Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry she said that to you,” I say. “The fact is, my mom wanted us to get married because you’re rich. She saw you as a meal ticket.”
He nods, like I’m not telling him anything new.
We sit in silence for a few minutes. Guilt for accepting his proposal, for not confessing to him what he was to our family, circles my chest and squeezes.
The bus pulls into the stop in town and we get off in silence.
“Let’s go to the coffee shop.”
Frank looks up and down Main Street. “It’s small,” he says.
I glance up at the mountains, jutting into the perfectly still blue sky, and wonder what he’s talking about. Star Falls is huge. A place I can spread my wings. A place I can be me. This place is bigger than the entire state of Oregon.
The coffee shop—Twilight Latte—is on the corner opposite the diner. I pass it every time I come into town, but I’ve never gone in. Which is why it comes as a surprise that the Twilight in Twilight Latte is a reference to the movie phenomenon, not the time of day. There’s no room for doubt when we push through the door. For a start, music I recognize from the movies is playing in the background. The barista is sporting fangs, and there’s a life-size cutout of Robert Pattinson by the cash register. It distracts me from the fact I’m about to have coffee with Frank.
“This place is weird,” he says from beside me.
“It’s my first time in here.” It is weird. But I can’t help being kinda charmed by it. Nothing but respect for sticking to a theme.
We order our drinks—I insist on paying—and head to one of the smaller tables near the window. Pine trees have been painted around the edges, not to reflect our beautiful surroundings, but to mimic the backdrop of Forks, Washington—the setting of Twilight. This town is wild. And I love it.
I tamp down my smile and turn to Frank. “I don’t want you to think I didn’t want to marry you because I don’t like you.”
He lets out a rueful huff as if to say, Then why didn’t you marry me?
“I thought that maybe we could move?” he suggests. “To a bigger house. Maybe one of your sisters could come stay with us.” The hope in his expression kills me.
I upended this man’s future and bruised his heart. He didn’t deserve that. And even if he wasn’t my choice, I should have had the strength to walk away before he got hurt. Why wasn’t I stronger? Why didn’t I stand up to my mother? I still haven’t. I’m still running from her.
“You’re a really good man, Frank.”
He rolls his eyes. “So you keep saying. But what can I do? Just tell me. I’m not a man who’s good at the… romantic stuff. But tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
I shake my head. “There’s nothing you can do.”
“Are you sure?” he says, his tone urgent.
Images of Byron fill my mind. Him grinning on the porch holding his hot chocolate. Him sitting across from me in the diner. Him holding Athena’s cat carrier as he came out of the vet’s office, even though he said he hated cats. Him over me. Under me. At my feet, between my thighs.
I chose Byron.
“I’m sorry, Frank. I’m not the right woman for you.”
He sighs as if he knew it all along, but had to try anyway. I have to admire him for that—knowing what he wants and going for it. There’s a lot about Frank to like.
“You know Lydia wants a job at the garage,” he says.
I groan, because I know exactly the direction this conversation is going. Now that I’m out of the picture and Frank is single, my mom is trying to get Lydia to fill the Rosey-shaped gap in Frank’s life.
“I told her no, but she’s quite persistent.”
“It’s not Lydia’s fault,” I say. “I’m so sorry, Frank, but I’m sure it’s my mom’s idea. If I were you, I wouldn’t give her a job.”
“She keeps finding reasons to drop by. Suggests grabbing a coffee, talks about the latest movie release she wants to go and see.”
I smile, but it’s full of pity. He knows what’s going on. He doesn’t need me to tell him.
Frank nods at my silence. “Yeah, I know. I need to move on. Your mom… she calls me every now and then, just when I’m about to walk away—from you or Lydia.”
My heart clenches. I know exactly what he’s saying. “I think she steps in when things aren’t going her way. Most of the time she can use one of us to do whatever she wants. And then I guess she steps in when she needs to.”
He swallows, and I stare over his shoulder at Robert Pattinson, trying to push down the nausea as I realize the full extent of my mother’s horrible behavior.