Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
"And don't worry, I'll make sure to take care of Damen, too."
She was about to end the call when she realized too late what her sister-in-law meant to do. "Mairi—-"
"Talk to you next week, Di!"
"No, wait—-"
But the screen had already turned black, and Diana bit back a groan. While Mairi always meant well, she also always ended up having her best-laid plans backfire. Which means, Diana thought uneasily, Mairi taking care of Diana's brother would most likely end up the opposite and have Damen banging on her front door and thinking the worst.
Diana took a deep breath.
Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 26:3.
Mairi might be a walking trouble magnet, but even she couldn't get in the way of the Lord. Right?
Together
This Is Why I Need You by Jesse Ruben
DIANA WAS ABOUT TO leave the dorm when the resident manager called out to her, asking for her to wait.
He came back a moment later, a small, beautifully wrapped parcel in his hands. He handed it over to her with a smile, and she took it gingerly, unable to think of any reason why she would be sent a present.
"This is really for me?" she asked doubtfully.
"No other gal here by the name of Diana Leventis," Lenny answered cheerfully, "so I'd have to say yes."
Since the package didn't come with any card, she asked, "Did you get a name?"
"Afraid not. Maybe you've got a secret admirer?"
Diana couldn't stop her cheeks from turning red. "I don't think so."
And the lady truly meant it, Lenny thought ruefully as Diana thanked him before turning away. Poor gal. That Esther Leventis woman must've been a real horror, to have made a pretty little swan like Diana think of herself as an ugly duckling.
A cautious but irrepressible form of optimism had infected Diana's senses by the time she made it out of the dorm, and unable to help it, she plopped down on the nearest bench and eagerly began unwrapping it.
Underneath the layers of foil wrapper and soft tissue was a box, and hope reluctantly gave way to confusion at what she was seeing.
An iPhone?
Granted, it was the latest model, but...an iPhone?
Maybe Damen needed to give her another phone for security reasons? It would be just like him if so, and she wouldn't be even surprised if this came with GPS tracking and whatnot.
She opened the box, and the first thing she saw was the sticky note posted on its screen.
The passcode is the date we first met.
And that was when she knew, her eyes stinging, her heart skipping a beat, and a euphoric burst of hope exploding inside of her with such force that she could barely breathe.
Her fingers shook as she turned the iPhone on, and her heart skipped another beat as she typed the numbers that corresponded with the clue. The lock screen blinked out, and the next thing she saw was the new message notification.
One click, and her heart started pounding.
Matthijs: In the event you need to contact me.
A helpless smile played over her lips.
Diana: Is that your way of saying you want to keep in touch?
Matthijs: No.
Diana: But you went as far as buying me an iPhone.
Matthijs: To ensure our means of communication remains secure and private.
Diana: Why can't you just lie and say you want to talk to me?
Matthijs: Because you'd never believe me even when I tell you the truth.
Diana: You're so serious.
Almost an entire minute passed, and there still wasn't anything from the professor, almost as if he were saying he would only deign to text her back if she had shared something worthwhile.
It rather reminded her of how Damen was, and she couldn't help smiling. This type of similarity with her brother, she would definitely welcome.
Diana: When I text you here, there's really no way anyone else would read our messages?
Matthijs: Given sufficient heads-up, not even if someone steals your phone.
Diana: In that case...I think I've got a crush on you, Professor de Graaf.
On the other side of town, the professor had just grabbed his car keys and was about to leave his place when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out, saw what she had texted, and threw the keys back on the console before heading back to the shower.
He had a boner to attend to, all thanks to his dark-haired troublemaker.
As for Diana, it wasn't until she was on her third class for the day when she noticed the New Message icon on her secret phone.
Matthijs: Fuck.
Diana went to her next class with a huge smile on her face, and her buoyant feelings, having spilled over to lunch, had her friends exchanging baffled looks.
"Are you alright?" Magnolia was frankly concerned. The last time she had seen Diana, the other girl had been crying her heart out. Fast forward to today, and Diana looked so blissfully happy she was in danger of floating off any second.