Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“I’m sure,” I tell her. “Listen, don’t tell anyone about this, especially not King. I’ll do all the arrangements and we’ll just go, okay? We’ll leave and never look back.”
She nods. “I’m so ready!”
I hug her close, and for the first time I see light in her eyes. Hope. Like maybe, just maybe we might be able to start our lives fresh.
But there is one thing I have to do first.
I have to let the man I love go.
I have to severe the ties.
I have to say goodbye.
Forever.
18
NOW – BRIELLA
I step into Alarick’s room, my fingers trembling, my whole body on high alert. Not because I’m about to do something bad, but because I’m about to go in there and attempt something that could backfire. It could be a really bad idea, yet it’s the only thing I can think of right now that I need. The only thing in this world. I’m so broken, so lonely, and last time I was like that I ran.
This time, I need someone to make it better.
That someone being Alarick.
I need him more than I need anything right now, even if before my sister died we were on rocky grounds. The very night her body was delivered to us, we were saying things against that shed that I know we both didn’t mean. It was that night I was reminded just how short life can be and the thought of anything ever happening to Alarick makes me feel like I simply couldn’t go on.
Besides, I need to tell him about Rupert.
My appointment is coming up quickly and I’m terrified, and I know, I just know, I’m going to need him. He’s the only person I have left right now, and I don’t want to be alone.
It’s time to tell the truth and move forward.
I step into his room at the club to find him sitting on the sofa watching a game of baseball on television. Alarick always did this to unwind, even when he was a teenager, he would sit on the sofa and watch it every night. I’m not even sure he likes the game, but I think it’s just his way of zoning out. He needs something to relax his mind, and that’s it.
I’m surprised to see he still does it.
“You still watch baseball at night, huh?”
He jerks and glances over at me, his eyes softening the moment that he sees me. That makes me feel good inside. It makes me feel like maybe we still have a chance here, even just to mend broken bridges.
“Yeah,” he murmurs. “Still don’t understand a fuckin’ thing about the game, but it helps.”
“Can I?” I point to the sofa and he nods.
I walk over and sit beside him, just like I used to, and tuck my legs up, leaning back into the comfortable couch. For a moment we just watch the screen together, and then I turn toward him. It’s time to get all of this out in the open. It’s time to try and fix this.
“Can we talk?”
He picks up the remote and flicks the television onto mute and then turns to face me. Tonight, he looks so utterly gorgeous. His hair is wet from a shower, falling down around his shoulders. His skin smells warm and soapy and he’s not wearing a shirt. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants, and we all know what grey sweatpants do to all woman kind.
It gets us incredibly hot under the collar.
Especially when they walk and ...
Oh boy.
I’m trailing off here.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Everything, anything,” I say, shrugging, not really sure where to begin.
I’m nervous, because, there is a lot of water under this particular bridge and if I’m not careful, it could all crash down and we are just as likely to drown. The past is the past, and I need to clear it so we can move forward.
Alarick stares at me, waiting for me to go on. So, I do.
“I know I ran off, and it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right in any way back then to just leave with no explanation. My mind, it’s different now, but back then I was overwhelmed and in some sort of shock. I didn’t understand things the way I do now and I was scared, I was heartbroken, and you were the only person I had to lean on and I felt like you weren’t on my side. I get it, I really do, you had a different opinion on things and I was just as stubborn about not hearing your side, so you weren’t the only one in the wrong.”
I shift to my side and face him, keeping my legs crossed.
“It was wrong, what I did. Leaving you, walking away on what we had. It was wrong, and I’m sorry. I should have said that right away, but as you know my pride is pretty strong. Still, you deserved to hear that.”