Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
When her face crumbles, I know what’s coming. She is almost disappointingly predictable. “Why are you getting mad at me?” she whines, and before long, tears fill her eyes. Right on schedule. “I am not the bad guy here! It’s my daughter who—”
“Your daughter, who you dumped at a hotel when you supposedly care so much about her,” I mutter. This bitch.
Her gasp is ridiculously theatrical. “Are you going to let him get away with this?” she demands, staring at Dad. “Are you going to let him talk to me that way after what he’s done?”
“You shouldn’t have left her there,” Dad murmurs as his face falls. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“Unbelievable! He’s already turned you against me!” With a broken sob, she stomps her way out of the room. Her dramatic weeping echoes as she runs up the stairs. A door slams up there, and Dad sighs.
Before I can say anything—really, I don’t know what to say except to tell him I’m sorry he married who he did—he lets out a soft groan. “You heard her. The Best Western down the road. Somebody should go and be with her, so she knows she’s not alone. She’s already been alone long enough.”
I know we haven’t solved anything. This isn’t a family sitcom where problems are wrapped up in twenty-two minutes plus commercials. But for now, it’s enough that he’s willing to set everything aside so I can be with Elliana, which is the only place I want to be.
It only takes a few minutes to get there, and while I drive, I call her. “I’m on my way over to see you,” I tell her voicemail, since she’s not answering. “We’re gonna get through this. Don’t worry about anything.”
Why didn’t she answer? I hope she’s not too emotional. Who knows what Irene might’ve said? I shudder to think—I wouldn’t put anything past her.
I’m barely through the sliding doors and in the lobby before I bark, “I’m looking for my stepsister. I’m guessing she would’ve used my dad’s credit card to reserve a room. Elliana Montego is her name, but my dad is—”
“I know your father is Chief Wilder,” the middle-aged bald man behind the counter tells me.
“Please, can you tell me which room she’s in? He sent me over here to see her.” I mean, it’s kind of true.
“We don’t normally give away information about our guests, but she’s in room 215.” He points me toward the elevator at the end of the lobby, and I take it up one floor, following the signs to find her room. It’s dead quiet up here, without anyone out in the hall. The perfect place for Irene to dump the daughter she doesn’t give a shit about.
“It’s me.” I knock on the door once I reach the room, listening for anything coming from the other side. “Let me in. We’ll figure this out together.”
When the lock clicks and the door starts to open, a wave of relief like nothing I’ve ever felt washes over me and almost takes my knees out. She’s tear-stained, red-faced, but she’s here in front of me. Close enough to touch.
So I do. She’s in my arms before the door is closed behind me. With my hand on the back of her head, I press my lips against her temple. “I am so sorry. For everything.”
“What are we going to do?” She shudders in a silent sob that comes close to crushing my heart.
“For one thing, I’m staying here with you while we work this out.” Kissing her head again, I pull back a little, brushing hair away from her forehead and tucking it behind her ears. She looks so broken. I would do anything to change that. “You don’t ever have to be alone again. Believe me. I am with you always now.”
“How can you say that?” A tear rolls down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb before she closes her eyes. “Your dad is so mad. I’m surprised he even let you out of the house.”
“I’ll handle him. Don’t worry about that. He’s the one who wanted me to come over here to make sure you’re all right.” With a sigh, I add, “I can’t believe she left you here.”
“You can’t? I can,” she mutters.
“That’s fine. I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.” I can’t help but kiss her, like that will prove I mean every word. Her lips are salty, thanks to the tears that have coated her face—the bed is a little messed up, pillows dented, like she was lying there in tears before I showed up.
Every kiss leads to one more, then another, until I’ve backed her further into the room, and we’re sitting together on the bed. It’s so much simpler when it’s just this, just us. Nobody else getting in the way, telling us what we can and can’t do.