Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I want this forever, I thought as I drifted off to sleep. And despite telling myself that it wasn’t possible over and over and over, some small sliver of my heart still wanted to believe that it was.
That was my last conscious thought before falling asleep. But when I awoke to an empty bed and sheets already cold, I knew this time it wasn’t because Oscar had simply gone to grab coffee.
The small sliver of hope shriveled up and floated away on the summer breeze coming in from the open door.
11
OSCAR
I woke up well before sunrise. The soft ocean breeze blew in from the terrace, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of waves lapping in the distance. It should have been soothing. It should have lulled me back to sleep.
Hugh lay sprawled on top of the white sheet, his bare skin moon-pale in the shadowy light from outside. My eyes roamed over him like they were on a scientific mission to find and record even the most minute of details. He was perfection personified. Even his flaws fell in the pro column of any true assessment.
While he was peacefully asleep and looked like an angel, he scared the ever-loving shit out of me. So much so that I slunk backward off the bed without making a sound. Once I was standing, I stared at him a little longer. I’d like to say I was torn between staying and going, but the truth was, I wasn’t torn.
There was no doubt in my mind I needed to get the hell out of there before doing something incredibly stupid.
As I pulled my clothes on as silently as possible, I wondered whether I could impose upon my pilot to fly out six hours earlier than we’d originally planned. First, I needed to pack my stuff, which meant sneaking past rows of closed doors where the wedding guests were most likely curled up with loved ones, enjoying the kind of peaceful sleep I wouldn’t enjoy again anytime soon.
I was almost through the well-lit lobby when I heard an intentional throat-clearing by the coffee stand. I jerked to a stop and discovered James sitting at a small circular table with a coffee cup and an open laptop on it.
“Good morning?” he said, phrasing it more like a question. He eyed the rumpled clothing I’d thrown on from last night. “Am I witnessing a typical walk of shame or some kind of darker situation like… like a slink of doom?”
My nerves felt raw and overstretched, as if the slightest pressure on them would cause my carefully controlled plan to spiral into a million colorful shards like Chuckie’s indoor fireworks experiment.
“Neither. I just need to hit the road.”
James’s eyes narrowed. “Make yourself some coffee and join me for a minute.”
“No, I—”
“Fucking sit down, Oscar.” His voice was gentle but firm.
I let out a breath and helped myself to a coffee, taking extra time to stir the wooden stick around the cup before finally taking a seat at his table. James and I had been good friends for a long time, and I knew he of all people would understand my situation.
“You working?” I asked, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the elephant in the room.
He nodded. “Sawyer got up early to help set up a grab-and-go breakfast station for Roman and Scotty’s guests. I decided to catch up on some accounting. Now that we’ve covered that riveting topic, tell me about Hugh.”
I opened my mouth to make a flippant comment about how good he was in bed, but the words died on my tongue when I caught James’s eyes. “I can’t have him.”
James nodded, which honestly took the wind out of my sails. Why did he have to agree so quickly?
“Clearly. It would be a mistake, right? After all, everyone knows a few bad relationships means you should give up any attempt at relationships from here on out.”
I blinked at him. The words were delivered so calmly, so rationally, it took me a minute to recognize the sarcasm.
“So you agree?” I shot back. “Good. Can I go now?”
I started to stand up, but he reached a leg out to hook his toes around the base of my chair and yank it closer to the table. I stumbled back into my seat and glared at him. Still, his calm demeanor never wavered.
“You may not go now. I have a few questions first.” He took a moment to study me. “How’s Boone?”
The change of topic threw me. “Boone?”
“Yeah, big guy? Rancher in Wyoming? Lover of cattle and my sassy ex-boyfriend?”
“You’re not upset with him for hooking up with Richard, are—”
His bark of laughter almost made me jump. “Good god, no. I’m happy for them both. And in case you forgot, I’m engaged to be married to the absolute love of my life.”
“Good for you,” I mumbled before taking a sip of coffee too soon. I sputtered and gasped as it burned my tongue.