Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
I didn’t have pets for the longest time, and I knew that they could be like family.
It didn’t take owning one to know that.
Poor Gee.
• • •
This was stupid.
I should go home.
I should turn around, leave, and not go back.
In fact, I’d turned around twice now. Convinced myself that this was a terrible idea. That, if he wanted me, he would’ve called me.
Yet, now I was two seconds from pulling up to his house and I was a mess.
Just as I pulled up to his house, I decided to leave again, once again reminding myself that if he wanted me here, he would’ve called.
I mean, it took absolutely nothing to call.
But when I was about to pull away, movement out of the corner of my eye had me glancing up.
And there he was.
No escape to be had now, I got out of the car, heart racing.
It was as I walked up to his place that I saw him leaning against the railing of his steps.
He gave me a small smile when I finally made it to him, unable to turn around now that I’d been spotted.
“Didn’t think I’d see you ever again,” he said carefully.
Neutrally.
Jesus.
I hated that I’d caused this rift between us.
I hated that we weren’t who we used to be to each other.
Even more, I hated that my father had once again pulled me away from something that I loved.
Someone.
“You didn’t show up at work today and then I heard through the grapevine that Gee was sick,” I said. “I contemplated not coming over. I mean, if you wanted me here, you’d have called. But I had to check on you. It’s stupid. I should go.”
He took the stairs two steps at a time, then caught my wrist in his.
“Where have you been all week?” he asked. “I know for a fact that you had four days off this week.”
I blinked.
Then blinked again, sure that I hadn’t heard him correctly.
“I’ve been working.” I paused. “Where should I have been?”
He let me go and threw his hands up in exasperation. “What do you mean where should you have been? With me, goddammit! You should’ve been with me!”
I jerked at the vehemence in his voice.
“I…” I paused. “I called you, and once again, I couldn’t get the call to go through. Two rings. Then voicemail. Like. Always.”
He frowned. “What?”
• • •
FELIX
I was so fucking mad at her.
All goddamn week, I kept calling, texting, and nothing.
I’d even driven by her apartment—which was locked up like Fort Knox with no hope of getting in—and the circus.
Hell, I’d even thought about resorting to dropping by work, but I hadn’t wanted anyone to give me grief for not being there. And I hadn’t been in the mood.
I’d seen her circle the block twice, too, as I’d been outside to get my mail.
And so I’d posted up against the railing outside and waited until she got the courage to stop.
She looked as if she were about to leave again, but something made her look up, then she saw me.
Her eyes had gone wide, and I knew that she was contemplating leaving despite having seen me, but she drew a deep breath and left her vehicle.
Which led us to now.
Her telling me that she couldn’t get a call through to me.
“What are you talking about right now?” I asked. “What do you mean like always?”
“I mean exactly what I said!” she snapped, throwing her hands out wide. “Wake up! That’s what happens when someone blocks you!”
Blocks you.
“Let’s ignore the fact that you’re making shit up. So you ‘can’t get calls through.’ That doesn’t mean that you don’t have other forms of communication,” I pointed out.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and I fucking hated how damn hot she looked doing it.
She looked like a modern-day Viking woman in scrubs.
The scrubs were bright yellow, and it looked great against her skin tone.
Her makeup was done a bit more heavily than usual for her, but I loved it.
Her eyes also looked like they were on fire, and I was the subject of her ire.
“I called you,” she said softly. “I texted. I texted a lot, actually. I emailed you. I… Felix, you freakin’ left me just as much as I left you.”
I stilled, my brows furrowing as I looked over at her with a very slow turn of my head that clearly said I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You what?” I asked.
“I called you. I texted. I did everything that I said I was going to for the first six months. Every single day, I sent a text to you,” she repeated. “So if anyone has a right to be mad at this situation we’ve found ourselves in, it’s me. I held up my end of the bargain. You didn’t.”
I threw my hands out wide.
“I haven’t gotten a single email, phone call, or text message since you left,” I pointed out.