Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
I laugh as she grabs her purse from the counter. “Now, I’m leaving,” she says. “It automatically locks behind you.”
“I could stay here all day and wait for you,” I suggest to her retreating back.
“Have fun with that.” She doesn’t turn her head to look at me one more time, and I am secretly begging her to do it. I put my hands on my hips as she disappears around the corner toward the front door. I hear it click open and then click shut. The whole time my heart speeds up thinking of her. I don’t think I’ve felt this alive in months. The last couple of months were just a circle, and I felt stuck, but for the first time since I walked out of my house, I feel a sense of excitement.
“She really left me here in her house,” I say to the empty room, walking over to the couch and sitting down to put my shoes on. I think about leaving her a note so she thinks about me when she gets home, but instead I get up and leave. With a huge smile on my face, I make sure her door is shut before walking over to the elevator. Her scent still lingers in the hallway as I press the button.
I take my phone out.
Me:
I left.
I step into the elevator and look down at the phone, seeing if she is going to reply or not.
480-502-7755:
Good, now I don’t have to send security to escort you out.
I laugh at her reply and quickly answer her back.
Me:
Made sure the door is locked.
I wait for her to answer me, but she doesn’t as I step out into the lobby and head out to the parking lot. Stepping out, I see my car has a parking ticket on it.
Me:
I got a ticket for parking in your lot.
I grab the ticket and then see that she texted me right back.
480-502-7755:
Good. It’s for invited visitors, not the ones who just show up randomly and then stay overnight.
Me:
I’d do it again.
480-502-7755:
At least one of us would.
I open the door and get into the SUV and look down at the phone.
Me:
Don’t pretend you didn’t like last night because then you’d be a liar.
480-502-7755:
I enjoyed the sex.
Me:
See, you admitted it.
480-502-7755:
It could have been anyone.
I grip the phone in my hand tighter and put the phone down, trying not to let her words bother me, but it fucking kicks me in the stomach.
“You deserve that,” I say, pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward my house. “You deserve that and worse for what you said to her over and over again.”
I’m almost home when my phone rings, and I suddenly think it’s going to be her. I look at the dashboard screen and see it’s Jaxon calling, and I press accept. “Hey.”
“Dude, where the fuck are you?” he asks me.
“I’m five minutes away from home, why?” I reply, and then it all comes back to me.
“We’re at your house waiting,” he says of him and Kirby. “We’re supposed to work out today.”
“Yeah, I’m turning on my street now,” I state, pulling up to my house and seeing both of them outside beside Kirby’s SUV.
I put the car in park and turn it off before getting out. “Sorry about that. I—”
“Oh my God!” Jaxon exclaims. “Are you just getting home?”
I avoid his question. “I’ll be ready in five.”
“You are just getting home,” Kirby now says, laughing. I cringe when I think about the fact he would totally kick my ass if he knew I was at his sister’s house last night.
I run up the front steps, two at a time. “Give me five.”
“Holy shit.” I hear Jaxon laugh as I leave the door open and rush up to my bedroom. In a matter of five minutes, I’m wearing my workout clothes and headed back down. I shut the door and rush down the front steps, finding both of them sitting in the SUV. I pull open the back door and get in.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, getting in.
“No worries, Romeo.” Kirby smirks and pulls out of the driveway. “So tell us, do we know this person?”
“I’m not saying shit to either of you,” I tell them, my heart speeding up as I say two words, knowing they are a lie. “It’s nothing.”
eighteen
Kylie
“Staff meeting in fifteen minutes!” Lexi yells from her office and I have to laugh.
“It’s literally just the two of us!” I shout back at her and look at the top of the screen on my computer to see what time it is. “It’s also almost lunchtime. Should we order lunch and meet when the food gets here?”
“Yes,” she sings from her office, “I’m starving.”
I chuckle. “Is my brother joining us for this meeting, or is it just the two of us?”
“He’s arriving later on tonight,” she says, “so it’s just the two of us.”