Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 79670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I scan the article and laugh. “Sources say they met at a hockey game.” I look up at Romeo, who is looking down at his own phone, and I can faintly hear Kristina saying something but the echoing in my ears blocks most of it out.
My phone goes nuts in my hands.
Alex:
Why are you even on that site?
Vivienne:
It’s informative.
Franny:
HAHAHAHAHAH it is not.
“I don’t have a comment,” Romeo states, and I look up at him. “I’m not commenting on my love life, not now, not ever.”
“Okay,” Kristina says, “but just so you know, I warned you. If you don’t give them a comment, they are just going to be waiting for you.”
“I’ll talk to Gabriella and get back to you,” he replies and hangs up the phone as I turn and walk into the house, going straight for the kitchen. I put my phone on the island because it suddenly feels like a brick in my hand. With the sound of the pinging going off every second, I can just imagine what the text chain will look like.
I place my hands on the island and then hang my head. “This is bad,” I say, shaking my head.
“It’s not bad,” Romeo declares, and I look up at him.
“It’s fucking bad, Romeo,” I repeat, my voice rising. I’m so pissed I let my guard down. We went to dinner together and nothing was done, but today, today of all days, it’s happened.
“Why are you mad?” he asks, his head tilting to the side.
“For the rest of my life, I’m going to be known as the girl you dated in Dallas.” My phone rings, and I look down at it and see it’s Abigail. I press the decline button at the same time I slam the phone down.
My heart speeds up, my hands shake with rage, and then I hear him. “So it bothers you to be associated with me?” My head whips back to look at him, the hurt apparent in his voice.
“We are figuring this shit out,” I defend myself, “and if we decide that it’s not going to work.” I say the words and they taste sour in my mouth. My tongue even gets bigger as I try to swallow, but it feels like my mouth has filled with sand. “What if we see that maybe the whole time what we had was in our heads, but now it’s out there for the world to see?”
His eyes never move from mine. “Perhaps you need to figure this out.” His voice is calm, so fucking calm, it makes me even angrier. Why isn’t he madder that someone took our picture? Why doesn’t he care? “I’ve already figured this out and I know that I’m okay with them taking our picture.” Then he answers the question I silently asked myself. “I’m okay with them taking our picture because I know that you’re the last girl I’ll have my picture taken with.”
“You don’t know that.” I try not to raise my voice.
“I do.” His voice never wavers. “You are the only one who doesn’t. I’m going to go,” he says and I can see the hurt in his eyes. “I’ll call you later.” He turns and walks out of the house and my head screams don’t go but my voice never says it. Instead, I hear the sound of the door slamming and only then do I let my head hang.
I don’t move from the kitchen, my hand goes for my phone, and I ignore the text messages and instead open the link again. My eyes look at the picture and see how he looks at me.
The front door opens, and my feet move before I can think twice about it. “Romeo,” I call as I walk into the hallway and see that it’s Abigail who waddles in.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” she huffs. “You made me get in the car and come all this way?” She puts her hand on her stomach.
I roll my eyes. “It’s a three-minute car ride,” I remind her. “What are you doing here?”
“Did you not see the text?” Abigail asks as she walks farther into the house and then stops. “Is he here?” she whispers and looks around, and I just shake my head.
“I’m alone,” I say softly as she walks over to the couch and sits down. I follow her and sit beside her. “There is something I need to tell you.” I look over at her, and she just smirks at me. “Romeo and me.” I start saying the words, and then I stop. Because what do I say? “Well, we know each other. We met a while ago in LA.” Not giving anything more because, well, I want to protect him, and I also don’t want her to hate him.
“I know,” she says, shocking me and I sit up straight.