Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Asher left for the office to catch up on work, and the silence echoed around her. Knowing she had things to face here, too, she followed up with Meg by text. While on the island, at Zach’s suggestion, Nikki had called to tell her friend she was coming home but wouldn’t be staying at her apartment. Meg hadn’t answered or called her back. Given Nikki’s outburst during their last conversation, she wasn’t surprised, so she texted Meg again with the same information and added an apology for the things she’d said.
Anything to bring an end to this situation. Nikki wasn’t sure if Meg was capable of doing something as awful as photographing her nude and selling the images, but she needed to find out. Next, she shot off a text to Zach, informing him that she’d tried to reach Meg twice. Even if the other woman didn’t reply, at least they knew she was aware that Nikki’s apartment was empty and thus fair game.
With nothing else to keep her busy, Nikki unpacked. She cleared one dresser drawer for her undergarments and hung up her clothes in Asher’s large walk-in closet. In the bathroom, she spread out her toiletries on the counter and wondered how he would feel surrounded by all her bottles and makeup.
Lucky nudged her leg and she glanced down. “Hey. Do you want some water?” she asked the dog.
She stepped out of the bathroom and the pup followed her into the kitchen, where Asher had put the bag with Lucky’s things. Nikki filled one of his bowls with water, placing it in an out-of-the-way spot, and he rushed over to drink.
She stored the dog food in the pantry, folded and placed Lucky’s harness, leash, and other things on the counter, leaving a few toys on the floor against the wall for him to play with.
Asher hadn’t complained about the dog coming back to his apartment, and she doubted he’d find Lucky or his things in the way. Lucky had become Asher’s friend. One he’d let sleep on his bed, she thought with a grin. Nikki considered herself Lucky’s person, Asher a close third because Maggie had been the dog’s second favorite. The sweet woman might even have surpassed Nikki and kept the dog if she’d had the chance.
Nikki glanced at the pup as he drank his water. “I’ll miss her, too,” she told him.
As if sensing Nikki’s need, he finished and walked over, rubbing his wet face on her bare leg. She knelt down to hug him, which he tolerated for a few seconds before he found one of his toys and walked out of the room. “Bye!” she called after him with a laugh.
Nikki took her phone off the counter and called Winter, wanting to catch up, but when the other woman didn’t answer, Nikki left a message.
Which meant just one more person for her to reach out to. Gathering her courage, Nikki called her agent. With each message Amelia had left on Nikki’s phone, her tone became edged with more frustration. Nikki shouldn’t have avoided her for this long, but she hadn’t been ready to make decisions about her life.
She was now.
Asher had once pointed out her age and how perhaps she didn’t yet know what she wanted. There was truth in his words, at least when it came to her career. She had chosen modeling as a means of getting out from under her parents’ roof, not because walking down a runway was her first choice. Just as pageants hadn’t been something she’d loved, either.
Nikki had run to the island to escape the press and pressure, but some good had come out of her trip. And she wasn’t just referring to Asher. Her time there had allowed her to think about who she was and what she wanted out of life. The answer had become clear. Though she was still finding herself, she knew her current career path wasn’t one she intended to pursue. Which put Harrison on her list of people to call this week.
She dialed and reached her agent’s assistant, scheduling an appointment to meet Amelia during the week. Leaving her career wasn’t something she could do over the phone. Nikki needed to face the woman in person, thank her, and inform her of her decision.
She looked around and felt like the walls were closing in on her. “Lucky, come!”
The dog came running, a stuffed animal in his mouth. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said, which had him dropping the toy and wagging his tail.
The sun shone brightly outside, and they walked for a while, taking a large square route that led her back to where she’d started. Her sweet boy had issues with his new environment. He’d peed on the sidewalk not the grass and trembled when they ended up in a tight group of people. She’d picked him up and carried him until they were alone again.