Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
God, that’s awful for both of them.
“Can we go to your place and talk?” he asks.
I eye my door. It’s ideal, but I know that once I’m in that tiny place, and he’s there . . . “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Right,” his voice cracks and then he clears his throat. “I’ll keep this quick then. I love you, Kels. I thought I needed to wait until the right time to say the words, but something tells me my time has expired, and I wanted you to know. I knew I’d fall hard for you from the moment I saw you standing there with Myles. From then to our first dinner and then our date, you made sense to me. I had to figure out a way to see you again, so I came up with the idea for the football book because that meant we’d work side by side, and just being next to you was worth it for me. I didn’t even fight the fall because everything screamed you were the one for me.
“And today . . .” he pauses and looks down at his feet, wiping the wetness away from his cheeks. “I didn’t know, honey. I had no idea she was going to show up and I definitely didn’t know she was pregnant. I would never put you in a position like that. I can’t even imagine what’s going through your mind, but I wish you’d tell me so we can work through this. I don’t deserve this from you, Kels.”
He’s right, he doesn’t.
“I know and I’m sorry. It’s just . . .” My hands go to my hair and then back across my midsection. It’s as if I’m hiding the gaping wound in my chest from him. “I don’t know if I can do this, Alex.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean us. There’s just so much that comes with being your girlfriend. Maggie, a maybe pregnancy, the media, her friends. It’s never-ending.”
“And if the baby isn’t mine?”
“Is there even a chance of that?” I look in his eyes for the answer and see it and the realization guts me. Maggie thinks the baby is his. I feel bad for him and desperately want to hug him but I’m afraid it’ll send the wrong message.
“I love you, Kels. Please don’t do this.” His voice breaks and he reaches for me. “Please.” I let him start to pull me to him but stop and drop my head until it touches his chest, putting distance between us. His hand rests on my shoulder and then drops.
“I can’t, Alex.”
“Yeah, I hear ya.” He sighs and moves, and I stand tall. He turns his back to me and presses the button for the elevator. The doors open and he steps in. If I expected some romantic grand gesture to happen like I read in books, where we make eye contact and everything shifts, I don’t realize it until the doors are closed. I’m barefoot, and now must rush down the stairs to catch him before he leaves in a taxi, but it doesn’t happen.
Instead, Alex leans against the side wall so I can’t see him, and I don’t move until the doors are closed.
He doesn’t give up.
I’m not sure if I expected him to or not, but every time I see his name on my phone or hear his voice, I break down. I thought my tears would’ve long dried up by now, but they keep coming. He calls and texts every day to let me know that he loves me. I know someday soon, he’ll stop, and I’ll break down all over again because that’ll mean he’s moved on.
Today, I’m meeting with my client, Fern—the one writing the football book. Thankfully, her character is the quarterback—a wild playboy type who gets tamed by the sweet innocent fan who he happens to meet at a party. It has the happily ever after that people look for, but I still hate it. In fact, I’ve ignored every pitch I received this week. None of them jump out of me and honestly, I’m over romance. Especially anything that has to do with the secret baby trope. There is absolutely no excuse for what Maggie has done to Alex in keeping her pregnancy a secret.
A young woman waves as I approach the table. She has yet to send in her headshot for the cover of her book so I’m happy she knows what I look like.
“Hi, Ms. Sloane. I’m so happy to meet you in person.” Fern stands and holds her hand out to shake mine.
“Hi, Fern. Please, call me Kelsey. How was your trip?” I set my bag down and drape my jacket over the back of my chair.
“It’s a super easy drive from Eugene.”
“You know, I had no idea you were so close when we started all of this. I’m glad we could meet.”