Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
My father waits downstairs in the living room. “Romeo and Gabriella will be here in two seconds.” He gets up, and I see he’s wearing black jeans, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket with his black boots. “You look—” he says to me, and my mother puts her fingers on his mouth.
“She looks nice, doesn’t she?” Her eyes go big, giving him a sign for something.
“She does,” he agrees, and then we hear the horn honking. “Let’s go.” He waits for my mother and me to walk ahead of him.
Gabriella gets out of the front seat and heads to the back seat, giving it up for my father. I slide into the car beside her and then my mother comes in, closing the door. “Can’t we take two cars?” I ask, struggling to put on my seat belt.
“Do you know the mess that parking is here?” Romeo asks.
“How the hell would I know the parking situation in Dallas?” I shriek. “I don’t even have a car in Chicago. I use Uber everywhere.”
“It’s easier to get in and out with one car,” Gabriella says softly. “We have the family pass to park in the other side of the parking lot where the players do, but it’s still a mess.”
“Got it,” I say, looking ahead at the road. They are not joking about the traffic getting into the arena.
We park in the family parking lot and get out. My heart starts to race a bit. “Hey,” I say to Gabriella when we are away from my parents, “by any chance is—”
“No.” She shakes her head. “He’s not here. I asked.”
“Okay.” I try not to sound happy or disappointed. “I know it’s going to be weird to see him at these things, and I know it’ll eventually happen.” I smile at her. “But I just wanted maybe a heads-up.”
“I know,” she says softly, “I wouldn’t blindside you like that.”
“Thank you,” I say as we follow Romeo and my parents. She’s never asked me what happened between Stone and me. I also don’t know if he told her or not. The only one I’ve talked to about it was Romeo, only because he wouldn’t leave me alone until I told him.
He was the one who got on a plane the day after I told my mother, showed up at my house, and demanded to know what happened. He learned I wasn’t going to tell him anything, so he camped on my couch with me until I was ready to share what I did. He was the only one who knew I quit my job the day Stone broke up with me. He was the only one who knew I was looking for a job in Nashville. After he asked me to move in with him, I started looking for jobs. I didn’t want to tell Stone because I didn’t want to get his hopes up. But now that we aren’t together, I won’t be moving to Nashville, so I’m taking my time to decide where I want to go. Eventually, I’ll have to tell my parents I quit my job, but right now, they just think I’m on vacation.
I’m nervous to see the family, but the nerves go away once I walk in the room and see his uncles Matthew, Max, Viktor, and Justin. They all hug and kiss me, just like they did the last time I saw them before Stone. Not one of them brings him up, and I don’t know if I’m thankful or sad.
It’s only when I turn around and see Evan does my heart sink. He turns and spots me, coming over to me right away. “Hi,” he says cheerfully, “you look gorgeous.” The minute he says those words, I blink away the tears. He must see them, but pretends he doesn’t. While he hugs me and kisses my head, he asks, “You okay?” I smile at him, hoping he sees that although I’m not okay, I’m trying to be. “Zara is around here somewhere. She will be mad if she doesn’t see you.”
“I’ll go say hello to her,” I assure him. “It’s nice seeing you.” He smiles at me before he joins the rest of the guys.
I look around the room with its couches and spot Zara, who sits with her sisters, Zoe and Allison, and sisters-in-law, Karrie and Caroline. She spots me and gets up right away, coming over to me. “Hey.” She opens her arms for a hug. “It’s so nice to see you here.” She acts like nothing happened, which makes me happy. I thought things would be awkward, but it’s just like every other time.
“Thanks. I’m down visiting my parents,” I share when Gabriella comes over with her twin, Abigail, who is dressed head to toe in Dallas stuff, while she holds the hand of her little boy, who’s also wearing a Dallas jersey.