Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 20595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Like lightning, he put me back in his shirt and behind him while he answers. He turns to me, grumbling something about someone seeing me with flushed skin. I giggle behind my hand but hide the smile when he gives me the naughty look.
The door opens, and I am literally on my toes trying to see around him. Stupid tall Norse God. The door shuts without me seeing who it was, but he has a package in his hand. “For you my lady.” He bows like a man from the past. Giggling, I take the box from his hand and walk back to the counter.
“Do you want me to open it now?” I am dying to see what is inside.
“Yes please.” Giddy and impatient, I open it to find a necklace that matches the earrings and bracelet.
“Oh my gosh. Nolan, it’s beautiful. This must have cost a fortune. The entire set must be worth more than a few hundred.” He shrugs his shoulders and walks over to me. Taking the necklace from the box, he motions for me to spin around and put it around my neck.
“Money means nothing, doll. You are priceless,” he says into my ear, bringing tears to my eyes. Spinning in his arms, I wrap mine around his neck and kiss him.
“I’m in love with you, Nolan. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to say it to you, but it’s true. I love you so much.” My heart feels lighter the moment I release the words. I have not been aware of how much holding it in was weighing on me, but now, having let it go, I can feel the difference. He says nothing at first. He hangs his head and grips my waist so hard I know it is going to leave bruises, and I welcome them. I want his marks on me.
“Jesus, baby. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting on you to say that. But there are things you don’t know. Things I haven’t told you.” Oh no.
“Nolan, you are scaring me. What things?” He shakes his head and looks at me.
“I want to tell you. I want there to be no secrets between us, but once you find out what lengths I have gone…” He doesn’t finish his thought, and I find myself shaking. Something tells me whatever he is going to say could ruin everything. I grip my throat and step back from him, needing space. “I am going to tell you. But first I need to do this.” He walks away and into the bedroom. I turn to follow him when I hear keys in his door. Thinking it’s Nick, I go to open it, and a girl walks in. Not just any girl. No. She is beautiful. Blonde and svelte, wrapped in a pair of jeans that look like she was drawn into them and a tank top.
“Who are you and why do you have a key to Nolan’s place?” I ask her, feeling a bit sick.
“I’m Carmen. He gave me the key. Who are you?” My head is shaking back and forth vigorously, needing to be dreaming this nightmare.
“Oh, God.” My stomach begins to ache; pain, as I have never felt, splits me in two.
“Are you alright?” I hear the girl ask. As if she really cares. Yeah right. I spot my purse on the couch. Without another word, in his t-shirt and my socks, I grab my purse, pull my coat off his rack, steal a pair of boots, and run out the door. I hear what I think is my name being yelled from his mouth, but I don’t stop to see.
Pulling up my app, I order an Uber to meet me a block and a half away and run my way there. Once I am in the apartment, Rose comes out, hair mused and face red. “Cheryl? Cheryl, what's happened?” I shake my head, tears pouring from my face, unable to speak. “I am going to kill him.” She says without me having to say anything. “Listen, why don’t we leave early and go to the signing? We can spend a day in the hotel before the signing, and you can tell me everything.”
That is what we did. We packed all my stuff in record time; luckily I hadn’t unpacked the boxes of books I ordered for it or the banner and table runner. After a few hours of being on the road, I calmed down enough to tell her what happened, expecting indignation and vows of revenge from my best friend, but instead, I was met with disbelief and non-compliance.
The first thing out of her mouth was that I was nuts and looking for a reason to run from him because I was scared of all I am feeling. She told me that she knows for a fact he is in love with me and that he would never hurt me. She said there has to be a logical explanation for what happened. Can you believe her?