Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Of course I was, but the idea was to get the papers signed first.” He snarls at her, forcing her back another step. “Any decent person would have signed them way before now. But enough is never enough. You always want more. I can’t believe you have the nerve to pretend you give a shit about your daughter when all you wanted was an excuse to barge in here and fuck with my life a little more.”
“This is all so touching.” She sighs, fluttering her thick lashes. “Next thing you know, you’ll tell me you love this girl, and that I should sign the divorce papers so the two of you can be happy together. Isn’t that right?”
“Considering I know what you’ve done, you are treading on very thin ice,” he warns. “My guy saw you together, you and that kid. Were you the one who came up with the idea to run her down?” He jerks a thumb in my direction without looking at me.
That’s what does it. Listening to him talk so casually about the trauma I went through—and revealing he knew more about it than he let on. He can’t expect me to trust him after this. The lies are piling up between us. Amanda and Lucas? How would she even know who he is?
Was. Past tense.
Before my brain can completely melt, I scramble out of bed, still wrapped in a blanket, and take off running. My feet slap against the hardwood as I race past the guards. I don’t look at their faces. I can’t. I’m too ashamed. This is something I want to end.
He wants me to go to my room and get dressed? That’s what I’ll do, because I will not sit around and watch my life crumble to pieces.
Lies. So many lies. About him, about her, about their marriage. Now he’s making it sound like she had something to do with Lucas coming apart like he did. Whether or not that’s true, he could’ve told me. He should have told me. If Lucas needed help, I could have reached out to his parents. I could’ve done something.
In the end, it’s all about him. What he wants, who he wants. There I was, telling him I’d have his baby, and he held all these secrets in his hand.
It will never get better. I feel the truth of it in my soul. He will never stop being who he is. Loving him isn’t enough. Nothing ever will be because nothing will change who he is at his core. Secretive and manipulative. Violent and dangerous. The lengths he’ll go to get what he wants are never-ending. At least I’m seeing it now and not when it’s too late.
The desire to wake Tatum in the bedroom next door and tell her what happened consumes me, but there’s no time. I’ll have to do it later. After I’ve gone to Dad’s, which is the only place I can go now. It’s the only place I want to be because at least there I’ll have somebody who really loves me, who doesn’t lie and use.
Stupid. I’m so stupid. I was so desperate for love after years of being treated like I wasn’t important that I looked the other way over and over, first with Lucas and now with Callum. I can barely see with the tears by the time I reach the bedroom and lock the door.
My heart is going to burst out of my chest. The pain is so intense it scares me. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. Getting out of here is my only hope. I need to do this for myself.
Even though I love him. He turned me into the other woman, and I still love him. I’m just as fucked up as he is. No wonder I was always drawn to him.
Once again, I pack my things, this time taking every last item that belongs to me. I might have left a few things back in Tatum’s room before I moved my stuff out for her return, but she’ll get it back to me eventually. I don’t even care right now. Nothing matters more than putting this behind me. Living with an overbearing parent sounds like heaven after what I’ve gone through.
He made me into the girl I didn’t want to be. Stupid, naive, so easily led on. I never thought to question whether their divorce was final. Tatum never mentioned it. Why didn’t I ask? Would he have told the truth if I had?
I know the answer, and it makes my molars grind together even as I heave with sobs. Stupid, stupid girl. My little crush ruined my life.
Not just mine. Lucas’s might have been ruined, too. Like we were both pawns.
Another broken sob bursts out of me, and it’s almost enough to make me crumple on the bed. I’m exhausted, body and soul.