Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
This time, I scroll the comments.
* * *
Absolute fucking legend!
Will someone come help get my jaw off the floor???
This is just mean. Her sister shouldn’t have stolen her man, I’m not saying that’s right. But this isn’t right, either.
That mf groom just pissed his pants fr...
OOF. They done FAFO!
Get to work, Internet. Who is this? And more importantly, who’s Lucien???
* * *
I turn my phone over in my lap, unable to even look at Lucien. After everything he’s done for me, now he’s going to get dragged into this sideshow. We should have been having more incredible sex last night, but instead, he had to talk me into sitting in the bathtub for a cold shower while I was crying hysterically about my family never speaking to me again.
It was a hellish night. He was worried at one point that I might have alcohol poisoning, but I was sobered up enough by then to assure him I didn’t have any of the symptoms.
I’ve never puked so much or felt so miserable. Leaving the resort felt like a walk of shame.
“What row are we in for the flight home?” I ask him.
I’m wondering if we were able to keep our first-class seats with the flight change, but I feel like an asshole asking.
“I don’t remember.” He takes my hand, kissing the back of it. “You hanging in there?”
I nod and smile weakly.
I said I love him. All the truths I’m afraid to say out loud came gushing out of me last night, like a fire hose with no one holding on to it.
Even though I’ve moved on, I do resent my sister saying she knew Kyle was the one as soon as she saw him. And him? He’s not even sorry. Audra has told me many times that she’s sorry for what she did. Kyle has never once said anything indicating he thinks I deserved better.
Lucien shows up for me. I didn’t realize what that was like until I experienced it. He cares if I’m comfortable and happy. He cares if people treat me badly, and he calls them out on it. Kyle’s swollen lip and black eye are proof of that.
“How are you feeling?” I ask him.
“Not as bad as this morning. I’m not used to doing that many shots anymore.”
The skin around his eye is a darker shade of purple today. He’s wearing a Crush baseball hat, a plain gray T-shirt and black sweats, and he looks good.
“My IG inbox is getting flooded,” he says.
I cover my eyes with my hand. “I’m sorry. That’s my fault.”
“Nah. I’ll warn you, though, the guys are going crazy over your speech. They’re pretty stoked.”
I scoff and smile. “Suki and Mara are all over me to talk about it. I told them I’m not there yet. Maybe when my head doesn’t feel like a grenade just exploded inside of it.”
“Isaac’s picking us up in Cleveland.”
“My dad can pick us up.”
He shakes his head slightly. “Isaac’s doing it.”
I furrow my brow. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s nothing major.”
“Lucien. What is it?”
“There are photographers at your dad’s place, and at mine. Isaac’s borrowing a van with tinted windows to get us to his house.”
I bury my face in my hands. “This just goes from bad to worse to so much fucking worse.”
He pats my knee. “It won’t last, Tal. When they don’t get what they want, they’ll move on.”
“Does Isaac live at a fraternity house?”
He grins. “It has a frat house vibe for sure. There’s never TP in the bathroom and his living room has a bunch of pinball machines in it.”
“Awesome.”
“It’ll all die down soon.”
“I’m sorry about all this.”
His expression turns serious. “Stop saying that. This will blow over.”
“I ruined their reception. Even after everything they’ve done, I didn’t want to ruin anything.”
“You didn’t ruin it. I’m sure it kept rolling after we left.”
A sick sensation rolls through my stomach. “And now I’ve screwed myself. I’m internet famous for getting drunk and ranting about spanking my ex. Right when I need to start applying for jobs. People will see me and be like, Oh, it’s that crazy woman from the wedding.”
The SUV stops at the airport entrance, and the driver comes around to open my door. Lucien passes him a tip and gets our bags.
“Our airline is this way,” I say, pointing. “Or did we have to switch airlines?”
“Yeah, we switched airlines. Just follow me.”
“Are you serious?”
Thirty minutes later, I gape at Lucien as he leads me toward a small, private luxury airplane.
“It was just the right timing. You know Hunter Beck?”
“I know of him, but I’ve never met him. He’s the billionaire who plays for Pittsburgh, right?”
“Yep. He’s a friend, and he’s spending the break at his place in Kauai. His plane can get us home and get back here in time for his flight back.”