloran, and he does his job just as I’ve asked.
Cruising the streets, some of which I still struggle to remember the names of, but the most direct route back to her apartment seems to make the most sense to me right now.
I bark at him to slow down or stop a few times, sure that I see her. But it’s always someone else.
One girl walking with her man made my heart sink lower than I thought possible.
The thought of her alone out here at night, in the freezing cold, is bad enough.
The idea of her with anyone else? I can’t even bring myself to have the thought because it’s not gonna fucking happen.
I’m trying to keep my eyes peeled, but with blanketing snow and my mind drifting back to the memory of her legs wrapped around my shoulders, mixed with my feelings of stupidity for leaving her alone in the first place… I zone out more often than not.
Until Madison clears his throat, slowing the car.
“Uh… Sir?” he says calmly, pulling the huge car over to the curb, keeping it at a crawl until I see what he means.
It’s her.
Holly!
I know Madison’s never met Holly. But the girl marching in the snow looks like she’d fit the description of an upset girl walking home alone.
The kind I’ve instructed him we’re going to find, even if it takes until next Christmas.
Her head’s down, and her hands are tucked into her pits. Each step is long and heavy, almost like she’s stamping her feet to keep warm.
Before the car stops, I’m already out the door, skidding on the icy snow and leaving the door open as I hear Madison bring the car to a skidding halt.
“Holly!” I call out, already breathless, as I start to run toward her.
I call out again, but she won’t even look around.
I trot up beside her, slowing from a run to a jog and finally keeping pace with her.
“Holly?” I say again, not wanting to frighten her or make her more upset by grabbing hold of her.
“Mr. Carter,” she says in a low tone, her voice shaking with cold. Not from anger or hurt.
“Holly, stop,” I command her, grateful when she finally does.
My breath is like plumes from a dragon’s lips, but her own breath is thin and shallow in the freezing night air.
She looks up at me, almost impassive. Reminding me a lot of Madison when he’s in one of his moods.
Remind me of myself when I don’t get what I want immediately.
Showing me just how strong she is, though. How well she can handle herself all on her own.
“What happened? Why’d you take off?” I ask, trying to keep it light, but my own heart feels like it’ll burst if I can’t pull her close to me, hug her, tell her what she needs to know, and take her home.
Our home.
She puffs her cheeks out, keeping her hands tucked tight and warm before she looks up at me.
“I just figured you’d be happier with your personal assistant than some chubby girl who could never fit into your world,” she says icily. Almost as cold as the street we’re standing on.
I can’t compute what she’s saying. It makes no sense. My mouth hangs open, waiting for a question to come out but she keeps going.
Left jab followed by an uppercut.
“You bumped your head, I get it,” she drones. “Must’ve mistaken me for your little piece of ass back at the office, Madison, huh?”
She shakes her head in disbelief, looking like she’s about to keep walking.
“Stupid me, though,” she adds, going for the knockout punch. “I actually thought you meant it when you said we were a team, but you’re just another rich asshole with a bump on his head. Merry freaking Christmas,” her voice grinds as she looks away, emotionless and starts to trudge away from me into the thickening snow.
It takes a second, but I figure it out.
Sister O’Halloran must’ve mentioned Madison and how we’ve worked together so closely for so many years.
I know how Sister O’Halloran likes to tease us both because although he’s a great personal assistant, we don’t get along.
It’s why it works so well.
Maybe Holly assumed Madison was a female.
The thought should make me laugh out loud, at least scoff a little.
But the gravity of the situation means I have to handle this very carefully, for both our sakes.
“Holly, wait,” I tell her again. She takes a few more steps but finally stops just as I see the car pulling beside me out of the corner of my eye.