Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
A small smile pulls at my mouth thinking of the first time I met Easton and how he fought for me. He knocked a boy out to make sure everyone knew not to mess with me.
“Really, Mel.” My sister's words interrupt my trip down memory lane “We both have lost a lot, but I never worried about who would stick with me. I was young. I knew you and Dad would be here. You were older, so it was different. A boy stole your heart, but you never think you’re good enough.” She picks up my book again. “You might not be all into numbers like Dad and I, but your mind is sprinkled with pixie dust, and I think Easton made you believe in yourself.”
I grab the book from her. “You read it.” It’s not a question. I know from the way she is speaking she did.
“I remember Easton. Not a ton, but I do recall how he looked at you. Called you his Neverland.” She taps the book, and I sit back down. No wonder she put it together that it’s my book. “The hero in this book would do anything for the heroine. It wouldn’t matter where she came from.”
“You might be right,” I agree. “But sometimes you have to let people go because you’ll only hold yourself and them back. I saw the engagement—”
“Let’s go bust that shit up!” My sister jumps up from my lap, making me smile. She’s always so quiet. We’re supposed to be in hiding. I think she forgets that at times. Vegas is her life now.
“I’m not going to ruin some woman’s wedding.” What if these two are really in love? I think I know love. The idea of being with someone that isn’t Easton makes my stomach turn. It must not be the same for him. If he is marrying some woman, he clearly has been with her.
More of the reality of that hits me. We’re older. Easton and I were young, neither of us having shared more than a kiss.
“He was yours first,” my sister counters in my defense.
“He was the only boy I ever kissed. It was on my birthday.” My sister's face drops, knowing it was also the day our lives got flipped upside down again, and I never saw him after that. “It’s only ever been him.” I swipe at a tear on my cheek. “I thought it was special and sweet that he was waiting for me to turn eighteen. Now he’s all…” I can’t finish the sentence.
“You know what? Fuck him,” Elsa bursts out, getting mad for me.
“I tried.” I give a humorless laugh.
“And he wouldn’t give?” She cocks her head to the side, I’m sure surprised.
“Nope.” Boy did I try. It’s almost embarrassing how much I did.
“If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s math, and this math doesn’t add up.”
“Love isn’t math.” My sister doesn’t seem to believe that from her expression. Still everything she said has opened my mind a bit more. What if Easton isn’t the man I wrote about?
I find that so hard to believe, but in my life, nothing is ever as it seems.
8
EASTON
“What do you have for me?” I ask Miranda the second I step into the conference room. Tray is being my shadow. I haven’t stopped since I got my hands on this book.
“I got what you asked for, but it’s really not worth the risk of loss or gain. Textbooks hold a huge margin in the publishing world, but there—”
“I’m not asking for financial advice on this, Miranda.” She looks a bit surprised by my remark. Then again, it’s her job to do risk assessment with my finances.
“Then what is it you want? I’m sure they’ll sell for the right price. The publishing house was intrigued when I asked for some information about purchasing the company. They handed over everything on your list.”
I didn’t want to outright ask certain things to the publishing company. The last thing I wanted to do at the moment was draw attention to my Melody. I wanted to know what contracts they held and what potential authors they had that would make a profit. That would make it seem as though I was weighing the potential growth of the company.
The reality is there is only one contract I want to see. This is the closest I’ve been to finding her in years. I’m trying to remain patient, but I’m holding on by a very thin thread. But I know I need to keep my cool or I could blow the best lead I’ve ever had.
“The contracts of the authors.”
“Which? I can do a date gathering to see—”
I cut Miranda off again, getting straight to the point. I might not have wanted to draw the attention of anyone at the publishing house of my true agenda, but Miranda is a vault. She’s been with my family for years.