Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Removing myself from that train wreck of a confrontation had been the right call. But now what?
All I knew for sure was that I needed some time, so I wasn’t going right back to George’s house. I just had no idea what to do in the meantime, or how to fix this. I still loved Eden, without a doubt. One ridiculous, fucked up afternoon wasn’t going to change that. It had definitely left me feeling hurt, angry, and insulted, though.
I’d been so confident in us as a couple and so sure we could deal with any obstacles in our path, including my brother’s inevitable push-back. I hadn’t expected the man I loved to apologize for being with me, instead of standing up for our relationship. That felt like a betrayal.
Okay, so maybe I’d had Eden up on a pedestal. Maybe that was why this had hit me so hard. But now, I just felt lost.
Chapter 11
The next morning, I lingered over breakfast at a diner near the motel while trying to make a plan. The first thing I had to address was where I was going to stay—that was critical. I really didn’t know how long it’d take for Eden and me to get back on solid footing. I also didn’t know if living under the same roof was going to seem like a good idea any time soon. Hotels in San Francisco weren’t cheap, and staying in one long-term would wipe out my savings. But what were my alternatives?
When I finally turned on my phone, I discovered a lot of texts, voicemails, and missed calls from Eden, and a few from Casey. I wasn’t ready to deal with either of them, so I ignored the messages and looked through my contact list.
Since Josh and Darwin lived with Josh’s great-grandmother, I couldn’t really ask to crash on their couch. But they both knew a lot of people in San Francisco, so I sent them a text. After telling them I’d changed my mind about St. Louis, I asked if they’d heard about any short-term sublets or rooms for rent.
Josh responded a minute later: I just asked Nana, and she says you can stay here at her house as long as you want.
I asked: Are you sure? I don’t want to be in the way.
He wrote back right away: You won’t be! Nana loves company, and we’re all excited to have you here. She’s already writing up a shopping list, because she wants to make a nice dinner to welcome you.
That was really touching. I wrote: Please thank her for me. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.
Josh replied: See you soon! P.S. We’re all glad you didn’t go back to St. Louis. It didn’t seem like what you really wanted.
He was right about that. I’d just wanted to put some distance between myself and Eden—and now I was doing the same thing for different reasons. But I didn’t need two thousand miles between us. That had been overkill.
After breakfast, I went out to the parking lot and called George. He answered on the second ring with, “Hi there, kiddo. I hear you and my grandson broke down halfway to St. Louis. Is everything alright?”
“Yes and no. Did, um…did you read the letter I left for you?”
“The one where you told me you were a gigolo? Yeah, I read it. I figured you were up to something like that. How many pizza delivery boys can afford designer clothes? But don’t worry, I’m not going to hold it against you. Hell, you got to have sex, and people actually paid you for it! That’s a win-win, as far as I’m concerned.” God, I loved this guy.
“I’m sorry I lied to you, George.”
“It wasn’t a lie. You just held back some information. I assume that’s because you didn’t want Eden to know.”
“Exactly.”
He asked, “Did my grandson find out what you’d been doing and blow a gasket, and is that why you decided to go back to St. Louis?”
“Right again. But St. Louis was a bad idea, and now I’m on my way back to San Francisco. I’ll be there by about noon, so I’m calling to see if you need anything.”
“Thanks for checking on me, but I’m fine. I’m over here at my girlfriend’s house. That’s where I’ve been spending all my time. I even brought my cat along, since I’m never home anymore.”
“It sounds like you and Flora are getting pretty serious.”
“We are,” he said. “I’m planning to ask her to marry me.”
“Already?”
“She’s a good woman and we care about each other, so why wait? Besides, at my age I don’t have time to waste.”
“Well, I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, I’m happy too,” he said. “Enough about me, though. Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and my grandson?”