Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
He ghosted me.
“But if he’s having sex with all these women, he must like them?” I frown, confused.
“Attraction and feelings are two very different things to him. John says he just dates them until it runs its course, and then he moves on to the next without looking back.”
“Oh.” I watch him across the room. “So in other words, he just breaks hearts wherever he goes.”
“I guess he’s pretty fucked up.”
“I’ll say.” Henley glances up, and our eyes lock. We stare at each other for a beat longer than we should, and I tear my eyes away. “I have to work in the morning, so I should get going.”
“Yeah, me too.” She screws up her nose. “Taryn is probably about to start dancing for the boys.”
“She dances?” I wince.
“Like a stripper on crack.”
I giggle. “Don’t, I’m getting a bad visual.”
Rebecca laughs too. “Do you want to grab a coffee sometime?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “I’d like that.” I kiss her on the cheek. “It was so lovely meeting you.”
“You too.”
Somehow I feel like I made a friend tonight.
I kiss Carol. “Thank you so much for tonight.”
“So good to have you here, my dear.” Carol smiles.
“Bye, everyone.” I wave. “I have to work in the morning, so I’m heading out.”
“Goodbye,” everyone calls.
Henley’s eyes lock on mine, and we stare at each other across the room for a beat longer again. As if not remembering that we hate each other.
Stop it.
With another small wave, I walk back across the road to my house, and just as I step onto my veranda, I hear Taryn’s annoying voice echo through the street. “Let’s get some music going.”
Ugh, Rebecca is right.
I lie in bed, wide awake.
The beat from the music is drifting through the neighborhood.
The party has moved from Carol’s house to Antony’s backyard. They are now sitting around a campfire. I don’t know who’s over there, but I can still hear Taryn’s annoying voice over everyone else’s.
My mind keeps going over Rebecca’s words about Henley tonight. And I know I should be angry at him and resentful because he has a burner phone, but . . .
He’s damaged.
I feel sad for him. I can’t imagine what it must be like to hold no hope of meeting the one. Or not even wanting to.
I thought he would have tried to talk to me tonight . . . but then, based on his crazy up-and-down behavior, I didn’t.
I mean, everything Rebecca said all makes a lot of sense.
I knew we hit it off on that first date. And I knew he liked me. Damn it, I liked him. I was so shocked when he didn’t call me.
But did he want to?
Even last weekend, we made out in the most perfect of ways, and then he acted like it meant nothing.
What happened to him to make him so closed down?
I hear Taryn’s annoying laugh, and I roll over and punch my pillow. “Go back to your ex-husband, Taryn. You’re pissing me off.”
I run around in a fluster. Joel is going to be here any minute to talk about the couch and colors, and I got home late from work.
I hear a knock at the door, and I quickly throw my clothes into the laundry hamper. “Fuck’s sake, this place is a mess,” I whisper en route to the door. I open it in a rush. “Hi.” I smile. “Come in.”
“Hello.” Joel smiles. Damn, he’s good looking. Not in a Henley-king-of-the-world way—more like a prince kind of guy.
“Would you like a coffee or something?” I ask.
“Oh yes, please. After the busy day I’ve had, I need an upper.” He follows me into the kitchen, and I make our coffees. He opens all his books on the kitchen counter and begins to flip through them. “So you liked this Hopewood line?”
“Yeah. I love it, but I don’t know if I should get a two-seater or two three-seaters.”
“Hmm.” He thinks for a moment. “Let me measure the room again.” He takes out his tape measure, and we walk out into the living area.
A knock sounds at the door.
“Who could that be?” I roll my eyes. “Excuse me.”
“Sure,” he replies as he begins to measure the room.
I open the door to see Henley standing there. “Hi.” He gives me a lopsided smile.
I frown. What is he doing here? “Hi.”
“Can . . .” He hesitates. “Can I come in?”
He only wants to come in because Joel is here.
“No, I’m busy.” I cross my arms. “Can I help you with something?”
“Um.” He puts his hands into his suit pockets. “I . . .”
I glance back into the house; I can’t leave Joel alone too long. “What is it, Henley?”
“I need a favor.”
“Like what?”
“I have a thing for work this weekend, and I need a date.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“One of my clients is trying to set me up with his daughter, and I kind of . . . told him that I have a girlfriend.”