Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“No, Barb. Get out. Now. Before I do something I regret.”
Barb, because she was no longer her mother, glared at her. “I hope you’re happy!”
“What about this would make me happy?” Bebe asked. “To learn that my own mother is happy to terrorize me? Nope. Nothing about this makes me happy.”
“All I ever tried to do was make you someone! Now, you’re with a bodyguard. You’re no one, Bluebelle! Certainly no daughter of mine.”
Well, that made two of them. Because she didn’t consider Barb her mother. Barb stormed out and her father stared at Bebe in horror.
“Bebe, I’m so sorry. I never saw what she was like with you . . .”
“I’ve tried to tell you over the years. You’ve never been interested in listening.”
“I’m listening now if you want to talk.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Not yet, though. We . . . we aren’t actually going public with the stalker. That was just a threat to get her attention. But I am staying here in Montana. With Corbin.”
“Understood,” her father said. “I will . . . I will try to call you soon, all right?”
She wasn’t holding out much hope, but she nodded. When the call ended, that’s when she broke.
Turning her head, she buried it in Corbin’s neck. He picked her up and settled her on his lap.
“It’s all right, baby. It’s all done now. And we know the truth. Let it out if you need to.”
She tried to hold it back, but she couldn’t. It was like a tide rushing out and there was no stopping it.
His poor girl.
She’d been brave for so long. But it was time for her to let go and allow him to care for her.
Turning her in his arms, he held her pressed to his chest, her legs hanging down on either side of his.
And he just held her.
45
Bebe felt so drained.
Four days had passed since her mother confessed to being her stalker. And to hiring someone to attack her, even if she swore that the attack was meant to happen after Corbin and Hayes had gone.
Which was a thousand times worse.
But she’d entered some weird kind of funk and couldn’t get out of it. The only time she managed to stop the voices in her head was when she was Little. However, she couldn’t be Little all the time.
Corbin had insisted that she keep coming to work with him, he was probably worried about leaving her alone.
However, she’d had enough.
“Right, baby. Let’s get you ready to go.” He reached into the coat closet for her jacket.
“Can I stay here?” she asked.
He drew back and stared at her.
“It’s just . . . there’s not much for me to do there. And there’s no longer a reason to go with you, right? It’s safe here and the stalker never existed.”
“That might be the case, but I’m not sure you’re in a good state of mind for me to leave you.” He crouched in front of her where she sat on the sofa.
Maybe not, but . . .
“I just want some time to think. I have a therapy session at ten. And I was also thinking of putting the house up for sale.”
“Hmm, we might need to get a contractor in first.”
She bit her lip. “I can’t really afford that, especially if . . .”
“Especially if what, darling?”
“If I go back to college. It’s just a thought at the moment . . . but I figured I could look into whether it’s possible to do it via distance. Maybe through a college close by, so if I needed to, I could go there in person sometimes. What do you think?”
He smiled widely. “I think that’s a perfect idea. I’m so proud of you, darling. I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to go back to college.”
“I’ll have to sell the house to hopefully pay some of the tuition. Or dip into my trust fund. I guess I could do that to pay the contractor.”
“You don’t have to worry now. I’m going to help you with your tuition.”
“Corbin, it’s expensive and—”
“Baby, I don’t exactly spend a lot. I’ve worked for a long time and saved a lot of money. Plus, one of my sisters is an investment broker. I’ve got a healthy portfolio. And, more importantly, you’re mine. So I’m going to do this, understand?”
“All right,” she whispered. She’d learned that on some things, he just didn’t budge. “Thank you.”
“My good girl. Everything is going to be all right now.”
“Even though my mother is crazy and my father is only realizing that now?” And trying to make it up to her by calling her several times a day.
“Yep. Because we have each other. And that’s all we need. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone yet though.”
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“You’ll stay in the cabin?”