Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“No. He’s pretty awesome. I’ve actually seen him live once. But I was talking about your freeskiing skills. Some of the townies say that you’ve skied every part of these mountains.”
“Just about,” I answered honestly.
The door from the inside of the hangar burst open and Theo spread his arms wide. “The public speaker has returned!”
I scoffed.
“My favorite part was when you tried to draw the analogy to carrying troops into battle with ferrying the spoiled-ass rich people up the mountain to ski.” He grinned, flashing his bright white teeth at me.
“You were watching?” I clicked over to see our financials. Damn, we were solid.
“Online, of course. Like I’d miss it.” He leaned back and kicked his feet up on the desk. “I also enjoyed the part where you almost knocked your entire glass of water over.”
“Public speaking is not my strong suit.” I glared at him.
“Why does he get to put his feet on the desk?” Simon whined.
“Because he’s my business partner and my best friend.”
“We both know you didn’t go there to speak, anyway.” Theo started throwing his tennis ball into the air and catching it. “You were running away.”
“What?” Simon asked.
I bit back a growl at my best friend. “Did the kid hold his own?”
Theo glanced at Simon. “He wasn’t too bad.”
I grunted in approval. “Why don’t you head home, Simon. We’ll call you if we need you. If you’re interested.”
“Absolutely interested!” He took his jacket off the rack, knocking mine to the ground. “Oh, sorry.” He hung it back up. “Thanks for the chance!” He waved on his way out the door.
“You’re telling me that clumsy oaf held his own?” I asked Theo.
“I’d give him a solid eight.” Theo threw the ball up and caught it. “So tell me, how did running away work for you?”
I shot him a look that told him to drop it.
He sat up straight and pinned me with a single stare. “Because I’m thinking it didn’t work out so well.”
“I couldn’t be here.” I rubbed my hands over my face. Shit, I was exhausted. Turned out, I’d forgotten how to sleep through the night without Callie. “Not after I told her to go. One look at her and I’d cave. I’d beg her to stay, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to be the reason she misses out on her dream.” Not when I knew exactly how it had broken my heart to lose mine.
So, I’d done the only respectable thing and cut the tether between us. God, I hoped she’d chosen to go, otherwise all this pain would be for nothing.
Reed told me the day I’d left for the conference that Callie was set to leave a week later, which meant I only had to avoid her for three days.
“Seriously, West? That’s how you want to leave things with her?” He lifted his brows at me. “With some bullshit where you force her into a choice because you don’t give her all the information she needs to make a real decision?” He shook his head. “You’re better than that.”
“What am I supposed to do, Theo? Ask her not to go?”
He scoffed. “You do what Jeanine has done through every deployment and you tell her you’ll wait. That you’ll be here when she gets back. A year sucks, but it’s nothing in the scheme of things.”
“Even if she wasn’t about to leave—which I hope she is—for this incredible internship, I can’t be what she deserves, man. It’s not that I wouldn’t wait a year for her, because I would. I’d wait for as long as she wanted me to, but I can’t give her what she wants.” The sooner she realized that, the better.
“And what exactly is that?”
“She wants me to love her.” The admission came out gruff.
“And the problem is?”
“You know what happens when you love people? They leave. They die. Losing them makes you fucking miserable, and you never get over it. Who signs up for that?”
He stared at me in pure exasperation.
“What?”
“You’re an idiot.” He snorted.
“I’m sorry?”
“She wants you to love her. Damn, I mean, that’s a pretty heavy demand. Next thing you know, she’ll be asking you to be faithful to her and to come home every night. Then you’ll really have a problem.” He threw the ball and caught it again.
“I’m already faithful and already come home every night.” I grimaced. “At least I did before we ended things.” Before I ended things.
“And you’re already in love with her, so I guess I just don’t see the point you’re trying to make.”
I stared at him.
“Please.” He shook his head. “Like you don’t already know that. Somewhere deep down, you do. I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you watch her. Never seen you smile so much. Never seen you lose your damn mind over a woman either.” He caught the ball and looked me in the eyes. “You don’t have to admit to something for it to be true.”