Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“You finished that?” he asked, pointing at my can of beer. “You want another?”
“Thanks.”
“Of course, you know it’s still all bullshit.”
“I know.” I laughed. “But you have to admit our communication skills right now are stellar. Being pragmatic and problem solving everyday aspects of a relationship apparently works. Who could have guessed?”
“Easy when there’s no sex or emotions.”
“True.” I accepted the can and took a sip. “Thank you. But I made a decision a long time ago that I was never getting married. And that’s how I know on an intellectual level that the divorce certificate will never come to fruition. Though it continues to make for an intriguing mystery.”
“You’re never getting married?”
“That’s right. I’m not against relationships, obviously. But taking vows is a big no for me.”
“I always figured I’d be ready around forty, in five years’ time,” he said. “Give my brother and me a chance to establish the business.”
“If you’re with the right person then, of course.”
“Of course.”
“What if you meet someone sooner?”
“It’s a matter of priorities.”
“Ouch. I hope whoever you settle on to be your life partner is understanding.” I wrinkled my nose. “I’m still sticking with never.”
Lars said nothing, just scratched at the stubble on his jawline. He had rough edges. An air of unkempt. While the Ex was as dapper as could be. He wore his handsome face like a mask to hide his narcissistic insides. It took me so long to see. There’s nothing quite like disappointing yourself. Of course, the Ex had never minded that I had no wish to be married. It suited him perfectly since he’d never been open to getting serious with me in the first place. Yet again, I’d been the girl they played with then put aside. Some men were the worst. And now I had this weird divorce certificate confirming I was right to distrust love and marriage all along. What a kicker.
“It had to be sex,” said Lars, out of nowhere.
“Sex?” Something about that word coming out of his mouth stalled my brain. Probably just the alcohol. “Wait. What?”
“We broke up due to sex. It’s the only thing left I can think of.”
“Right,” I drawled. It did make sense. “I mean, it was probably fine to start off with. It usually is in most relationships. It’s fun and new and thrilling. But then over time...”
For a moment he gazed at me, then said, “Guess we’ll never know.”
Four
“This is where you found it?”
I nodded.
Miss Lillian took a deep breath and placed her palm flat against the drywall. Her extensive collection of silver bangles jingled with each movement.
“Hey. What’s going on?” asked Lars, appearing in the second bedroom doorway. His gaze was a whole lot of wary.
Unlike me, he didn’t require a tube of concealer to cover the dark circles beneath his eyes this morning. Though his eyes were tinged red. He had a car take him home sometime after our sixth or seventh shot of tequila. Our conversation had deteriorated into exchanging embarrassing anecdotes from our college days. That he omitted any mention of the Ex was appreciated.
Mateo arrived at the usual time, but Lars stopped at another job site first. Hence his late arrival.
“Miss Lillian, this is Lars,” I said.
“He has a kind face.” The older lady stared into his eyes. “Hello, Lars. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ma’am.”
“Miss Lillian was a friend of my aunt’s,” I explained. “When I told her about the situation she insisted on coming over right away. Wasn’t that good of her?”
“Very.”
“She’s a psychic.”
Lars’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
“I prefer clairvoyant and intuitive counselor,” said Miss Lillian.
I smiled. “Of course.”
“It’s great that you could stop by.” He was so lying. And he wasn’t even good at it.
“There’s definitely a strong connection between you two. A lot of sexual energy.” Miss Lillian’s gaze narrowed as she examined the air around us. “It doesn’t surprise me that there’s a romantic entanglement in your future.”
“We’re not getting together,” said Lars, voice adamant. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I second that,” I confirmed.
Miss Lillian gave a knowing smile. “Whatever you say.”
“I thought maybe Miss Lillian could tell us if there were any other walls we needed to look behind.”
“You really think we’re going to find something else?” asked Lars.
“Who knows?”
Head cocked, Miss Lillian moved closer to the big man. “You have a blocked heart chakra, dear. You might want to try working on that. It makes it difficult for you to recognize trustworthy people when they come into your life.”
Lars blinked.
“Now then,” she said, brushing her fingertips against the wall. Ever so slowly, she walked around the edge of the room. Then the bathroom, main bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. At last, she stopped and nodded to herself. “There are no other messages here for you two.”
“Are you saying there are things there, they’re just not for us?” I asked, wildly curious.