Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
“Dad, I can’t believe you’re saying this to me.” Talk about kicking me while I’m down. Sure, I used to be obsessed with Ryder in the past, but after all these years, I’ve grown to truly love him. So what if I had to do some underhanded things to get close to him? Wouldn’t anyone in my position do the same?
“What, you want me to lie? You and I both know that that Elena person has got you beat hands down. You’re my daughter, and I hate saying this to you, but the truth is, you haven’t offered much of anything to society. And look at her. One song, and she’s got you panicking. Why is that? It’s because deep down, you know that she’s better than you. Why else do you think you had to go to so much trouble just to get him to even look at you?”
“What do you mean? I’m a model, and everyone knows me since I’m on all the major runways.” My chest felt tight as his words hit their mark.
“Pssh, even that was bought for you. Get used to it, kid. You’re a major disappointment; now, don’t let me down again. Mary said she’d send her girls to give you a hand. Just do as they say and get us past this mess.”
“I don’t really want to see them right now.”
“Too bad, this is the bed you made. Now lay in it. And whatever you do, do not let him out of your sight. The last thing we need is for those two to run into each other. The tabloids would be all over it, and we don’t need to get back on that merry-go-round again.”
He hung up the phone before I could reply, leaving me in a near panic. I guess it was unavoidable that Nicole and Noel would learn about all this, but I wish I didn’t have to work with them. I’m getting tired of having to smile and put on an act each time they’re around.
Tired of having to pretend like I was not terrified of them sleeping with my man again. I hate them almost as much as I hate Elena, and the only reason I even allow them to cross my door is because their mother pretty much owns me.
I’d had to use her help to land Ryder, or heaven knows he’d still be with Elena. It was known far and wide that if you wanted to get anywhere in this town these days, you needed to get in with that family. It seemed like a good idea at the time to use them to get close to him and so I’d had to find my way into their inner circle somehow, which I’d done way back when. Little did I know that they were after the same thing I was, Ryder.
At least we all shared a common hate for Elena but for different reasons. I’m not even sure I know why they hate her so much, but I know that for me, it’s because the man I love with all my heart is still hung up on her.
Why isn’t anything working out the way I’d planned? She hasn’t even looked at him in all this time, and he’s still thinking about her. It was easier to entice him into my bed when they were a couple, and he was running around with me behind her back, though he was usually strung out on drugs and out of his mind most of the time. People say he only did that to hurt her, but I know better; I know he was in love with me.
But now it’s like I’m fighting a living ghost. She’s always between us, and it’s about time I accept that. I’ve tried to come up with a million excuses for his behavior and his seeming lack of interest in me, but I think that deep down inside, I always knew that it was her. It’s always fucking her.
Screw this; I’m not about to let her win.
***
*Elena*
“Oh snap, did you see this?” I walked into the kitchen just in time to overhear Rachel talking to someone on the phone. “This is bad. I can’t let her see this; she’ll freak.”
“Let who see what?” She jumped as if I’d goosed her and almost dropped the phone.
“Let me call you back.” She hung up while still looking at me, and I could feel my breath becoming choppy already.
“I didn’t know you were down here. Can I get you something? Some ice cream, maybe?”
“No, I’m not hungry, now stop stalling and tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s nothing, really. You pay me to take care of this stuff; I’ll take care of it.” Since she looked close to tears, I decided to drop it, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach.