Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
That he was the one who would stay by her side.
Chapter Thirty
Thirty years old.
She’d known it was coming, of course, but somehow it had crept up on her. To some it was a milestone, but she couldn’t figure out why it was such a big deal. One day she’d be twenty-nine, the next she’d be thirty. But life would go on as usual. Nothing would really change.
And yet, thirty felt like a mile marker she hadn’t quite expected to reach so soon. It felt big somehow, as though she was officially a proper adult now and on her way. It made her reflective, and memories she’d long thought forgotten rose once more to the surface. Early childhood laughter echoing through summers, translating English for her grandparents, now gone. Then, as she became a teenager, studying way too much when she should have been out in the world more, having fun. The sting of heartbreak survived. And then the terrible pain of her father abandoning his whole family. The terrible loss of his love, the agony of never really understanding why he needed to cut all ties. The sacrifices she had made for her family, how hard it was to let go of her scholarship and find a job instead of going to college and pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor.
And yet it had all come together in the end. She’d been mentored by an incredible event planner, worked her way up through the company, using the same study skills she’d honed at school to become the best employee she could be. That job had opened her eyes to new possibilities. She had discovered the pleasure of making her own money, of the deep satisfaction of providing for her family. It had allowed her to travel, and she recalled now the thrill of cities seen for the first time. But she had always loved coming home the most. Nothing compared to the beauty and community of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
She considered the last decade and all that she’d achieved. She owned her home, ran a successful business, and now, finally, after half a life spent crushing on him, she was also involved with the man she loved.
However, she had to brace herself for the possibility—no, the probability—that her heart, which she’d given away too easily, would probably be broken before she turned thirty-one.
She thought of all the things she once believed she’d have by now: the perfect career, the right kind of love, the feeling of certainty. She had achieved some, but not all of those things. There was still such a question mark in her future, about what direction her career might take and where she and Damien would end up. But instead of regret, she felt a strange kind of pride. Life had taught her to be patient, to be resilient, to find beauty in small moments—kindness from a stranger, the way her favorite song still made her close her eyes and smile.
She sighed, examining her face in the mirror and pulling back her hair. She had her mom’s good genes; her olive skin was bright and clear with no sign yet of any real wrinkles. The late nights in bed with Damien had left a hint of blue under her eyes, but even she could see the glow of a new kind of happiness. The short time she’d spent with Damien so far had been life-changing. She’d never been so content, never known she could be so in love.
It wasn’t just the time they spent together, which was incredible—always sexy and fun—but also the way he encouraged her to stretch herself, to dream again her old dreams. With Damien, everything seemed possible. And she knew it was mutual. She was encouraging him on his new path as he learned how to produce records and venture into the world of jazz.
Why shouldn’t people change? Wasn’t Damien showing her it was possible?
She’d seen her mom that morning to discuss her birthday plans. If Crystal was honest with herself, she’d been avoiding her mom a little bit. Although she’d told Erin that she and Damien had kissed, she hadn’t breathed a word to anyone else about their new relationship. Or fling. Whatever it was. It was just too precious, too sacred to share with anyone else. Her mom, for one, would get overexcited. The minute the news got out, she’d be on the phone planning a gigantic Mexican wedding and calling long distance to relatives she hadn’t spoken to in years. As far as her mom was concerned, she and Damien had always been a perfect match and their platonic friendship had baffled her. So, Crystal kept the development between them to herself, treasuring it as a teenage girl would treasure the memory of a first kiss, returning to it again and again.
As it was, Crystal’s mom had sighed a little bit over her only baby girl turning thirty with no grandchildren in sight. But then, Sofia Lopez had been talking about grandchildren since Crystal was eighteen, so she’d ceased to let this bother her. Besides, her mother was happy planning a nice family party, which Crystal really appreciated. It would be a chance for her to see cousins and family friends that she didn’t get to see every day.