Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“No.”
I click my pen a few times as my mobile ringing fills the car, and I dip to my bag, slipping my new pen into the side pocket and pulling out my phone.
“Who is it?” Jude asks.
“My mum.” I look at him in apology. “Do you mind?” I can’t not answer, she’ll only worry, and I bet she’s in a spin after Dad’s given her a rundown on our earlier row. Jude waves a hand flippantly and pulls away slowly, probably being considerate. But this is a Ferrari, and it’s got a screamer of an engine. “Mum.” I wince.
“Oh, Amelia, I do hate this. Your father’s in a terrible mood, he won’t talk to anyone, and he and Grandma have had words.”
If only I could be happy that Grandma has my back. “He’ll come round.” He always does. He’ll sulk for a few days, and then I’ll go for dinner, he’ll give me a silent hug, and it’ll be like nothing happened.
“And you’re seeing that man again? I can’t keep up!”
I look at Jude across the car, worried about having to make introductions. Can I avoid it? Keep him away from my family?
“I can’t stand the tension,” she rambles on. “And since when do you swear, Amelia Gracie Lazenby? And at your father!”
“I was frustrated.” I see Jude look out the corner of his eye. I roll mine.
“You must come immediately and make peace with him.”
“I’m always making peace with him. Why can’t he make peace with me?”
“Because you swore!” The engine continues to roar. “Where are you?”
I swallow and relax back. “Jude’s just picked me up from work. I’m going to his place.” I laugh on the inside. His place. I make it sound like a two-bed semi.
“In the Rolls-Royce?” Mum whispers, saving Dad’s ears.
“Not today, Mum.”
“Oh.” She sounds disappointed. “Clark says he’s richer than God.”
Jude chuckles beside me, and I narrow my eyes on him. “I’ll pop in tomorrow, okay?” Test the temperature and decide if Dad’s had enough time to sulk.
“Okay, darling. Grandma and Grandpa will be here. We’ll go for a walk in the garden.”
“See you.” I drop my phone in my bag and look at Jude. He’s grinning at the road. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s not my mother you should be worried about, it’s my father.”
He nods mildly, eyes on the road. “So they know you’re seeing that man again?”
I settle back, uncomfortable with the conversation. “Yes, they know.”
“Sounds like they’ve taken it well,” he says, a definite sardonic edge to his tone.
“Don’t take it personally.”
“I’m not. And why were you frustrated?”
“What?”
“You said you were frustrated.”
I don’t like this. Talking about exes never goes down well. “I dropped the f-bomb on him.”
“Why?”
“Because I was frustrated.”
“And . . . why were you frustrated?”
“Jude,” I breathe, dropping my head back. “What is this?”
“Just trying to understand the level of disapproval I’m going to face.”
I’m not imagining his car getting faster. “I said don’t take it personally.”
“Is your father still trying to get you back together with Nick?”
“No.” Total lie. “Will you slow down?” The car immediately decelerates, and I watch out the corner of my eye as Jude flexes his hands around the wheel. “You’re as unexpected to them as you were to me.” My voice is soft. Almost pleading. “It just needs some time.”
“And they don’t know why we split up?”
“No. They don’t need to.”
“And will your dad tell Nick about us?”
“I’ve asked him not to. I should do that myself, but it’s still raw. I want to give it some time for him to—”
“Fall out of love with you?”
“I don’t love him,” I say, making that clear. “Can we stop talking about my ex and my dysfunctional family now?”
Jude seems to take a breath, reaching for my knee and squeezing. “I’m sorry. You’re right, best to leave things to settle.”
And how long will that take?
As Jude helps me out of the Ferrari, Anouska comes running out of Arlington Hall, her silky black hair wafting behind her, and practically drags Jude away, leaning up to talk quietly in his ear. I slowly pull my bag onto my shoulder, inevitably interested. She passes him something and then waves at me fleetingly before hurrying back inside.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. Jude doesn’t answer. Instead, he takes my hand and pulls me along the line of parked cars. “Where are we going?” I want to kick my heels off and splatter on his bed, hopefully with him on top of me. “Jude,” I breathe when he remains silent.
He eventually stops and takes me by the shoulders, turning me to face him. I give him an expectant look. He gives me a shy smile. “I got you another gift.” He holds something up, and it takes me a moment to register what. A key fob. And I’m not exactly in the know about cars, but I do recognise the logo on it.