Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
“Not at all anymore,” I answered honestly. “I’m not sure why I ended up there. Sometimes, the city gets too loud or my apartment feels too small, so I drive around to clear my head. I drove past the club, as I’ve done dozens of times, I’m sure, but I noticed it for the first time. I ended up turning around and driving past it three more times before I felt like I had to go inside. I didn’t understand it because I normally wouldn’t be drawn to go in, but I couldn’t fight it. That probably doesn’t make any sense, does it?”
“It makes perfect sense,” Rider insisted. “Sometimes Fate places us exactly where we need to be, exactly when we need to be there.”
His words made my stomach ache with guilt. No longer hungry, I set the rest of my burger back on the plate and told him, “I’m sorry I was such a dick to you when we first met.” Rider tried to wave me off, but I continued, “I was, and I apologize. Like I said, I don’t usually go into places like that and I had my guard up. The first guy who approached me had me rattled and I took it out on you.”
“I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable,” Rider replied. “I was trying to help, and I feel so terrible that I scared you.”
“It’s not your fault. I know I overreacted because…” Shit, I almost let something slip. “It’s not important.”
Rider’s pretty eyes grew sad as he pushed his plate away and leaned in closer to me, giving me his full attention. “It is important.”
“You don’t want to hear my sob story,” I answered with an eye roll, trying to brush off the conversation, but Rider doubled down. He reached across the table to slowly and gently take my hand, giving me the chance to pull away, but I didn’t. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to be touched. But moreso, I wanted him to touch me.
Rider looked into my eyes and told me, “I will never push, but if you’re comfortable telling me, I want to hear everything about you. If something is troubling you, I want to help in any way I can. You’re safe with me.”
Somehow, I knew it to be true. Maybe it was because of the kindness he’d shown me, or the fact that he gave me an unpressured choice, but I instinctively knew that I could believe his words.
And for the first time, I wanted to share my story; to receive his support and comfort. My heart told me that I would find those things in him, not judgment or ridicule. I’d known him for such a short time, but my soul trusted him. It was both terrifying and intoxicating.
I took a deep breath and began, “Remember when I said I used to read a lot?” Rider nodded. “Well, that’s basically all I did for most of my life. I constantly had my nose buried in a book and was a huge, undeniable nerd. I got teased a little in school, but I didn’t let it bother me too much. I kept to myself and didn’t mind being an outcast.”
“After high school, I wanted to get out on my own, so I took a job at my local library shelving books. It was perfect; I was surrounded by stories and I saved up every cent from my paycheck.”
“One day, this buff, gorgeous guy came in to use the copier and I couldn’t stop staring at him. He caught me and marched up to me, and I thought he was going to beat the living crap out of me, but instead, he said that I was cute and asked for my number. At first I thought it was a joke; he looked like the jocks that used to tease me, but he was for real. He called me the next day and asked me out.”
“Brad and I jumped into a relationship and things moved really quickly. He even invited me to live with him. I couldn’t believe a guy like him was interested in me. It was like a dream…until it became a nightmare.”
Rider’s nostrils flared as I spoke, but he listened intently, tenderly holding my hand and stroking his thumb across my knuckles.
“Brad always wanted to party. Every weekend, he’d have a house full of friends over who would get black-out drunk. It was never my scene, but whenever I would politely decline more than a drink or two, Brad would get angry. He’d accuse me of not liking him anymore, or making him look like an ass in front of his friends.”
“I didn’t want him to be mad at me, and I didn’t want to lose my first relationship. I was mesmerized by him. And so, I drank. I did everything he asked me to. I cleaned up after all of his parties, I took care of the household, I was the only one working to pay the bills.”