Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
The sound of the front door opening and shutting makes my eyes fly to the hallway. I wonder if he called Michael and I know I have no choice but to say something at some point. I thought having Michael come would have been hard on me. Instead, it’s the last person on earth I ever want to let down. Max.
He follows Matthew, and the minute I see him I can’t help but put my face in my hands and cry. I stop the sobs from ripping through me, but I can’t help the way my shoulders shake.
“What happened?” Matthew asks and I can’t even look up. The thought of him being disappointed in me is just too much to bear. Thinking he is going to think less of me, all I can do is hide my face.
I can hear footsteps get closer to me and then I feel his arms take me in them. “It’s okay,” Max whispers to me. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.” I can’t help but wrap my arms around his waist as he holds me. “Oh my God,” Max says. “Did you hurt her?”
“Oh my God.” Chase’s voice goes louder. “Really, Uncle Max?”
“Is she?” I hear Matthew now talk. “Is she pregnant?” I look up now, seeing Matthew glare at Chase. “Chase fucking Grant,” he grinds out between clenched teeth with his hands on his hips. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m not pregnant.” I finally find my words and Max lets me go, but keeps his arm around my shoulders.
“Thank God,” Matthew says and then looks over at Chase.
“Seriously, Dad, out of everything in this whole world, the only thing you could think of was she was having my baby?” He holds his hand up and then looks at Max. “And you think I put my hands on her?”
“What was I supposed to think, she’s in your house drinking and crying,” Max explains. I step forward now to stop whatever is happening before it gets too much.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I say softly, “and when I come back out, I’ll tell you why I’m crying.”
“Do you want something to eat?” Max says softly. “I can order the fruit basket you like.”
I shake my head no and I look at Matthew. “Thank you for coming,” I say, and I can’t even look in his eyes because I’m afraid I’ll see disappointment in them.
I walk with my head down to the bathroom, and I’m about to close the door when I feel a hand slap the door. “Are you okay?” Chase stands there asking me silently.
“Remember when you brought me home two days ago?” I ask him and he just looks at me. “I thought I wouldn’t survive that night.” The words don’t stop there. “I think this is even worse than the last time.”
“Do you want me to run a bath for you?” he asks and I gasp.
“Your father is here with Max,” I whisper-yell. “They already thought you knocked me up.”
“Only my father thought that.” Chase puts his hands in his pockets. “Max thought I hit you.”
“I just need to splash water on my face and I’ll be out,” I assure him and he just looks at me. “I might even throw up, depending on how the next two minutes go.”
“I’ll be outside waiting for you,” he says and steps out of the doorway and closes the door with him. I don’t bother locking the door, because let’s face it, the three of them can smash down the door with one hand.
Walking over to the sink I turn on the cold water, avoiding looking at myself in the mirror. I can’t even imagine how I look. I cup my hand under the cold stream of water, waiting for my hands to fill up, before splashing the water on my face. I repeat it three times before I turn the water off and look at myself in the mirror. For the first time I look how I feel, destroyed. I grab a towel and dab my face before I take a huge deep breath and walk out.
I don’t know what to expect, to be honest, and when I walk in, the three of them are sitting on the couches. Max and Matthew sit on one couch facing Chase, neither of them says a word. The bottle of scotch is in front of Chase with the glass I poured and never drank, beside it the folded papers I was served. My stomach spins, and I think I’m going to be sick, but when I see Chase stand, all I can do is walk over to him. “We should get this over with,” I say, sitting down and putting my hands on my knees, ignoring how much they are shaking. “Wow, I thought this would be easy.” I laugh but a sob comes from me and I put the back of my hand to my mouth. “Sorry,” I say, shaking my head and Chase gets up, walking into the kitchen. He grabs a water bottle from the fridge. He comes back, sitting next to me, and hands me the bottle of water. “Thank you,” I say, and he waits for me to take a sip. The cold liquid hits my mouth and it takes everything to swallow past the lump. I put the bottle on the table in front of me, next to the white papers.