Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
The phone rings again, and as I look toward it, my heart sinks.
I know I shouldn’t answer. I should let it ring out and cut this off before he’s able to hurt me further, but I’m a sucker for punishment, and where Izaac is involved, I’ll always come running.
Answering the call, I simply lift it to my ear, not willing to keep fighting with him. He’s silent too, neither of us knowing what to say or where to go from here, but I’m done wondering, done waiting around for something that’ll never happen.
“Are you ever going to love me, Izaac?” I murmur, the tears starting all over again.
The silence is heavy, and I know exactly what he’s going to say before the word is forced from his lips. “No, Aspen. I can’t. I won’t.”
I nod, the weight of his words pulverizing my heart into a million fractured pieces. “Okay,” I say with a shaky breath, the tears rolling down my cheeks. “Don’t call me again.”
And with that, I hang up one final time before finally allowing myself to truly crumble. Pulling my blanket back over me, I curl up on the couch and sob against the armrest. I never should have gone into this arrangement with hopes that Izaac would fall for me. It was stupid.
But I was so close.
I had everything I ever wanted within reach, and yet no matter how much I put myself out there, I’ll never be enough for him. I will never have his heart, his affection, his unconditional love.
It’s time to move on, time to find someone capable of loving me the way I need, and despite how hard it’s going to be for me to let go, I need to try. Besides, there could be someone out there for me and he’s just been waiting all this time, only I’ve been too blinded by a stupid childhood crush to see it.
My gaze settles on a napkin left discarded on my coffee table, and I can’t help but reach for it, finding Harrison’s number scrawled across it, the napkin torn in places where he was too heavy with the pen. My heart doesn’t race, and it sure as hell doesn’t feel like this is about to be some monumental, earth-shattering moment in my life, but I owe it to myself to try.
Then after entering his number into my phone, I shoot off a quick text.
Aspen - Hey, is this Harrison? It’s Aspen. You blew your load all over me at the salad bar.
His response comes almost instantly.
Harrison - How could I possibly forget? I’ve been thinking about that load ever since I shot it all over your tits.
A laugh bubbles up my throat, and I find myself smiling. I like a man who’s able to take a joke and run with it without taking things too far. He clearly has a good sense of humor, but he proved at the salad bar that he’s also kind and thoughtful. He doesn’t hesitate to fix something when he fucks up, and he’s straightforward about what he wants.
He’s exactly what I need, only despite the cocky grin and cheeky words, he didn’t make my heart race, not the way Izaac always has.
Aspen - I know I’m a few days late, but would it be completely left field if I accepted your proposal and allowed you to take me out?
Harrison - I knew you’d come running back! It’s my cocky boyish charm, isn’t it? You couldn’t resist.
Aspen - Could you put your cocky boyish charm away for just one second and answer the question?
Harrison - I’d fucking love to take you out.
A smile lingers on my lips, and I do what I can to wipe the tears away. This could be a new beginning for me, something to look forward to, and if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t matter because there are always other fish in the sea. Though, there are also blood-hungry sharks in the sea, but I don’t think any kind of shark could take a bigger bite out of me than Izaac already has.
My phone buzzes again, and I glance down, expecting to find another text from Harrison, outlining whatever he might have in mind for our date, but instead, I find Izaac’s name across the screen.
Ahhhh shit. What could he possibly want now? Did he not think he hurt me enough already?
I should delete it.
Only morbid curiosity gets the best of me, and despite knowing better, I open his text.
Izaac - Vixen. 8pm. Tomorrow night. I’m going to fuck that smart mouth, and only when you’re begging for more, I’m going to fuck the attitude out of you.
I stare at his words, realizing he thinks he can fix this with sex. But there’s no fixing this. How can he possibly think I’d be willing to meet him after hearing those words come out of his mouth? He’s never going to love me. I’ll never be what he wants. I’m nothing but a good time.