Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Then come and get it.”
“I’m late for a meeting with a client. Please just post it through my letter box.”
Callan stopped and turned at the top of the landing. “Once I go into my flat today, I’m not coming out. So if you want your mail, come and get your mail.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to post it through my letter box tomorrow, but he’d probably forget to do that too!
With an exasperated glance at my phone to check the time, I huffed and climbed the stairs again. “Let’s be quick about it, then.”
“Are you always in a hurry?” Callan asked as I reached him. I gestured for him to move along. He smirked. “I’ll take that as a yes. Your dates must love you.”
It took me a second to understand his meaning. I retorted, “Unlike some people, I’ve had no complaints in that department.”
“I was tired,” he gritted out between his teeth.
Pleasure curled through me. It really was quite sadistic how much I enjoyed annoying him.
“At least I date. I’ve never seen you with a bloke.”
“Maybe I like women. Or maybe I’m asexual.”
“You didn’t seem asexual when we were in high school. With me. Or Ryan Preston.”
Surprise shot through me. When I’d stopped talking to Callan in high school, I hadn’t really realized until the moment he recognized me on our stairwell that my defection had affected him. I’d thought I’d cared more, to be honest. So it was shocking to realize he hated me enough to care that I’d abandoned whatever had been between us, and even more surprising he remembered I’d dated Ryan Preston.
“If anyone could make a girl asexual, it was Ryan Preston.” I shuddered. The prick had tried to coerce me into sex, I’d punched him in the junk, broken up with him, and the next day at school, he told everyone we’d slept together.
“You didn’t use to think so.”
“Ryan Preston was a lying prick.”
Callan shot me a look, frowning. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” I shooed him forward.
“So … you’re not into fellas?”
“You know I am.” I rolled my eyes, thankful we’d reached his landing. His apartment was the only one up here. “Also, I date. I have a date on Monday, actually. He’s a computer scientist.”
“How exciting,” he replied dryly as he let me into the penthouse. “Is he going to titillate you with his hardware?”
“Nice use of titillate. And that was kind of funny. Well done.”
“You’re so patronizing.”
“You’re so easy to patronize.” I wandered down the entrance hall that opened into a spectacular open-plan living space. Light poured into the room from the windows and sliding doors. I’d seen photos online of this place, but seeing it in real life was something else.
“Aye, come right on in,” Callan said sarcastically at my back.
I ignored him. “This is gorgeous.” My gaze landed on the floral sofa that stuck out like a sore thumb among the rest of the chic furniture. “Or it almost is. Seriously, my eyes.” I pretended to be blinded by it.
“Hilarious.” His voice rumbled right at my ear.
Fighting off a shiver, I lowered my hand to find him standing too close, with two envelopes held out toward me.
Our gazes snagged, and just like that, eight years melted away and I was fifteen years old, suddenly finding myself seated in class next to the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen in my life. His light green eyes were still, to this day, the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever locked mine with.
Suddenly, my chest felt a little tight, like I couldn’t quite catch my breath.
Then my phone buzzed in my hand, interrupting the electric moment. Cheeks hot, I lifted the phone to my face.
I was thinking … I’m free Tuesday afternoon if you have time to meet for lunch then instead? Samuel.
My stomach knotted. I didn’t have time on Tuesday, but I couldn’t blow off Sheera’s son. This was stress I didn’t need right now. Sometimes I wanted to jump in my car and keep driving until I didn’t recognize anything in my rearview mirror.
“You all right?”
I glanced up to find Callan frowning. His gaze was far too searching.
“Fine.” I yanked the envelopes from his hand. “I need to go.”
I was already at his front door and hurrying out before he had a chance to say another word.
CHAPTER TEN
BETH
The next day, I attempted to shrug off my concerns about fitting Samuel into my schedule next week, as well as a million other things wearing on my busy brain, as I hurried into my parents’ house on Dublin Street with a “Sorry I’m late!”
Music sounded from the kitchen, so I guessed no one could hear me. I hurried through the elegant vestibule that had more shoes than usual lined up along the bench seating, into the large hall housing the wide stairwell that led up to two more floors. Growing up in a mammoth home like our townhouse had felt normal to me as a kid. I’d had no understanding of my privilege until I was a teenager and I met … well … until I met Callan.