Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
The realization that I just knocked out Liam weighs heavily on my shoulders. The one man I could occasionally refer to as a friend.
I stare at my own reflection as I realize how badly I’ve fucked up.
It doesn’t take long before I decide I need to call an ambulance and I’m very much aware they’ll call the police. I clench my jaw and swallow my pride. It’ll be a fucking spectacle.
He shouldn’t have talked about Jules, though.
He had to know this was going to happen.
Julia
Why do you haunt me so?
You take control of my thoughts,
You consume my sleep.
How do you wound me still?
You need to leave me alone,
I’m not yours to keep.
“It can’t be true.” I only parted my lips, but the words tumbled out without thinking. Sitting around the same small table in the coffee shop feels surreal as I read the article. We were just here not even a month ago and it’s unreal how everything has changed.
“You broke him,” Maddie says somewhat jokingly to try to lighten the mood.
His company, his friendships, his father. I know the tabloids make up a good portion of their content, but the mug shot is something that can’t be denied.
“It’s all dropped and he’ll be fine,” Sue says airily as if it’s no big deal.
The newspaper falls to the table and the faint sound of the paper rustling is all I can hear.
“I don’t understand what happened,” I say, thinking out loud. “He never said anything to me about his father or about the business.”
Sue shrugs. “Sometimes people don’t talk about the things that bother them. He’ll be fine.” How can I not know, though? I shared so much of myself with Mason. I was raw and open and giving of so much of me. I know he did the same. I could feel it between us. It wasn’t one sided. I hid the darkest secrets from him … and he did the same with me. A new form of regret wraps itself around my throat. I should make sure he’s all right like he did for me. That’s an excuse I can use to run back to him.
“Coffee?” Kat asks as she sits down and places a hot ceramic mug in front of me. It’s been mixed with an almost offensive amount of creamer and the color matches my cream accent pillows at home … just the way I l.
With a grateful smile, I accept it and blow over the top, inhaling the smell and trying to feel normal. Or as normal as I can, all things considered. Kat’s busy reading over the manuscript on her phone, but whether or not it will do is nowhere on my mind. All I can think about is the fact that Mason was there for me, so many times. He needs someone right now. The only question is whether or not he’d let me in.
She murmurs the lines as she opens the book.
Sweet lies you told me, beautiful forever.
A dream or a terror, I craved it, whichever.
A taste so sweet, too much to say no,
I couldn’t resist and you couldn’t let go.
Your healing touch and comforting kiss—
But I never thought it would end like this.
Kat tilts her head, her lips stopping midpoem and she gives me a questioning look as she says, “Is this one about Jace?”
The book was supposed to be about mourning and loss. It is, but it’s a deceptive cocktail of the two men. I loved and lost both of them.
All I can do is take a sip of coffee and try not to choke on the lie as I say, “I don’t remember.”
“So have you heard from him?” Maddie asks me, thankfully saving me from Kat’s interrogation.
My ponytail swishes along the crook of my neck as I shake my head no. He got the message that we were over after I repeatedly refused his calls. I don’t think he’ll ever reach out to me again.
“Have you called him?” Maddie asks.
“Not yet,” I tell her. “Or, no. No, I haven’t.” Thump, thump, thump, my poor little heart won’t stay where it’s supposed to and I hide in my coffee cup again.
Her voice is hopeful as she scoots forward, the sound of the stool scratching against the floor making an annoying screech. “You should.”
“I don’t know ... I want to. He was …” I trail off as I run my fingers up and down the cup and stare at a lone muffin in front of me. I haven’t eaten since I heard about Mason this morning.
“I think you should,” Maddie says softly.
“I think you should shut your mouth and let things happen as they should,” Sue bites out and Maddie merely gives her a look of defiance.
“She breaks up with him and he falls apart—” Maddie looks like she’s about to go off on Sue, but she doesn’t get much out.