Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Eating was not high on her list of things to do. The thought of food made her feel sick. She’d been able to eat a slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast, half of a sandwich for lunch, nothing, so far, for dinner. Nothing appealed to her.
“Er, isn’t it our scheduled appointment?” Aria asked, glancing down at her wrist, but her watch wasn’t there.
Jase frowned and then nodded. “Yes, it is. I … I didn’t put two and two together. Yes, it is time.” He paused and looked down at his desk.
“I’ll go and get changed.” Aria disappeared into the changing room. There were several women chatting amongst themselves. When Aria stepped through, they looked in her direction. She gave them a polite smile and made her way into one of the private rooms. She couldn’t stand to get changed with someone close or watching.
“Was that Aria Taylor?”
She froze. Did they realize that their whispering was loud?
“Yeah, I think it was.”
There was a giggle.
“Do you know what I heard?”
“What?”
“That Grant Reynolds, the super hot bike guy, wanted to see what it was like to take on the two sisters. He screwed Isabella and then he did Aria.”
“I heard he ended up vomiting afterward.”
They knew. How did they know?
Aria stood in the changing room wishing the world would open up and swallow her whole. She had no idea how they knew, but Aria didn’t know how she’d be able to step out of that room. Would they just leave?
The sound of their voices started to fade and Aria was thankful for that. Sitting down on the floor, Aria felt the tears fall down her cheeks. If those women knew, then others did. Probably the whole town. Which explained the pitying looks she was getting by several of the customers.
“Aria, are you okay?”
“This is the ladies’ changing room,” she said.
“I know, I got one of my female employees to see if it’s all clear for me to enter.” Jase’s feet appeared near the door.
Aria stared at them.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Do you want to come out?” Jase asked.
“I’m not changed.”
“That’s okay, we can talk through the door.”
“Do you know?” Aria asked with a sigh.
“Do I know what?” There was hesitation in his response and this only made her laugh.
“Of course you know.”
Jase sighed. “Yes, I know.”
“Great,” Aria said. “So everyone knows that Grant had sex with my sister before me.” She pressed her hands to her face. All she wanted to do was scream. Could this get any worse?
“Are you going to hide in that stall forever?” Jase asked.
“I can’t go out there.”
“Why not?”
“Because they all know.”
“So they know that shit happened,” Jase said. “It’s not the end of the world. Trust me, it’s not. You can hold your head high, and you can ignore the shit they’re saying. You’re in control of your own life, Aria. Not anyone else.”
Aria got to her feet and she quickly changed out of her clothes into her gym suit. Opening the door, she came face to face with Jase. “Fine.”
“You might want to splash some water on your face.”
Aria nodded. “You’re right.”
Walking around Jase, she went to the sink and splashed water on her face. Afterward, she stood up and stared at her reflection. Why should she run and hide?
****
Aria’s body hurt by the time she finished at the gym. All she wanted to do was go home, have a nice, long shower, forget what her body felt like, and then eat a ton of ice cream. Vanilla or chocolate, whichever was available in her freezer.
Lidia had been calling her, asking if she wanted her to come over. No. All she wanted was to be left alone.
Arriving home after the gym, she pulled into the driveway and then groaned. Her mother was standing on her doorstep. She hadn’t spoken to her since Thanksgiving. This couldn’t be good. At least she had taken the time to change into clothes rather than leave the gym in her workout ones. She didn’t want her mother to know she was actually putting her thoughtless gift to use.
“Where have you been?” Joan asked, her hand on her hip. “What time do you call this?”
“I don’t live in your house, Mom. I can come and go as I please.”
Joan tsked. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Aria Taylor. Where has my respectful daughter gone?”
Aria couldn’t help but laugh. “You mean the doormat? The one that puts up with all your insults? The disappointment? The waste of space. Shouldn’t you be at Isabella’s right now, telling her what she should or shouldn’t be eating?”
She had no idea where this was coming from. Aria had never, ever spoken to her mother like this. Never.
“How dare you?” Joan folded her arms across her chest.
Aria didn’t care to continue talking to her mother outside for whichever nosy neighbor was close by. Too much of her dirty laundry had already been shared with the town of Carnage. She wasn’t ready for more.