Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
HOURS LATER.
My heart pounds in my chest, my stomach churns and damn it, sitting at the table across from Pascal I’m not feeling so brave now. I push my pasta around my plate with my fork as I try to find the words.
Just say it.
“I have a surprise for you.” Pascal smiles.
“You do?”
He reaches into his inside jacket pocket to get something. “I think it’s time.”
No….
“Stop,” I blurt out. “Whatever you are going to say, I need to say something first, and whatever my surprise is…please keep it in your pocket.”
He frowns and pulls his empty hand out. “What is it?”
“I….” I swallow the lump in my throat as my eyes hold his. “I don’t know Edward Prescott through his sister. I know him because we briefly dated years ago.”
His face falls.
“And…on the night of the auction, Edward and I kissed and I lied to you and I hate myself for it.”
Anger flashes across his face.
“And I don’t think we can see each other anymore because if I were really in love with you I would never have allowed this to happen in the first place.”
His eyes hold mine but he stays silent.
“You’re such a good man, Pascal, and you deserve someone who appreciates every single inch of you and I wish it were me. But….” I’m talking fast to try and get this off my chest, trying my hardest to make this sound better. “I’ve let you down and I don’t deserve you.”
“You’re right, you don’t.” He folds his napkin and puts it on the table in slow motion as if processing my words. His eyes rise to search mine.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whisper.
“Like what, like you’re throwing away a real love with me for a fantasy with him. And it is just a fantasy Alora, he has a fucking girlfriend and you will never be more to him than a piece of ass on the side. You think he’s over there breaking up with his princess for you? Confessing his sins. This is how he operates; this is what he does. You think you’re the first woman he’s strayed with, please. Don’t flatter yourself. You’re just one of many, he probably kissed ten women at that auction. He’s probably fucked another ten since. You are nothing to him.”
His silhouette blurs.
Ouch.
“This has nothing to do with him and everything to do with me,” I whisper.
He stands. “Keep telling yourself that, and when the challenge of taking my girl is over and he’s used you and thrown you in the trash, don’t come running back to me.” He marches toward the door.
“Pascal, wait.”
Slam…goes the door.
I sit as his words echo in the silence. Don’t flatter yourself. The hot tears break the dam and roll down my cheeks.
Pascal is right, every word he said was spot on. I mean nothing to Edward and maybe I wasn’t meant to be with Pascal, but I am definitely not going there with him because, unlike my current relationship, there’s one thing I know for certain.
If given the chance, Edward Prescott could break me.
MONDAY MORNING.
I turn the key in the lock.
“So.” Helene smiles from beside me. “How did it go?”
“Well….” I push the door open. “Not great. I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
Helene and Jonty exchange glances. “Why would your brother hate you?”
“Oh.” I remember that a lot has gone on this weekend and they don’t know yet. “My brother doesn’t hate me. His graduation was great, I meant Pascal.”
“Why, what happened?” Helene asks as she hangs her purse up on the hook in the back room.
“We broke up.”
“Oh.” Jonty’s eyes widen. “This is so unexpected.”
“Not really.” I sigh as I go to the cash register and begin to count out the float.
“Did something happen between the two of you?” he asks all interested.
“Not one thing, I guess a lot of little things combined.”
“So you are the one that broke it off?” he asks.
“I guess.”
“Was it a big fight or….”
“Why are you suddenly so interested in this?” I sigh.
“I just find it fascinating that you can break off with someone without warning. The evil minds of women fascinate me.”
“Well, it wasn’t without warning, obviously,” Helene answers for me. “She told him that he needed to get better in bed.” She begins to dry hump the air.
“I did not.” I smile. “You are so bad.”
“But so good at it, right?”
Jonty turns the stereo on and a deep beat of jazz livens up the space.
“What day are you interning this week?” Helene asks as she begins to dust.
“I’m not.” I shrug as I pick up a vase and move it. “The internship has been transferred back to the Royal Charity Institute.” I reshuffle some books and go around and turn all of the lamps on. “So that’s great.” I force a smile.
The bell over the door rings as the first customers arrive and Jonty and Helene fuss over them, my mind wanders back to the fact that Edward didn’t want to see me again either.