Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“The good-looking guy with the shaggy blond hair? How could I forget?”
“Maybe because you’ve always been drawn more to the dark-haired types,” Nicole said, teasing.
“Are you seeing him?”
Nicole swallowed hard. “I was—I’m supposed to catch up with him after his softball game tonight, but something happened, and now I’m not so sure.”
She went on to tell her sister about the house she’d agreed to lease, her night with Sam, kisses included—because who else could she tell but her twin—and how things had imploded after Macy’s phone call.
“So now I have to head over to the restaurant this morning to deal with Tyler.” Nicole’s stomach churned at the thought. “Why can’t the man take no for an answer?” she asked out loud.
“Because you’re special, that’s why,” Victoria said.
Nicole opened her mouth, then closed it again. She couldn’t remember the last compliment her twin had given her.
Ever.
The older she got, the less Victoria had been interested in Nicole’s life, too self-absorbed to think about anyone but herself. Over time, it had become hard not to resent her twin, but as an adult and with her sister’s diagnosis, Nicole had worked hard at overcoming that feeling. Victoria hadn’t chosen to be as she was.
“Thanks, but come on. I’m not that special.”
Vicky snorted. “Really. You’re a good person, Nic. You give of yourself even when others don’t give back. Me included. Well, me especially. But in Tyler’s case, he knows how good he had it with you.”
Nicole hoped and prayed that was all Tyler thought. She was beginning to wonder if maybe he was involved in things with the firm and was here to persuade her to keep quiet.
Nicole forced her mind onto the conversation with her sister. “But I don’t love him the way I should in order to marry him.”
“And you’ll just have to keep gently driving that point home. You wouldn’t want to end up with him stalking you,” Vicky said lightly.
“Don’t do that.”
“If I can joke about it, you should also be able to.”
Nicole managed a smile. “Who are you, and what have you done with my twin?” She decided to take her sister at her word and not sidestep the issues she was working so hard to overcome. “You sound great. You’re focused on things around you, me included. And you haven’t once talked about yourself. So now I’m giving you permission. Tell me how things are really going.”
Her sister’s sIgh gave away more than her perky voice had. “It’s lonely here. But let’s face it, I’m not in this place to make friends, and I don’t want to. So I’m focused on getting better.”
“That’s a good thing. And I told you I’d come visit.” The institution was two hours away, but Nicole was more than willing to make the drive.
“No! I don’t want you to see me here.” Vicky’s voice rose in panic.
“Whatever you want,” Nicole quickly assured her.
It would have to be enough that they were talking weekly. Early on, Victoria wasn’t willing to even do that. Their recent phone calls proved that the medication and therapy were working.
“I have to get going,” Vicky said before Nicole could ask if she’d been in contact with their parents.
Nicole already guessed the answer was no. In their eyes, Victoria was now a public embarrassment, so her parents would ignore her completely. At least they were paying for her lawyer and other expenses, hoping their daughter’s recovery would help their public perception, which was all they cared about.
“You make sure to fix things with the hot cop,” Vicky said. “I’ll talk to you next week.”
“Looking forward to it already,” Nicole said.
“Bye.”
“Love you.”
Vicky paused, then whispered, “Goodbye,” before disconnecting the call. She still found it hard to reach out or say things like I love you or I miss you, but today’s call had been the best so far.
With little things changing, Nicole felt the return of the bond she and her sister had shared when they were young. It also felt like a missing piece of herself was being returned to her—filled up slowly, like sand in an hourglass. And Nicole was grateful for each minuscule bit she received. She was also afraid to trust that it would last, having seen Victoria regress more times than she wanted to recall. Still, she reminded herself she’d never seen her at the low point she’d been at after her arrest, nor had she ever watched her try so intently for recovery.
Hope, Nicole thought, was a scary, elusive thing—no matter what kind of relationship was involved. For someone who’d been consistently rejected and ignored by her parents, the very people she should trust to be there for her, the fear of being hurt or rejected—by Sam especially—remained.
Pushing off those thoughts, she refocused on her most pressing problem: Her ex-fiancé.
* * *
Sam had the day off, so he agreed to meet Cara at The Family Restaurant for breakfast. He was in a pissed-off mood, and his sister-in-law noticed immediately.