Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
He throws an arm against the windowsill and bangs it loudly, staring out at the ocean, his body heaving with huge, angry breaths.
I’m too stunned to move.
Did he really just say that?
I don’t realize my mouth is hanging open until it starts trembling and every breath hurts.
“What was...what did you say?” I ask quietly.
“Fucking leave, Piper. Get the hell away from me and go somewhere safe,” he growls over his shoulder, never turning to look at me.
He’s obviously upset.
I wait for over a minute for him to correct himself, to come to his senses, to drag his mountain of a body across the room and apologize and assure me we’ll get through this like we should—together.
Only, it never happens.
“You’re still here?” he rasps, his eyes watching my reflection in the window.
Oh, not for long.
I should have done this a long time ago before I had any childish hopes that this not-relationship could possibly last.
I don’t worry about packing. I just turn sharply and head for the door.
“Piper, where are you going?” he calls after me.
I ignore him. I have to get the hell out of here before he sees me break.
Because when the tears come, they will be ugly and blinding.
“Piper, wait.” I don’t even hear his heavy footsteps until he’s behind me in the hall. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. But if this is the only way you’ll make the right decision—”
“You want to talk about decisions?” I spin around to face him so he can see the agony he’s carved in my face. “My mind is made up. I’m leaving, and not because you’re forcing me out.”
“I’m not fucking forcing you,” he grinds out. “You’re not going home, are you?”
“That’s not your business.” I storm away with stinging tears already cutting tracks down my cheeks.
“You’ll be alone there like a sitting duck. You saw how that fucker snuck his camera guy onto my property. Be mad at me, whatever, but don’t be fucking stupid.”
“Too late,” I say, sniffing harshly. “I was stupid enough to be with you!”
“Piper, goddamn. Don’t make me send some poor security guard to your doorstep.”
“Do it, and I’ll call the police.”
I want to go off on him for going all stalker, too, but I don’t have the energy.
I’m the kind of tired a good, long sleep won’t fix.
I’m heartbroken and barely holding it together.
He yells at me as I walk away, something about having a car waiting. I have half a mind to get an Uber, but my eyes hurt so much that staring at my phone will feel like an ice pick to my brain.
Somehow, I keep moving my legs.
I almost stumble over Andy’s long body by the front door. The dog looks up with sad black eyes and whimpers.
Way to break my heart a little more.
Why are animals always too good at reading human feels?
“Sorry, boy,” I whisper, crouching down quickly to stroke his head as he sniffs my arm.
Then I’m flying out the wide front door, down the long driveway and hill, and slipping through the gate.
Brock’s temp driver is parked right outside as promised. He rolls down the window when I come up to it.
“Are you going to take me where I want to go or only where he says?” I ask roughly.
“You’re the boss’ woman. This isn’t a prison bus, ma’am. If you’re unhappy, he’ll have my head, so just say where.”
I shake my head.
The tears fall in hotter, angrier beads as I crawl in the car, slam the door, and sob into my hands. At least the driver has the tact to leave the privacy screen up for a few minutes while I pull myself together.
“Where to, Miss Renee? And if you don’t mind me asking...what did that sorry S-O-B do?” the driver asks.
If I weren’t so devastated, I’d laugh.
“Nothing worth repeating,” I say numbly. “Can you just take me to this address?” I rattle off Jenn’s place.
As we start moving, I look back at the house, this huge looming silhouette in the evening sun tucked behind the shadowy trees.
Somewhere up there, I know Brock is staring out at me, anger and grief bleeding out of him.
“It didn’t have to be this way,” I mutter.
If this stupid, fearful, overly protective man could have just opened his heart, I’d have stayed through the apocalypse.
But he wouldn’t give me a chance, and now stress and bitter memories are all he can deliver.
Will I see you at work tomorrow?
I stare at Brock’s text without blinking.
No, jackass. You will not.
“I’m so sorry.” Jenn gives me the biggest sympathy eyes ever. “I feel like this is partly my fault...”
I laugh around the lump in my throat. “Your fault? How?”
“I shouldn’t have egged you on. I thought it was cute and you seemed so happy.”
“Y-you warned me,” I stammer, wiping my eyes. “Brock Winthrope, king of office tyrants. Remember?”