Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Good. That’ll mean you’ll have to move to New York.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ll have to.”
I drift off to sleep thinking about the new turn my life has taken and how the future stretches out before me now, exciting and beautiful. I know, with a certainty deep in my bones, that this is exactly where I belong.
Chapter Forty-Two
Pippa
The morning sun pours through the kitchen windows, painting the room in golds and pinks. I sit at the table with a cup of coffee in front of me, staring out over the beach. The previous night is still alive in my mind, and I can’t sleep, although it’s not a bad feeling. I think it’s more excitement that has woken me up early. I can’t keep the smile from my face when I think of Rhett, the words, the ring. I can still feel the warmth of him, the safety, the love. It’s all real. It’s not an act. It never was. I should probably send Max a thank you note, because if it wasn’t for him, I would be gone, back in London, hating my life choices.
Rhett comes into the kitchen, naked but for a pair of white shorts, and he still looks perfect in a way that makes my heart squeeze.
“Good morning,” he says softly.
“Morning,” I murmur, feeling shy and giddy all at once.
He nods to my almost-empty cup. “Do you want a refill?”
“Yes, please,” I say.
He refills my cup and makes one for himself. He comes and sits down opposite me, placing my cup in front of me. I pick it up and sip my coffee, feeling suddenly shy. We need a big conversation, and I don’t know how to start it. We sit there in silence for a moment, drinking in the quiet, before he breaks it.
“Pippa, we need to talk about us.”
I nod, expecting something heavy or dramatic. But he just smiles at me, warm and calm, and I feel a rush of relief. It seems he knows where to go with this, even if I don’t.
“I meant it,” he says, moving to sit beside me. “When I gave you the ring back. I really want us to be engaged. For real. You and me. That’s it.”
My heart stutters. “You really want to get serious with Mrs. Jessica Rabbit?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He cups my face gently. “Yup. I want to get serious, very serious with Mrs. Jessica Rabbit.”
“Ok, that’s good. Because Mrs. Jessica Rabbit wants that too,” I say, looking at my ring, which always makes me smile, and this time is no exception. “And you know what else? I think I’m going to accept Max’s offer.”
“Good. Because I want you here with me, in New York. I want us to build our life together. I want you to move in with me, and not just for convenience, but because I want you here. I want to fall asleep beside you every night and wake up with you every morning.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but they’re happy ones. I throw my arms around him, hugging him tight. “I want that too,” I murmur. “I can’t believe this is real.”
He laughs softly, kissing the top of my head. “It’s real, Pippa. And it’s ours.”
We get ready, and then we spend the day talking about the logistics of my move and how we’ll manage our schedules. Every plan, every word makes life feel more tangible, more ours. We only take a break for lunch and then get right back to it.
Eventually, when I feel like we have worked out enough details for our plan not to seem like a whim, I pick up my phone and call my parents. The line connects almost immediately, and their excited, squealing voices fill my ears when I give them my news. I laugh and cry at the same time, sharing the details, explaining everything to them. Their excitement for my new life and career makes my heart swell.
When I end the call, I dial Sandra and Lucy in the group chat. Their shrieks of delight are loud enough to make me tear up again, and we spend a long, giddy half hour talking about wedding plans, Manhattan life, and how I should play the part of Jessica Rabbit as the face of RIP.
Rhett smiles indulgently at me as he passes by on the way to his study. When I finally hang up and go to him, he pulls me close.
“We’ve got a friend coming over for dinner tonight,” he says casually, as if it’s a minor detail, but there’s a glint in his eyes. “I’ll cook if you want to go upstairs and get gorgeous.”
“Who is it?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” he says with a mysterious smile.
I laugh, feeling a surge of excitement and nervous energy as I head upstairs. I sit on the bed for a moment while I think about what to wear. Once we decided I was definitely staying, I unpacked my things again as we talked, and they are now in Rhett’s room. Oops, our room.