Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Her words hit me fair in the gut. “I’m sorry, all right? I’ll apologize to Jess and make it up to her.”
The anger in Octavia’s eyes soften, but she still sounds mad when she asks, “And how will you do that, Caleb? You’re on the same pay level as her.”
“Umm…” It takes me only a second to recall how I’ve been pulling my weight at our apartment the past month. “I’ll clean up after the movie and take out the trash.”
I stare at her like she’s a prison warden when she mutters, “And…”
“And…” I suck in a big breath before exhaling it out with an offer, “I’ll invite her to eat with us this week.”
“Perfect.” She claps her hands together like this was her plan all along before entering the living room and flicking through Netflix.
I wait a beat to calm the erratic thump of my heart before returning to the kitchen. Jess has placed six burgers onto a platter next to a bag of microwave popcorn and is the process of depositing the remaining fourteen or so into her freezer.
Incapable of ignoring the niggle in my gut, I ask, “Last month… ahh… how did that go?”
Jess pulls a bottle of soda out of the refrigerator, then moves to the overhead cupboards to grab some glasses before replying, “Last month?” She pauses long enough for me to almost die since I’m holding my breath before adding, “Nothing overly eventful happened last month. I can’t think of a single thing that was memorable.”
Ouch. That’s a blow I’ve never faced before. My reviews are usually far more glowing.
A tiny sliver of my pride gets handed back to me when I step closer to her. Try as she may, she can’t control the vein in her neck that throbs overtime anytime I’m near her. “Seriously, Jess. Are you all right? Did I…”
I leave my question open for her to answer how she sees fit. She can call me an asshole, curse me to hell, and dent my ego so much I’ll have to offer a hail dent discount the next time I hook up, but I need to know I didn’t fuck up her life as much as my grandfather did mine.
After a quick exhale, Jess murmurs, “We’re good. I wasn’t even a day late.”
I shouldn’t sigh in relief, but I do. I’m not just thankful I didn’t knock up a woman who was the equivalent of a stranger, but also grateful I didn’t force a child to be lumped with my hideous surname.
Jess doesn’t see it that way, though. “But that doesn’t make you any less of an ass.”
She shoves the platter full of food into my stomach, snatches up the bottle of Coca-Cola and glasses from the counter, then hotfoots it into the living room as if she is craving more than a body of ocean between us.
CHAPTER 11
JESS
When Caleb’s shoulder brushes my thigh for the hundredth time in the past minute, I scoot so close to Octavia, I grow worried she’ll think I invited her to my home under different circumstances.
With Heidi honeymooning in Europe and my sorority sisters returning to Portland, I’m in desperate need of female company, so I won’t let Caleb stuff this up for me. He may be handsome, but looks can’t hide ugly insides. Warren is living proof of this. He’s been sniffing around more the past month than he did the year we broke up, and it has my bitch-o-meter almost on the blink since it’s been used nonstop.
I inwardly sigh when a brutal bout of double standards hits me. I’m angry Caleb didn’t chase me down last month when I was the one who fled to begin with. I didn’t want babies, marriage, and a lifelong commitment like Heidi from our exchange. I wanted to get my rocks off, but since he makes me act like a foolish imbecile, I almost got more than either of us bargained for.
I’m not on the pill.
Sorry, correct that. I wasn’t on the pill. I am now. Just don’t tell my father. As far as he is concerned, you have sex to make babies. Hence, my extremely large family and a desperate wish for a second of peace that I moved to Seattle for an intern position that pays less than my monthly rent.
My father is helping to cover the ends I can’t meet, but I’m hoping to change that soon. I have a degree in journalism, and Seattle Socialites is in desperate need of a hard-hitting story that’ll plump out their readership as much as my paycheck. I just need to be patient. My time will come. One day.
With my scoot away from Caleb having me practically sitting on Octavia’s lap, an entire section of the sofa is left open for Caleb to slot his backside in.