Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“He’s not here,” Preston clips out before facing Juni. “Please reconsider this. Joshua wants to work this out. You two just need some time… maybe a vacation together. He works long hours and he can change—”
“Your son beats me,” Juniper snaps, causing me to turn to look at her. Preston’s mouth slams shut as his eyes widen. “There is no working it out. I would have left a long time ago if I wasn’t so worried about my dad. But now that he’s safe, I’m done with this family. Unless you have fond farewells and good luck to offer me, I’m going to my room to start packing.”
Preston’s face is mottled red with anger but to my surprise, he merely offers a curt nod. Pivoting on his foot, he heads off toward the main suite, presumably to check on his wife.
When he’s out of sight, Juniper lets out a huge sigh. She offers me a lopsided smirk. “That went much better than I expected.”
Smiling, I lift my chin toward the door. “Head up to your room and get working. I’ll grab the suitcases from the car.”
It only takes half an hour for Juniper to go through the remainder of her belongings and pack what she wants to bring. Surprisingly, she only filled two of the three suitcases and had hardly any mementos she wanted to bring with her. Her dad’s room at the nursing facility was covered with framed photos and Juniper packed those up yesterday. They went via private medical jet transport to the new facility five miles from my house in Pittsburgh.
One thing I noticed she packed was a jewelry box that I had given her for her high school graduation. I was finishing my sophomore year of college on an athletic scholarship and didn’t have a lot of money. But I’d saved for months to buy that jewelry box for her, along with the small diamond earrings tucked inside when I gave it to her. I have no clue if those earrings are even in there, but I’m sure Joshua has bought Juniper lots of nice jewelry over the years. He can afford massive sparklers, although technically, I can do that too. My two-and-a-half-million-dollar salary plus performance bonuses with the Titans ensures I could give Juniper all the diamonds in the world.
But she was never impressed by baubles. She was a woman more delighted by the jewelry box, which played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. It’s one of her favorite songs—or at least it used to be.
As she makes a final walk-through of her room, I wrangle the suitcases down the grand staircase and out to the car. Preston has been absent the entire time and while I have to trust that Joshua will stay away, I’ve been on high alert.
When I come inside after putting the last suitcase in the rental, I find Juniper waiting for me in the foyer.
“Anything else you want to get from the house?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No. Just want to say goodbye to your mom.”
I notice her words are thick with emotion, her eyes glistening. I don’t think she’s crying because she’s losing her home or husband, but mostly because she’s sad to be leaving Lila behind.
At least that’s my assumption.
I yearn to hold my hand out to her, wanting her to be secure in my comforting touch. But I’m not sure she’d take it.
I haven’t touched her since that moment in the car three days ago when I held her hand and kissed her forehead. She’d pulled away and told me not to promise her things. The wall she’s put up between us is thick and high and I will respect it. There’s nothing there but friendship anyway, but fuck if it isn’t hard not to touch her. I’m more attracted to her now than I was before, at least from a physical aspect. She’s aged with perfection, her womanly curves so very sexy, the confidence and poise that’s come with living life. Hell, the way she’s made this decision to break from Joshua and upend her life attracts me to her.
And then, there’s the never-ending supply of sweet memories that have flooded back this past week being around her. All the great times we had for the eight years we were together. I loved that woman so much it nearly destroyed me when I broke things off.
But not as much as it hurt her, that I know. My actions put her right in a monster’s path and this whole fucked-up situation is very much my fault.
Juniper turns toward my mom’s bedroom and I follow her in there. Preston is sitting in one of the wingback chairs near the window, surfing on his phone while the nurse dispenses medication to my mom. He glances up, grimaces at seeing us standing in the doorway and then drops his gaze again.