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)
And I hated it.
I wish I could erase every second of the first fifteen years of her life.
Yet I also knew Maia wouldn’t be Maia without them. Life’s twisted sense of humor. Because she was a kinder person for having experienced those years.
“It was,” I answered roughly.
It was getting harder and harder to hold back those three little words.
“Let’s go in.”
Maia had met my mum at the hospital when I was injured, but she hadn’t met my grandparents. In her usual dry tone that confused most folk, Gran couldn’t stop commenting on how beautiful Maia was. I could see not only was Maia embarrassed, but she wasn’t sure if she was being complimented. I made a crack about it giving me a complex, like she was too gorgeous for me or something, and Gran laughed. She also didn’t say it again, though she kept glancing at Maia in this searching way that I knew Maia probably thought was assessing. But she looked at Ainsley the same way. My gran liked what she saw in Maia. Which made me want to puff up my chest in pride because as much as their opinion wouldn’t change my feelings for Maia, I did care what my family thought. Granddad kept sharing conspiratorial looks with me as if to say Well done, my boy. I grinned, chuffed to fucking bits.
I knew Maia was nervous because she told me she was, but I also witnessed it in her slightly strained smiles. Over time, because my family was friendly, she relaxed more and let her personality shine. She cracked jokes, and when Gran teased her with her dry sense of humor, Maia teased right back, which Gran loved. They asked her about her job and about the campaign and about us.
It was good.
It made the last amazing week with her feel more real.
Sometimes I still couldn’t bloody believe it. I’d wanted her for so long.
After dinner Maia offered to help Mum with the dishes. I got up to help too, but Mum pressed a hand to my shoulder. “You keep your grandparents company.”
It occurred to me a bit belatedly that Mum might be mumming in the kitchen. And by that, I meant switching on momma bear mode. Fuck.
“I need another drink. Want anything?”
My granddad shook his head while Gran muttered, “Took him long enough.”
I took that to mean she knew Mum was up to something.
Fuck.
Trying not to hurry, I stepped out of the living room and into the hall and froze at what I heard from the kitchen.
“What I’m trying to say, Maia, is that you seem like a nice girl, but I need to know you’re in this for real before Baird gets hurt.”
Fuck!
I moved to step into the room, but Maia’s response stopped me on the threshold. Their backs were to me as they stood at the sink.
“I would never hurt Bear,” she replied vehemently, sounding offended. “He’s my favorite person in the whole world.”
My chest tightened. In a good way.
“Bear?” Mum asked.
“I call him Bear. Because he gives good bear hugs.”
Mum laughed softly. “He does. He always has.”
“His hugs make me feel safe,” Maia continued quietly. “Your son is one of the best humans I’ve ever met. He makes me feel good about myself, he makes me feel safe to just be me, but he also makes me feel like I can be more than who I am right now. Like there’s more in me and I don’t have to be afraid to explore that with him. It’s exciting. It’s …” She trailed off.
My heart was in my fucking throat.
Blood whooshed in my ears.
Hope grew so big inside me I could barely breathe around it.
“You should tell him that,” Mum said, her profile soft. “He deserves to hear it.”
I cleared my throat. “I just did.”
Maia whirled on a gasp while Mum beamed from ear to ear. She looked between us, at Maia’s pink cheeks, and then at me. Whatever she saw on my face made her bridge the distance between us. Mum stroked the back of her knuckles over my cheek. “I’m so pleased for you, sweetheart.”
I nodded because I didn’t think I could get the words out.
Then she looked back at Maia. “Did you know your wedding invitations ask the guests to RSVP in just one week?”
The abrupt change in conversation made Maia blink rapidly. “No. What? One week?” Her shoulders slumped. “Unfortunately, none of the decisions regarding the wedding are ours to make. Part of the agreement.”
“Not even your dress?” Mum was aghast.
“Thankfully, since I’m the bridal buyer for Pennington’s, there are very few gowns I don’t like in our collection.”
Mum hmm’d and then patted my shoulder as she passed.
I knew that noise. Just as I saw the sadness and frustration on My’s face. It hadn’t bothered me when we made the deal with Pennington’s. I hadn’t thought beyond using the campaign as a way to show Maia what was really between us.