Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
“Yeah?” is my only response.
“Yeah!” she giggles, jumping over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. “I mean, I know some gallery owners back home that would love this. Is the rest of your work the same style?”
The rush sweeping through me is incredible. No one has ever made me feel this way before, especially about my art. It was always something I did for myself with a distant idea that maybe one day I would get enough recognition online that I would be able to turn it into something profitable.
But Kate means so much to me that hearing her praise is filling me with an incredible sense of determination I’ve never had. And when I look down at her and see her eyes looking up at me, so happy and so encouraging, I know what I have to do. It can’t wait any longer.
“I love you, Kate.”
Her expression changes. Her jaw drops. She looks at me like she’s been waiting for me to say these words.
“I love you too, Christian.”
I take both of her hands in mine and stare deeply into her eyes. “And I can’t let you marry that man.”
“I-I don’t want to.”
“I know.” I smile. “And I also know that compared to him, compared to what you’re used to in your life, I have absolutely nothing to offer you. But I love you, Kate, and I believe that will be enough for us until I can make myself a success. Run away with me, Kate. Run away from it all.”
8
Kate
I’ve never been more excited in my life. No more “family time,” no more Malcom, no more not being believed by my parents—no more any of it. I’m done with it all.
Today I am leaving with Christian.
I’ve always been a good daughter, never acted out or disobeyed my parents on anything major, so when they wake up tomorrow and find me gone, they simply won’t believe it.
The first thing they’ll think is that I’ve simply gone for a long walk or something. Then when I don’t come back, they’ll assume I’ve been kidnapped. Then when they find the note I’ve left for them, they’ll scoff—both of them—and tell themselves that I’ll be back in a few days once I realize how hard the real world is and that I can’t live without them.
I’m just finishing the note when I hear a knock on my door. I can tell it’s Malcom, so I slip it under a book and toss a blanket over my bag as he comes right in without waiting for my answer.
“Hey there, fiancée,” he says with a smile that makes my stomach turn. I simply half-smile back and pretend I’m simply folding the clothes I have laid out on my bed still waiting to be packed away for my escape. “You know, that ring looks so good on your finger.”
“You think so?”
“It will look even better when there’s a wedding ring beside it.”
He comes up beside me, and I know the next move is going to be something physical, like putting his arms around me, so I move to the closet, pretending to have something to do there with one of my cardigans.
“I was thinking Cabo for the wedding,” he ponders. “That’s if we wanted to leave the country. Or we could just go more traditional and go with the Hamptons.”
“Mmm.”
There’s a pause where neither of us speaks that stretches on long enough for me to feel incredibly awkward as I pretend to be organizing my closet. This is torture.
“I just wanted to say, Katherine, that it’s…unfortunate the things that happened before.”
For some reason, out of all the things Malcom has said to me, this gets to me the most. I turn around and face him, my heart starting to beat quickly.
“Unfortunate?”
“Yes.” He nods like a man beginning a business presentation. “We’re going to be husband and wife now, and I think it’s important for our marriage to start out on the right foot, so—”
“Is this you trying to apologize?”
Malcom stops, eyes me with his version of nervousness. He is actually trying to apologize, but the prick is so arrogant he seriously can’t allow himself to do it. Either that or he still doesn’t believe he actually did anything wrong and he’s just trying to say whatever he can to appease me.
“Well…I suppose I—”
But whatever he thinks he’s doing, I just can’t take it anymore. Not after everything he did to me.
Not after trying to force himself on me. Not after showing me he was fine with letting Christian go to prison for defending me. Not after proving to me that he’s the most detestable man I’ve ever met in my entire life.
“Shut up,” I snap.
Malcom’s eyes flare and widen.
“Excuse me?”
I step past him and snatch my bag from under the blanket and begin to stuff it with the last of the clothes I’m planning to bring with me. “You heard me, Malcom. I said shut up! I don’t want to hear it anymore. I don’t want to hear my mother, I don’t want to hear my father, and I certainly do not want to hear you and your bullshit!”