Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Jules and I order beers, Ava a dirty martini, and Harper gets a water with a twist of lemon and rubs her belly bump.
“So, Darby—”
“Nope,” I interrupt Ava. “We’ll talk about Darby after you talk about that ring on your finger.”
Jules gasps.
Harper looks like she might toss her cookies.
“You’re engaged?” Jules demands.
“Yes.” Ava sniffs and lifts her chin. “I am.”
“Here’s the thing,” Juliet says, shaking her head slowly as she seems to take the news in. “Chad’s not a complete moron. He’s a good attorney, and he helped me out, but that doesn’t mean that I think he’s husband material for you.”
“He’s a good person,” Ava insists.
“Okay,” Harper says. “Name three things about him that set your soul on fire.”
Ava’s nose wrinkles in distaste. “Listen, not every romance sets your soul on fire.”
Does Tucker set my soul on fire?
I tap my fingertip on my lip, thinking about it. I mean, he sets something on fire, that’s for sure.
“I think if you’ve agreed to marry him, he should be someone you can’t see yourself living without. Not that you can’t, but that you don’t want to.” Jules says.
“Agreed. That.” I point to Jules.
Ava sighs. “You guys, I know he’s not your favorite. Hell, he’s not anyone’s favorite, but he’s good to me. He’s kind and has a sense of humor. And he has a great job.”
Harper yawns, making Ava glare at her.
“It’s the next step,” Ava says, shrugging one shoulder, and that makes my back go up.
“What does that mean?” I ask her.
“We’ve been together for a while. I’m not getting any younger.”
“You’re thirty,” I remind her.
“I don’t want to break up with him, so I’ll marry him.”
We all exchange looks.
“That’s so . . . romantic,” Jules says.
“Maybe romance is overrated,” Ava says, and I can see by the way her shoulders droop and her eyes fall to the bar that she’s sad. She shouldn’t be sad. “I’ve tried to find that, and it’s just not out there. Chad can give me security and companionship.”
“How’s the sex?” I ask her.
“It’s sex.” She lifts a shoulder.
“That’s pretty far from I want a man who will pull my hair and spank my ass,” Harper reminds her.
“He pulls my hair,” Ava says. “Okay, fine. Did he propose in the way I would have liked? Not really. I mean, I don’t need anything extravagant. If he wanted to ask me in front of my family, I’m totally cool with that. It could be really sweet. But he didn’t even get on one knee, and it was so quick, and well, he could have done better.”
“I was there,” Harper says. “And respectfully, I don’t disagree. He should have done better, Aves.”
“I’m fine,” Ava insists. “Now, let’s talk about Darby and the fact that she’s doing the nasty with Tucker.”
Jules and Harper both gasp and turn to me, wide-eyed.
“Thanks for that,” I mumble to Ava, who just grins back at me, obviously pleased to have a change in the conversation.
“You and Tucker?” Jules asks and then tilts her head to the side. “Actually, I can see it. He’s hot, you’re hot, why not do it?”
“I mean, he’s our brother, so we don’t want to know the specifics,” Harper says, and then grins at me. “But you look happy.”
“I’m confused,” I admit, just as Ivy walks up with two fresh beers and a new martini. “Ivy, you stay for this. I need boy advice.”
“I don’t know that I’m the best person for that, but I’m happy to try.” She salutes me and leans on the bar. “Reporting for duty.”
“He’s my boss, you guys.” I nibble my lip as they all stare at me. “He’s my boss.”
“We heard you,” Jules says. “Is there anything in your contract that forbids you from any fraternization with coworkers?”
“No.”
“Then that’s not a valid excuse. What else?” Ivy asks.
“Aside from the fact that I’m broken?” I take a swig from my bottle and clear my throat. “I . . . you guys, he’s seen everything there is to see, inside and out, and he hasn’t run away yet.”
Again, they’re quiet as they watch me.
“Did you expect him to?” Harper asks softly.
“Yes. Of course. I have scars, not just on my body but in my heart and soul, and it’s a lot to handle. I’m a lot to handle. I’m too much.”
“Oh, fuck that,” Ava says, shaking her head. “You’re not too much. If my brother, or anyone else for that matter, thinks that, they can go find less. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where you’re coming from, but Tucker has his own laundry list of issues.”
“I know,” I murmur.
“Ava’s right,” Ivy says softly. “You’re not too much at all. If he’s still interested, it means that he doesn’t think so either. And unless he says otherwise, you have to believe that he’s happy with you, just as you are.”