Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
I wasn’t the man I thought I was. Far, far from it. Or maybe, I was exactly the man I thought I was and not the one I’d hoped to be.
“Give me some time,” I said, cutting him off. “I’ll text Mace later and tell him I won’t be in Texas until tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes from there. He needs to at least be given a chance of an out.”
“I strongly disagree,” Nico said.
“Noted. I gotta go. I’m deep inside my pity party. I’ll make contact Monday.”
Nico didn’t respond.
“I’m hanging up now. Consider counseling for your next career choice.” I got a chuckle as I hung up the phone. I needed clothing and a vitamin-infused Bloody Mary. From there, I’d figure out the rest of the day.
=♥=
Mace
In all the ways I thought this would play out, I never suspected that Slade would throw in the towel on me. He’d pushed so damned hard for us to be together, seemed so damned genuine in his pursuit.
Whatever look I had on my face caused Tommy to lift his fingers from his laptop’s keyboard at his designated desk—the kitchen table. “I’ve known Slade a long time. He’s led by his emotions. It’s what makes him such a good actor. But he’s not cut out for the weight of being a celebrity. He wants people to like him. This industry’s broken. They’ve whipped him,” Tommy said.
As the last few days happened then passed us by, I knew I should’ve insisted Slade come home. He was such a strong man, always seemingly in charge of the things happening around him.
“I’m not buyin’ it,” I started, my hands going to the edge of a kitchen table chair, squeezing the posts. “He wanted out of his films. He was dead set on it…”
“Right, and that’s the reason we need to give him time. He’ll remember his truth soon. I promise. Like I said, he’s a good guy. Give him time, Mace,” Tommy said, maybe pleading, maybe trying to figure out Slade’s shift like I was doing.
I stared at him. The idea that this was ever truly about me began to show its cracks in the theory. What I didn’t know was what to do next. Since the minute I met Slade, he’d never given me any real space. I breathed his air, I followed his path, his vibrance brought mine back to me. Against the odds, he fell in love with me, I know he did. Then today out of nowhere I received a single text stating he wasn’t coming tomorrow. No explanation, only the bad decision he made.
In all the nonsense of life, this latest blow took the lead. I loved that man, a real lasting love.
Why wasn’t I more devastated that he was clearly breaking up with me?
Of course, I wasn’t above begging him to stay, but it didn’t seem the right move in the moment.
My eyelids closed, my fingertips skimmed the cool weave at the top of the chair.
I needed balance and time to think. Slade wasn’t near as alone as he thought he was.
Tommy and I both turned when his laptop rang. That brought me back around to the reason I’d left my animals and come inside. Dash Richmond needed to discuss my civil case. Since signing off on Dash handling the process, I hadn’t had to be involved in any of the paperwork or proceedings. It was so far not on my radar now, that my brain churned to remember where we’d left off. If I recalled correctly, there weren’t even any scheduled court dates for several months. But after numerous missed calls, Dash pulled a power move, telling on me for ignoring him. Tommy had scheduled this call.
I didn’t want to do this right now. But maybe it would take my mind off Slade and whatever had gone wrong on that front.
With an extended reach across the hard wood table, Tommy answered the call. His direct stare landed on me, and he used a finger to direct me to the seat next to him.
“Hey, Dash. Mace’s here with me. It’s been crazy around here,” Tommy said in his professional voice.
“I noticed the online buzz,” Dash said, his cultured southern accent sounding just as professional. “Everything good there?”
“Seems like everyone noticed the attention,” I said, smiling, taking the seat next to Tommy.
Dash’s grin was wide as he nodded in sympathy. I didn’t know what he meant. “Mace, I won’t keep you. I’ve sent you the settlement agreement we’ve reached. I need your approval before I move forward, but I believe we can tie this all up pretty quick.”
“I didn’t see the email,” I said, shocked that he’d gotten anything sorted that quickly. Tommy put a single sheet of paper in front of me. My gaze narrowed as I read the legal jargon Dash had sent. Well, legal jargon was the wrong word. It appeared to be dumbed down for me but didn’t quite hit the mark.