Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“Baird. Baird.”
The ground swayed under me.
“Baird!” Callan suddenly filled my vision, green eyes hard with worry. “Mate, you all right?”
I blinked, coming out of my trance to realize Freddie had been loaded into the rig and the rest of the team were heading off the field.
Callan had his hands on my shoulders. “You all right?”
I stepped back, giving him a half-hearted cocky grin, even though it felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest. “I’m fine. It’s Freddie you need to worry about.”
“He woke up on the stretcher. Hopefully, it’s just a concussion.”
“Aye, that’s good.”
“Do you … do you need to talk?”
“Nah, mate. I need a shower. Then I need to get going.” I clapped him on the shoulder, grinning broadly. “All good,” I lied and then took off across the pitch, forcing myself to walk straight, feeling any second now like I might pass out.
There were a couple of private shower cubicles, and I snagged one.
Inside, I concentrated on breathing in and out like I’d shown Maia. I ran the water cold, and the shocking sting of it grounded me. I dressed and left before Callan could say anything more, but I was exhausted. At least I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out anymore.
Despite the exhaustion, something beyond restlessness buzzed in my veins.
Something reckless and wild.
I needed to blow off steam.
I needed … to feel in control in the most out-of-control way I could think of.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAIA
Ivery rarely ever took time to people-watch or take in my surroundings, but knowing I was about to face Baird for the first time since my freak-out over a song, I needed a minute. Instead of eating lunch at my desk, I’d gone out onto Princes Street to a coffee shop just along from Pennington’s. Now I stood outside that shop, my back to the window, sipping my to-go cup and watching the world pass by.
Trams and buses paused on the long stretch of wide road, temporarily blocking my view of the gardens and the rocky volcanic base of Edinburgh Castle, the medieval fortress perched over the city, a majestic, everyday reminder of the history here. It drew the tourists who passed me, making Edinburgh the second-biggest tourist city in the UK after London. It was even voted the fifth-most beautiful city in the world. It made me proud to live here, to work here, and I knew the tourism was one of the few reasons Pennington’s had survived.
The sounds of chatter in multiple languages filled my ears, along with traffic, the beeping of crosswalks, and the distant wail of a bagpiper. It was hot and humid today, and the locals were showing lots of skin in full summer wear, whereas the tourists, expecting Scotland’s typical mild climate, were caught unawares in their rain jackets and jeans. Especially as it had rained yesterday.
Deciding I wanted air-conditioning enough to face Baird, I sighed, chugged the last of my coffee, and dumped it into a recycling bin before heading back to Pennington’s. My heeled sandals clicked on the pavement, and I dug in my purse for change to drop in the cup of the two homeless people who sat on their sleeping bags outside of an empty store.
“Thanks, gorgeous.” The guy grinned a yellowed smile at me after I dropped the money in.
I nodded and continued on my way. When I first moved to Edinburgh to be with my dad, there had been homeless people just like there were in any big city. But it was definitely worse now. As were the graffiti tags, the litter, and many commercial buildings that sat empty. It was a miracle Pennington’s had survived.
But I guess that’s what the campaign was for. To assure they stayed relevant. To assure their survival.
I felt heavy with emotion and knew it was partly hormonal. I was on my period. However, I was also incredibly confused about Baird. He’d looked after me without judgment—only care—and I found my crush deepening to disastrous levels. I didn’t know what it meant or if I was reading too much into the way Baird treated me … but it felt like things between us were shifting. It felt like there might be something real developing between us.
I didn’t know if I could handle that.
Somehow, I knew that if Baird ever hurt me the way Will had … it would destroy me.
Therefore, I’d done what I was good at and pushed him away all week.
I wasn’t proud of my behavior. I knew I had to woman up and face him. He deserved better.
This afternoon, the marketing team wanted to talk to us both after the production team shot footage of us walking around the relevant departments of Pennington’s. They wanted footage of us picking out the items for our wedding registry.
This weekend, we were supposed to start our hunt for the wedding venue.