Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Okay.” I nod slowly. “I’d like that. And I’ll let you know about Ares. I guess it depends on if he accepts my apology or not.”
He smiles, his eyes softening. “He’ll accept it.”
“I hope you’re right.” Then, I do something I never do. I lean over and press a kiss to my dad’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dad.” Then, I climb out of his car, closing the door behind me.
I walk into Ares’s building. I give the security guard a smile and a wave, and I head into the elevator and hit the button for the eighth floor.
I wrap my arms around myself, trying to contain my nerves.
Feeling like this…really makes me want to have a drink. Something to calm my nerves.
But I don’t have that option, so I just breathe through it. In and out. I don’t have time to adopt the lotus position and focus. So, good old-fashioned deep breaths it is.
The elevator pings, and the door slides open.
I’m reminded of the time when I first came here to apologize to Ares for lying about canceling on him and to tell him that Luke was my sponsor. That’s the first time he kissed me.
And here I am again, walking to his door to apologize. Only he isn’t waiting in the doorway for me this time.
Lifting my hand, I knock on his door and then wait.
The door swings open, but it isn’t Ares who answers; it’s Missy.
“Hey.” She smiles widely, like she’s genuinely happy to see me here. “How are you doing?”
“I’m…okay, I guess,” I say with a shrug and a small smile. “Is, um…Ares around?”
“He’s upstairs on the twelfth floor. He went for a swim.” My confused look has her saying, “There’s a gym and pool up there for residents to use.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I suppose I’ll go up there and see him. Wish me luck.”
“Luck? But you won’t need it.” She smiles and winks.
I’m taking that as a good sign, as she knows her brother better than anyone, and if he was through with me, I figured she’d know, right?
“Catch you later,” I tell her. Then, I turn to walk back to the elevator.
“You’re still coming to dinner tonight, right?” she asks, half-stepping out into the hallway.
I turn back to her, slowly walking backward. “I guess that depends on your brother.”
“Ari, you’re my friend. You’d be coming even if he didn’t want you there, which he totally does because the stubborn ass is crazy about you.”
Another shot of hope.
“Then, I’ll see you tonight,” I tell her on a smile.
I turn forward and walk over to the elevator. It opens as soon as I press the button. Guess it never went back down. I get in and press the button for the twelfth floor.
I exit the elevator and see the signs on the wall outside. Apparently, the gym and steam room are to the left. Pool to the right.
I follow the sign, coming to a door, and I push it open. It leads me straight into the pool area. There’s an Olympic-sized swimming pool in here. Glass windows are on either side, giving a beautiful view of the city.
And Ares is the only one in here, currently swimming a length away from me.
I kick off my heels and walk over to the pool where I wait for him to finish.
He hits the other end of the pool and stops, hand on the ledge, clearly taking a break.
I stand here, waiting for him to see me.
His head turns as he moves to return to his swim, and he finally sees me.
We hold eyes for a long beat.
I wonder if he’s going to swim over to me, but he doesn’t. He just stays there, the stubborn bastard. So, I swallow my pride and walk around the length of the pool to where he is.
I stop before him and stare down. Water droplets are clinging to his lashes and running down his face. His dark hair is slicked back with water.
God, he’s beautiful.
“Hi,” I say softly.
Hands holding the ledge, he looks up at me. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
Nice to see you, too.
“My dad gave me the rest of the day off.” I crouch down before him, putting us at eye-level. “And I’m here because you told me to call you when I’d sorted my shit out. Well, I’ve sorted my shit out. But I thought I’d come see you in person rather than call.”
“Mmhmm. Right.” He nods. “And just exactly how have you sorted your shit out?”
“I told my dad about us.”
I don’t miss the surprise that quickly flickers through his eyes. He doubted I would. But then I can’t blame him. I didn’t exactly give him a reason to have confidence in me.
There’s a long pause before he says anything. And, when he does, it’s, “Okay.”