Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“I’m glad he’s okay,” she says softly, and I nod.
“For sure. Though, his car is totaled.”
“Damn, that’s too bad.”
“It is,” I say, my heart beating so hard against my ribs it aches. “Hey, Mom. I know I said I didn’t want you to tell me, but why was Mikayla at the house?”
Mom takes in a quick breath, and then I hear her let it out through her teeth. She does that when she’s surprised or stressed about something. In this instance, I’m sure it’s a mixture of both. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yeah,” I say, needing the reminder of why I need to steer clear of Louisa. Maybe I can get an e-reader…or just accept Cruz’s taunting. “What did she want?”
“She came by to see if I’d give her your number.”
I make a face, my chest still aching from the solid thump of my heart. “Why?”
“I didn’t ask, nor did I give it to her. But I did call her mom.” At her pause, I can’t help but think that, of course my mom did. She’s always been overprotective of me. “Mikayla left Wyatt because he put her on a budget. She didn’t like it, so she took the baby and left. Her mom is insistent that Mikayla still loves you and wants to be with you, but as I’ve said time and time again, she’s a money-hungry bitch, and I told her mom the same.”
Without realizing it, I’m taken back to the day Mikayla left me. The way she looked at me like I wasn’t enough and then proceeded to shatter my heart. That day, I swore I’d never love again or ever put myself in a position to fall in love. I know deep in my soul that if I continue to see Louisa, I would willingly be putting myself in that position again. I’d taunt myself with all her body has to offer, and when I did fall, it’d be my fault when it all came crashing down on me. I can’t do that to myself. I can’t do that to her. But the alternative is never seeing her again.
I don’t know which one will hurt more.
Falling for Louisa or leaving her alone.
CHAPTER 17
Louisa
“So, you chose to get laid over seeing your sister who lives so far away?”
I snort at that, and Austen grins as she stares back at me through the phone. Somehow, all four of my sisters have fit themselves in the view of the camera so they can all listen to my retelling of what happened between Ciaran and me.
“I came nine times, Austen. Nine,” I tell her, and she lets out a shocked breath as Eliza snickers. “You’d blow me off for nine times, and you can’t tell me you wouldn’t.”
My sister doesn’t even deny it, as Eliza says, “I knew you two would hook up. He was always watching you, and I couldn’t understand how you never talked about him. I thought maybe there was bad blood or something, so I never said anything.”
“I never even noticed him,” I admit, and Eliza shakes her head.
“You’re always in the zone at the shop,” Clara insists, her eyes bright.
“Yeah, or you’re reading,” Elliot supplies, and we all laugh at that. “I like his name. Ciaran. Sounds all sexy and dangerous. Is he tatted? Piercings? Tell us.”
Eliza cups Elliot’s shoulder, leaning into her. “No visible tats or piercings, surprisingly. But hot isn’t even the word. He’s all big and gorgeous, and he has these blue eyes that just consume you. I’m telling you guys, you should have seen her face when their eyes met. I mean, sparks flew.”
I felt them, but I didn’t know it was noticeable.
Clara wiggles with excitement. “Finally, not a dud!”
I hesitate, my stomach churning a bit. “Definitely not. Though, I’m worried that since I put out with no effort on his part whatsoever, he won’t call.”
Austen gives me a pointed look. “Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t already doom this just because you expect that. You said yourself this is different. That it felt different.”
It did. But is that enough?
“Exactly,” Elliot says. “Don’t forget the pull you described. If you felt it, surely he did.”
I nod, hopeful. “I know he did, but not everyone gets stuck in an apartment with a guy and falls in love,” I tease at Austen, but my sister just beams. “Why do you think forced-proximity books sell so great? It’s forcing people to fall in love.”
Austen scoffs. “We could have been on different sides of the city, and we would have fallen for each other.”
“True,” I agree, loving her over-the-top loving look. “But sharing a wall rushed the process.”
My sisters all giggle as Austen shrugs. “Maybe so, but you two didn’t need anything. The pull has him eating you out on the kitchen table with no need for you to return the favor.”