Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Good.” I polish off my drink. “Let’s get rid of it as soon as possible.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
STELLA
“FINALLY!” Sybil flops onto my bed and sighs dramatically. “I feel like I’ve hardly seen you lately.”
“I know.” I offer her an apologetic smile. “But check this out.”
She props her head up on my pillow as I retrieve the cash box from my nightstand drawer. When I fork it over and she opens it up, her eyes bulge with excitement.
“Holy shit, Cherrybomb. You’ve been making some bank.”
“It’s a good start,” I agree. “I have enough for an apartment and at least some baby stuff. I’m still working on it, but it’s hard to keep up.”
“Patrick told me the site he made for you has really taken off,” she says.
“It has. Between the custom Instagram photos, student headshots, and event shoots, I have something going every weekend and at least a few nights of the week. I’ve also been selling some stock photos, so that helps too.”
“And who said photography wouldn’t pay off?” she smirks.
“I’ll have to get another job after the baby comes.” I shrug. “Something with a more consistent paycheck. But at least I’ll have a launching pad this way.”
“You are simply amazing.” She smiles at me with genuine pride, and it hits me right in the feels. “I can’t believe you’re juggling school and all of this too. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I’m exhausted.” I laugh. “But it makes me happy. I think everything will be okay.”
But even as I say it, I can’t help noticing the pain that still lingers in my voice. Focusing on photography has been a good distraction, but in the back of my mind, Sebastian is always in my thoughts. Sybil notices it too, and though she’s tried to talk me into contacting him, I haven’t caved yet. I’m determined to do this on my own if that’s what it comes down to. Whether Sebastian will ever be a part of this baby’s life is still yet to be determined.
“Tell me what’s going on with you.” I change the subject.
She wiggles her brows and bolts upright, and already, I can tell she has big news. “I wanted to wait to tell you, but since you asked…”
“What is it?” I prod.
“I got into Juilliard!” She screams and then throws herself back with such abandon I can’t help but laugh.
“Oh my God, Sybil!” I blink. “I can’t believe it. That’s… incredible. You should have told me!”
The excitement slowly dissipates from her features as she turns serious and rolls onto her side to study me. “I don’t want to leave you.”
Sadness washes over me when I consider that in just a few short months, we will no longer be here together. Emotion chokes the assurances from my lips.
“You could come with me,” she proposes. “We could get an apartment together.”
“New York is crazy expensive.” I offer her a sad smile. “And you’re going to need to focus on school. I think a crying baby might make that more of a challenge than you need.”
“Then what will you do?” She pouts. “Where are you going to live?”
“I haven’t quite figured that out yet,” I admit. “Maybe I’ll stay in Connecticut.”
“I guess that makes sense.” She chews on her nail and nods. “Sebastian will be here. And eventually, you’ll have to tell him. He’ll want to spend time with the baby too.”
“Yeah,” I choke out even though it feels like a lie. “We’ll need to work all that out.”
“Sooner rather than later?” she asks hopefully.
“I don’t know when.” I close my eyes and blow out a breath. “I know I need to tell him, but I just don’t know how he’s going to handle this. For all I know, he’s already working on a baby with Megan in New York.”
“He isn’t.” Sybil shakes her head emphatically. “I don’t believe that for one second, Cherrybomb. I know I said all men are dogs, but things are different between the two of you. It’s like magic, or fate, or something. What you had was real, and that doesn’t just go away.”
I nod because I don’t have the energy to argue, and while I know Sybil’s trying to be helpful, I just need to not think about him for a minute.
“Hey, I have a free day next weekend,” I tell her. “Want to go baby shopping with me?”
“Um… hell yes!” she squeals. “It’s a date. No take backs.”
“DID YOU HEAR?” Sybil bounds into my room with wide eyes and a breathlessness that indicates she ran across campus to get here.
“Hear what?” I sit up and glance out the window, wondering if the pyro kids blew up the whole science building this time.
“Mr. Carter is back,” she hisses.
“Holy shit.” I squeeze my hands together in my lap. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She bobs her head theatrically. “I just saw him heading into the cafeteria. So I asked Ms. Hargrave, and she told me that he’s back for the rest of the year.”