Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Her mother blushes. “Oh, you take your time, dear. Pregnancy comes with certain… needs and urges.” She leans in. “It’s normal. I remember with you, I didn’t even wait for your father to take off his shoes when he walked in the house.”
“Ugh, mom, please,” Emma groans while putting her hands over her ears. “Enough.”
“I’ll bring her downstairs,” Phil states while leading his wife out of the room. Once the door is closed, I let her down.
“My parents can’t see, but Skylar can?” she asks me quietly while standing in front of me to block me from Skylar’s view.
“Oh, you don’t have to hide it from me. Sadly, I’ve seen it more times than I care to admit.” She puts her hand in front of her mouth, stage whispering to Emma, “Don’t worry. Size really doesn’t matter.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Nice try, Skylar. Did you get my text?” I inquire.
“I did, and I’m rejecting it. If your ‘baby mama’ needs panties, she can ask me herself.”
“Thank you.” Emma sighs while turning to me and giving me a “take that” look.
“Okay, this is fun, but I have the wedding planner already downstairs, so let’s get this party going.”
We follow Skylar downstairs to the kitchen where Emma’s parents and a blonde woman are all sitting around the table in the dining room discussing plans.
“Oh, Emma, you have to see how beautiful this will be. Those women at the bridge club are going to be so jealous,” her mom gushes, holding up a wedding bouquet, and Emma smiles at her before turning her attention to Skylar when she introduces her.
“Emma, this is Sara, the wedding planner.”
“It’s good to finally meet the woman who snagged the world’s hottest bachelor,” Sara says, winking at me, and Emma rolls her eyes.
“Okay, I have to go and meet with security. I’ll see you later, babe.” I lean down and kiss her. Not just a peck—fuck that. I own her, and I want everyone to know. “Sara, anything she wants, we make it happen, yeah?” I tell the woman, right before I take off to meet Nion.
Walking into the living room, I see Nion holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. “Aww, man, you shouldn’t have,” I joke with him, but my laughter is wiped off my face when I see his eyes.
“What is it?” I grab the flowers from him, reaching for the card tucked into the bouquet.
“Got delivered about thirty minutes ago. I need you to calm down before you read that card,” Nion tells me.
Ripping the envelope open, my heart stops beating when I see the words typed on the card inside.
IF YOU THINK SHE’S YOURS, THINK AGAIN.
“I’ll be right back,” I whisper to my mom, who is completely caught up in all the extravagant plans Sara has laid out for the wedding. It’s been three days since the wedding planning has begun and I’m about ready to run off and elope.
“You just got here.”
“I know, but I have to go to the bathroom,” I whisper out of the side of my mouth, and then smile at Sara when she looks over at me. I doubt these people talk about things like going to the bathroom or eating food. Everyone seems far too perfect to do normal, every day human things.
“Go on.” Mom pats my thigh.
Scooting back from the table, I leave the dining room and quickly make my way down one hall after another, and then another, in search of the bathroom. The house is ridiculously large for one guy to live in. How many kitchens does someone need? Shaking my head, I turn down a hallway and start to open one door after another in search of the restroom. Pausing when I open one of the doors, I step in and look around the room.
It’s dark, but there are glass display cases lit up, with costumes and props inside them along with photos. Looking at Liam in one of his superhero getups, I wonder if I could talk him into wearing it in the bedroom for me. Then I wonder how many women have fantasized about him in their bedrooms, rescuing them from an intruder or saving them from a fire. It’s so strange to think about him as Roger, a man millions of women recognize, when to me he’s just Liam. My Liam. The overbearing, absurdly alpha guy I fell in love with.
Sighing, I turn for the door then freeze, feeling all of the blood drain from my face as my stomach twists into a tight ball.
“Did you miss me?”
“What are you doing here?” I whisper while I take a step back away from Ryan. Ryan, who I thought was my friend. Ryan, who was my youth pastor. Ryan, who turned my town against me and ruined my life. He smiles his smile that looks like sunshine and happiness, but I know behind that smile is darkness and evil.