Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Landon raised a brow, and I shrugged. I hadn’t wanted to interfere in the way he ran his business. It was annoying but not a big deal. Until now, it seemed.
“I’m confident that she’s our stalker.”
“Do you have a suggestion for how to prove it?”
“It’s coming together. Take care of your side of things and call me when you get home tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Jonah,” I said in a ragged tone. I was teetering on the edge of madness, so filled with rage I wanted to murder someone and weighed down with the dread of what I had to do next.
I hung up and shoved my phone in my pocket, then met Landon’s concerned gaze. “You aren’t going to tell her,” he surmised.
“Do you really think she could fake it?”
Landon sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. “No. Samantha is an open book.”
I nodded. “I love her too fucking much to risk it.”
He stared at me for a beat, then blew out a breath. “She’s my little sister, so it’s hard for me to think anyone is good enough for her. But I believe you love her, and if I’m honest, I couldn’t ask for someone who will treat her better.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I think she loves you, too, but you better handle this real fast or this not-so real breakup will blow up in your face. My sister isn’t the most forgiving person in the world.”
11
SAMANTHA
The ride back to James’s Wisconsin home was silent and tense. He’d been withdrawn and distant ever since he’d taken his phone call earlier, but I hadn’t wanted to ask him about it in front of everyone.
I was trying not to let my imagination run amok, but it still took me until we walked in the door to finally gather my courage.
“James? What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer immediately, pausing to hang our coats in the closet first. Then he took my hand and led me into the living room, gesturing for me to sit on the sofa.
A pang of hurt sliced through my heart when he sat but left distance between us. It was only a small space, but it felt like an ever-growing cavern. It wasn’t just the physical; he was pulling away emotionally.
What the heck had happened earlier tonight?
“The last few weeks with you have been amazing, bab—Samantha.” His hazel eyes held none of their usual warmth, and when he corrected himself, it caused the first crack in my heart.
“I thought I wanted this. But tonight, I was forced to face reality. I’m not a forever kind of guy. And you deserve that.”
“What?” I blinked rapidly to fight back my tears, confused and heartbroken.
His lips curled into a sad, brittle smile, and he shifted his gaze to stare above my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Too late,” I whispered, losing the battle to remain impassive. My eyes filled to the brim, then spilled over, sending big tears rolling down my face.
“It’s late, so I will sleep in the guest room. But I’ll be on a plane first thing tomorrow morning. Feel free to use the house as long as you’d like.”
Before I could digest everything he’d said, he pushed to his feet and stepped over to be next to me. He bent down and brushed a kiss over the top of my head. “If there was anyone who could make me a forever kind of guy, it would be you,” he murmured wearily. Then he was gone.
I was numb with shock, but I knew it wouldn’t take long for the emotion building inside me to surface. However, I didn’t want James to find me a blubbering mess on his couch. I would’ve called Landon for a ride, except I didn’t want to wake Zoe. Also, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that my brother wouldn’t kill James. So I resolved to get through one last night here, then leave in the morning.
Quickly and quietly, I made my way to the primary bedroom and crawled into bed. I was glad James had taken a different room. It might have been putting salt in my wounds, but I wanted to be wrapped up in James’s scent as I cried myself to sleep.
I tossed and turned at first, but after I finally drifted off, I was enveloped in a warm cocoon. It made me feel safe and at peace.
In the morning, I woke up alone, but a part of me was convinced that James had offered me comfort through the night. It seemed like a fanciful notion, and I wrote it off as a wishful dream. But as I sat up and scooted over to climb off the bed, I glanced at the pillow next to mine and saw a slight indent.
However, the bed on his side was cold, so I chalked it up to my swollen eyes playing tricks on me. James and I were done.