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)
The question is… am I trying to pick up where I left off? There is no doubt I’ve never loved another the way I did Juniper. Never had a relationship close to what I had with her. Why wouldn’t I want to see if there could be something else?
All reasonable questions but the obvious answer is that I probably don’t deserve it. I’m the one who dumped her and broke her heart. I drove her into a monster’s arms. I’m directly responsible for her life being shitty for the last fifteen years.
If I was any sort of gentleman and truly cared for Juniper, I would untangle our lives as soon as possible and let her get on her way to a new, much better life.
CHAPTER 14
Juniper
Callum lives in a modest home considering he’s the general manager of the Pittsburgh Titans. I’m confident he pulls in a couple million a year in salary, not including incentive bonuses. I know this because I know what a GM does. I would listen every time Callum would talk about his dreams of running a professional hockey team. Nothing he ever said to me was boring. I wasn’t a big hockey fan except to cheer on Callum when he played for our alma mater. The sport became important to me because he loved it with his heart and soul.
When he had the self-awareness to understand he was not good enough to have a career in the pros but could probably pass by in the minors, I admired him so much for pivoting into management. He could quote all kinds of facts about what a GM did, which also included the salary a good one could command, and I always knew that one day he would be at the top of the game. It’s why I didn’t mind sacrificing early in our relationship when he wanted to work hard and prove his worth in the industry.
Maybe you should have waited just a little longer?
That’s always been the question, hasn’t it? Was I stupid in giving him that ultimatum even though I’d waited for two years and it appeared I would continue to wait based on Callum’s unwillingness to let me move with him to Ontario?
It’s a stupid question to even ask. That was fifteen years ago. An old life.
A dead life now that I’ve left Nevada and my husband.
Although Callum’s home is only about a third the size of the Willard estate, there’s plenty to keep me busy. After rearranging his pantry a week ago, I organized every cabinet, drawer and closet in the house. I did it to keep myself occupied, but now I don’t have anything left to do other than clean and cook meals.
Callum surprised me on my third day here in Pittsburgh with a car. The man actually went out and bought me a car. It’s small and basic, but it’s brand new and he bought it for me simply so I wouldn’t be stuck in the house. I tried to argue, tried to refuse it. But he would hear none of it.
“I’ve already signed the paperwork, Juni. Either use it or don’t, but here are the keys.”
He set them on the counter and we didn’t talk about it again. The very next day, I used the car to visit my dad.
When I was with Joshua, and he paid for my dad to be in an excellent care facility, I was not able to see him every day. That’s because I had work demands and when I wasn’t working, I was at Joshua’s beck and call. On a good week, I would visit my dad three or four times.
Now, without a job or an abusive, domineering husband, I’m going to spend as much time with my father as I can. Each day since Callum handed me the keys to that car, I’ve spent a couple hours at Dad’s facility. I now have the freedom to love and dote on my father without worrying about pissing off Joshua, and I’m also meeting some amazing people—not only the care staff but other family members as well.
That’s something I would’ve never thought to do back in Incline Village. Joshua hated me having friends and other contacts. He didn’t want anybody whispering in my ear that I might be living a shitty life with him and he most certainly didn’t want anyone taking my attention away from him. Within the first year of our marriage, he had alienated me from all my friends, and I didn’t even realize it had happened until one among them got married and I was the only person in our circle who wasn’t invited to be a bridesmaid.
I got a wedding invitation of course, and it was pointedly made out only to me and not to me and my husband together. I didn’t have to call to ask why I didn’t make the bridesmaid cut. I hadn’t done anything to deserve it because I wasn’t allowed to be a friend to anyone.