Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“The fact that it didn’t work out.”
“Me, too.” She gave him a sad smile. “I only wanted to get married once.”
Not wanting to push his luck, he removed his hand from hers. “You can get married again.”
She let out a huff. “After everything I went through . . .” She didn’t elaborate on what those things were, just shook her head. “I’m not sure I want to get married again.”
That statement was huge. And shocking. What the hell had caused her to be so cynical and jaded?
He didn’t push, not when it was something she obviously didn’t want to revisit or discuss. And for now, that was okay with him. They were reconnecting, getting to know one another again, and he didn’t want to pressure her for answers she wasn’t ready to share. He just hoped she opened up to him in time.
Yes, as crazy at it seemed, he was already thinking into the future. Now that he’d run into Skye again, he didn’t plan to let her slip through his fingers so easily this time. Over five years ago he’d realized too late that she was the one, and now he’d been given a second chance to see if they could rebuild what they’d once had, because the feelings stirring in his chest told him he’d never, ever, completely gotten over her.
He took a drink of his water and steered clear of anything having to do with her ex. “So, what brought you to New York of all places?” he asked.
“I needed a change,” she said with a shrug. “And my brother, Spencer, offered to let me stay at his place while I looked for a job and figured out what I was going to do.”
Though Tripp knew she had two older brothers, he’d never met her family because he’d always maintained that their relationship was purely friends with benefits, something he regretted now. But he was glad she had a sibling in the city to look after her.
They spent the next hour keeping the conversation casual as they got reacquainted and caught up on each other’s lives. She told him about working at the Meridian hotel, which is where she’d met Lauren, who was now a good friend, and how she had her own apartment in Brooklyn. He explained the connection between her boss, Jade Dare, and his brother’s wife—and Tripp’s sister-in-law—Chloe Kingston, who Skye had met a few times already because of how the two families overlapped so much.
He’d already told her about being a pediatrician in business with Hudson and Brett, but he shared a few more details about his career.
“I’m really proud of you and what you’ve accomplished,” she said, and he couldn’t deny the compliment warmed him. “You sacrificed a lot to achieve your goals, and it’s very impressive.”
He didn’t like that he’d sacrificed her in the process, but hindsight was a bitch.
The bar waitress came around again and cleared their empty bottles and glasses from the table. He and Skye declined another drink, and since the place was getting crowded and overly loud, he gave the waitress his credit card for the bill but he was reluctant to let Skye out of his sight again.
Elbow braced on the table, Skye propped her chin in her palm and smiled, seemingly more relaxed with him than she’d been all evening. “So, you’ve been quite vague about your own love life,” she pointed out, a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. “Considering Lauren spilled the beans about you being one of the guys in the charity auction at the Future Fast Track fundraiser next weekend, I take it you’re still a bachelor?”
“Yes, still single.” But not for a lack of trying to move on from Skye, once med school and his residency were behind him and he’d finally felt settled and in a place where he could devote more time to a relationship.
He’d dated Julia, a pharmaceutical rep he’d met at a conference, for almost a year and a half. They’d had fun together, and had been a good match, even if he had compared her too much to Skye and knew she was the polar opposite of the woman he couldn’t forget. Still, knowing he wanted a wife and kids, he’d thought maybe they could build a future together. But when he’d made the suggestion, she’d informed him that she was a career woman first and had no desire to get married and have a family. Then, she’d ended things, stating she didn’t want to lead him on . . .
How fucking ironic was that?
Tripp winced at the memory, but he could easily look back and admit that Julia had done him a favor by breaking things off. Otherwise he would have been settling with Julia, and that wouldn’t have been fair. To either of them. They hadn’t shared a grand passion nor had she been the love of his life, but their relationship had been comfortable, easy, and convenient.