Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 203847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1019(@200wpm)___ 815(@250wpm)___ 679(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 203847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1019(@200wpm)___ 815(@250wpm)___ 679(@300wpm)
Day’s lips twitch. “I’ve never been that kind of ‘forbidden romance’ kind of girl. I guess it’s because your dad is a teacher. Every time I tried one, I pictured him with his stripy ties as the main character.”
Well, that’s a visual I wasn’t prepared for. Much less needed.
“Thank you for that.” I sit up straight and take a long drink from my glass. “Moving on from that strange twist…”
“Yes, let’s.” She wrinkles her face up. “So did he just, like, come out with it? Or was there a preemptive warning?”
“There was a half-assed story but no warning. He just kind of…said it. Like, bam. Surprise!” I rest the glass against my chin. “I wasn’t expecting it. Tyler is the oddest mixture of bad guy and good guy, but I never thought he’d have done that.”
Day purses her lips, looking into her glass. “I don’t know if you should be bothered or not. Is that bad?”
No. Because I don’t think I am. I’m more pissed about the fact that I’m not bothered. Or that my ever-growing addiction to him makes it that way. Somehow, it takes the wrongness and reality of what he’s done and twists it into something that isn’t that bad at all.
That’s what really bothers me. That I can disregard something so critical. Something that’s made him who he is today.
But isn’t that exactly what he did with me? Didn’t he gloss over my teenage stupidity like it didn’t impact me at all?
Yes.
Oh, sigh.
Acceptance of the past is the key to facing the future. As long as I remember that, I’ll be okay. I think.
I hope.
I really, really fucking hope.
“It’s not bad,” I answer finally, slowly, tentatively drawing each word out. “I guess, in a fucked-up way, it’s kind of similar to Aaron keeping Naomi from you. You really shouldn’t have forgiven him, but you did. I really shouldn’t accept Tyler’s past this easily, but I have.”
Dayton’s lips tug up at the sides. “You know who forgives easily, don’t you?”
“A person in love,” I say in a cocky voice. “And again, there is a fundamental flaw in your plan, best friend.”
“Yeah, you’re not in love. I gotcha, Ms. In Denial.”
I roll my eyes. I’m not even going to argue with her. She’ll continue to tell me that I’m in denial and I’ll deny being in denial. It’ll be like the string cheese conversation all over again. Pointless bullshit.
“Whatever.” I set my empty glass on the table next to hers and refill them. “When I fall in love, I’ll be sure to send out a public service announcement so no one misses it.”
“You better.” She grins and her eyes sparkle. “When does Tyler come back?”
“Tomorrow sometime.” Somberness overshadows my amusement. We’d barely sealed our relationship with a kiss before he was offered a shoot in Boise. He drove out first thing this morning and that’s that.
I’m sitting here with an ache in my chest, waiting, just waiting, so we can actually finish our conversation. And I can maybe ask him why he slept with a student.
“And you’re already missing him,” Day states matter-of-factly.
“That wasn’t a question. I’m not obliged to respond.”
“Are you missing him?”
Shit. Asshole. “No.”
“Fucking liar.”
“Fine! Yes. I am. A little.” I lean my head back against the back of the sofa. “Okay, a lot. I’m missing him a lot.”
I rub my hand down my face as we both take in my admission.
“Like, shit. This isn’t normal. I should not be feeling like I have to pick up the phone and call him just to hear the sound of his voice and make this fucking irritating ache inside go away. I shouldn’t be feeling like I need to get in my own damn car and drive out to Boise to see him.” I squeeze my eyes shut. Voicing it just makes it worse. I take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
“Wow. You really do have it bad, don’t you?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Conan Doyle? Your Sherlocks are multiplying at a sickening rate. They even come with tits and a vagina now,” I mutter, opening my eyes again.
Dayton laughs loudly, digging her toes into my shin. “Shut up, Liv. Look, you’re addicted to him, and you know it. It’s different now because you can manage it. Just breathe and try to think about what you’re feeling.”
My eyes flick to hers and I hit her with a harsh glare. “I’m sorry, Dr. Black. I wasn’t aware you were a fucking therapist.”
She smacks a cushion over my head. “For real, shut your face.” She drinks the rest of her wine and stands up. “Are you going to be okay if I leave you here?”
“Jesus Christ, I’m missing my boyfriend, not contemplating how hard my body would hit the ground if I jumped out of my window.”
“Don’t even joke about it.” She points a finger in my direction. “Don’t.”