Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Or what if my father told him things that weren’t true?
What if my father told Reid that he couldn’t make me happy and that he couldn’t provide for me?
What if he managed to convince Reid that I would never be anything more than a spoiled heiress?
“Girl, what are you doing?” The nurse came in again, rolling her eyes as she punched a few buttons on the machine next to my bed to make it stop beeping. “Are you borrowing trouble? It looks like you’re borrowing trouble.”
“I don’t know what that means,” I admitted, forcing myself to take long, slow breaths and calm down.
“It means you are worrying about something that you have no control over, that hasn’t even happened yet. You look like you were sitting there with nothing better to do, so you’re running through scenarios in your head of the horrible things that might happen. You are borrowing trouble from a reality that may not even exist.”
“That’s exactly what I was doing.” I gave her what I hoped was a sheepish smile.
“Well, stop that. I got other people to look after. I can’t keep coming in here every couple of minutes.” Her words were stern, but she offered a sweet smile to let me know she wasn’t really angry.
“Is she okay?” A deep voice came from the doorway, and the machine started beeping again.
“No,” the nurse snapped at Reid. “Something has this poor little girl stressed, and I’m positive it has to do with you. So fix it before I have to come in here again.”
She stormed out of the room, mumbling something about rounds.
“Look, I know what my father said to you. Well, I don’t know, but I can make an educated guess, and before you make up your mind, I need you to hear me out,” I said as I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the mattress.
“Charlotte—” Reid rushed to the bed and eased me back.
“No, let me talk. I need to get this out. I need you to hear me. Can you promise me that you’ll listen before you say anything and that you’ll let me say my piece?”
“I’ll listen, but only if you stay in bed.”
“I don’t want to stay in bed. I’ve stayed in bed for days. I need to move, and the doctor said I needed to get up and walk, so let me just walk around my room.”
I was only half-lying. The doctors did say they wanted me up and walking around, but not for another two or three days. There was just too much nervous energy for me to sit still.
It was as if I had been sitting still my entire life, and I was sick of it.
“Charlotte, are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too fast?”
“No, let me do this. I need to say what I need to say, and I can’t be just lying there when I say it.”
My stomach was hollow, and my throat dry, but it didn’t matter.
I had to get this out before he said he was leaving me, or before I chickened out and missed my chance to live a life I could be proud of.
“Okay.” Reid moved the blankets off my legs and offered his arm to help me stand.
A wave of dizziness slammed into me, and I had to grip Reid’s arms to stop myself from falling over.
“Are you sure you want to do this, princess?”
“I need to do this,” I said, meaning more than just the vertical movement. “Just give me a minute.”
I leaned against him, and his arms wrapped around me and held me to his warm chest. The scent of spices and bergamot filled my senses, and I just stayed in his arms for a moment, letting his touch soothe me, letting his embrace take away my fear.
This man said he loved me, and I believed him.
He would protect me and keep me safe, and in return, I would be his partner.
I would shoulder half of his burdens, and we would share in each other’s successes.
Once I was steady on my feet, I pushed back just enough that I could look into his eyes.
“I know my father probably offered you a lot of money and told you what a burden I would be. I can’t offer you the money that he did. I don’t have it. There’s nothing in my name if you take me. I come with nothing. But I love you, and I know you call me a princess, and there’s so much I need to learn to do, but I can do it. I’ll learn how to cook. I’ll get a job. I’m sure I could wait tables or work customer service somewhere. I’ll even bag groceries if that’s what it takes.”
“Charlotte,” he interrupted me, and I put my hand on his chest, silently asking him to listen.