Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
“Good morning.” I managed a smile.
“Yeah, it is now,” he replied, and then his brows drew together. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again. The unanswered texts and refusal to answer my calls made it clear you were pissed at me. I wanted to apologize for that. The thing in your apartment … I shouldn’t have shown up unannounced. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t want a reminder of that day. Ransom came with the memory. Other than Ransom being rude to Thurston and ordering me around, I’d been happy then. Living in a brief bubble of joy that had burst all too soon.
Wait … what texts and calls? He hadn’t contacted me. The tiniest shred of hope started to spark inside my chest.
“I, uh, didn’t get any texts or calls from you,” I said.
Was something wrong with my phone? Had Ransom been trying to text me or call me? Was that it?!
But Jellie’s calls and texts had come through. So had my editor’s. Maybe it was just certain numbers. Or possibly bad service. I was grasping here, and I knew it.
“I called at least three times and texted more. Jellie said to just give you some time. You were busy with work and not talking to her much either.”
I pulled out my phone to double-check. It was stupid, but if there was the slightest chance that Ransom had been having the same problem, I needed to know. He could think I was the one ghosting him. Well, except for the four texts I had sent that he hadn’t read.
I found Ransom’s name first and checked to see my texts still sitting there, ignored. The little bubble was slowly deflating. I went to search Thurston’s name, but it wasn’t in my Contacts. Nor were there any texts from unnamed numbers.
“I’ve not gotten anything from you,” I told him as I turned my screen off and slid my phone back into my pocket.
He opened his phone, then handed it to me. “I sent them,” he said. I looked down at the texts to my name and number. “I can show you the calls too. If you’d like.”
I shook my head. “No. I believe you. I just … something must be wrong with my phone service.”
“What about that brunch? Or did you have another engagement?”
Brunch. With him.
I wanted to go back to my apartment, curl up on my bed, and wallow. Forgo the attempt at holiday cheer. It hadn’t been working anyway.
But I had to do something about my state of mind. Another drunken night alone, texting a man who was ignoring me, would not happen again.
I nodded. “That would be nice.”
Getting out and living was a step I needed to take. One that would lead to moving on with my life. At least I hoped it would. One day.
He beamed at me. “Excellent. I was eighty percent sure you were going to turn me down.”
My laugh was forced and fake, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“I haven’t eaten yet. I was going to just pick up something after I stopped by the bookstore,” I told him. I had no appetite, but I needed to eat.
“Perfect timing. Looks like fate took over for me,” he replied with a flirty grin.
I didn’t try to smile back, but nodded my head once. I didn’t much care for fate. It had a way of screwing me over. Like right now.
Taking a bite of the only gluten-free option available at the place Thurston had brought me to, I tried to act like I cared about his week at work. At least he liked to talk about himself. I wasn’t required to say much or answer any questions. Remembering to nod and appear as if I were listening was a challenge though. I was getting weary from listening alone.
We’d not even been here thirty minutes, and I was bored to tears. The gluten-free French toast was good at least. Although I wasn’t going to be able to eat much of it. My stomach had shrunk from my lack of eating the past two weeks. As had the rest of me. I’d had to take off my jeans and put on a sundress because they were too big.
“That is, if you are free that weekend? Jellie mentioned that you normally spent Christmas with her family in New Hampshire, but I wasn’t sure how long you stayed after the actual day,” I heard him say and realized I had no idea what he was talking about. I’d zoned out. He was watching me with anticipation, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to be saying.
Had he invited me somewhere? If so, I was busy. Very busy, sitting in my apartment alone. Writing—or trying to write. There was no way I was going anywhere with him. This was punishment enough. I wasn’t mentally ready to attempt dating of any kind.