Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 58600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
“I just…”
I don’t know how to tell her that she always chooses the worst men without causing an argument.
“You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves like I’ll shatter if you’re honest.”
She can’t know how absurd that statement is.
“Spit it out, Tori.”
“I want you to be okay, Mom,” I tell her.
“But…”
“There’s not a but.”
She folds her arms, looking very much like a child. It annoys me, but I try not to let it show.
“There is, so why don’t you just spit it out,” she scoffs.
I sigh. “Let’s just say I didn’t pack my suitcase.”
Okay, that was a mistake.
She throws her arms up, letting out a warbling cry that could shatter glass. She’s an accountant, but with this scream, she’s in the running to be an opera singer.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she screeches.
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just explain.”
“Let’s just say you’re not exactly the best example of how to build a functioning relationship!” I tell her.
Crap. There goes my temper.
I wonder who I got it from…?
“And let me just say.” Mom leaps to her feet, pointing her finger at me. “That it would be nice to have a daughter who supported me from time to time. God. I’m going to the store to buy a gallon of wine.”
“Mom—”
“Just leave it, Tori.”
She marches from the room, slicing her hand through the air.
The door slams loudly.
I return to the bedroom. “Let’s get to this party before she comes home.”
CHAPTER 2
ALEX
“Whoa, the Death Star!” Elliot beams as I give him his latest LEGO set. He looks so much like my little brother… well, how my brother looked before the crash.
He’s got the same mop of black hair and the same light green eyes.
“Can we build it now?” he asks.
“I’m heading out for the night, remember?” I say. “But another time, champ.”
He frowns. Deep down, there’s a little niggling ball of guilt. I try not to think about my brother, his wife, the crash, or any of it. Instead, I kiss my nephew on the head and then walk out onto the porch of my beachfront property.
I’m not surprised to see Julian has already knocked back two glasses of whiskey, his eyes glassy as he pours a third. Just like in prep school, Julian is the partier, always ready to take things to the next level.
He’s got a hungry look in his eyes like he’s on the hunt for his next romantic entanglement, which inevitably burns hot and then sizzles out just as fast.
“Care for a glass, my old, depressing friend?”
I chuckle wryly. “Who said anything about me being depressing?”
He looks out at the sea. “Alex, old buddy, old pal, you don’t have to say it.”
“I’ll have a glass. A small one.” I emphasize.
He grins. “Don’t worry. I know you well.” He pours the glass as I sit opposite him. “The kid all set up with the nanny?”
“Yeah, I think they’re going to build a LEGO set.”
“Did he ask you to build it with him?”
I grab the glass, taking a long sip. It’s entirely possible I’m delaying my response.
“How’d you guess that?”
“Because a blind man could see it’s not just LEGO the kid is interested in building.”
I’m not in the mood for his professional insights. I became Chief of Surgery. He went on to become a successful clinical psychologist. This means he’s always quick with an opinion, whether it’s welcome or not.
“What’s on the cards for tonight?” I say, changing the subject.
“It’s Valentine’s, so there’s only one reasonable course of action,” he replies. “We find two hotties and have our wild, wicked ways with them.”
“We’re forty, Julian,” I deadpan.
“Ah-ah. I’m thirty-nine. You’re the old one in this dynamic duo.”
I grin. “Fair enough. But don’t you think you’re getting a little old for this?”
“Are you going to give me the ‘settle down’ speech? It’d be a bit rich coming from you.”
“Just because I haven’t settled down doesn’t mean I want to sleep around.”
“You should try it sometime. You might realize that being an honorable man is wildly overrated. Anyway, it’s not as if you’ve been stubbornly searching for love, is it?”
I take another small sip of whiskey. Julian takes this as a challenge and drains his glass.
“Life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time,” he says. “Sometimes, it’s worth just taking each moment as it comes. Who knows how many we’ll have left?”
“It’s a little early in the night to be getting philosophical,” I mutter.
“Blame the bottle.”
“You’re annoying enough without the bottle,” I tease.
He smiles at the gentle ribbing. “Touché, my grumpy friend. Why don’t you do me a favor tonight?”
“I feel you’re going to ask even if I say no.”
“Put all the sullenness in that soul of yours into a box and pretend it doesn’t exist.”
“Is that your professional opinion?”
“No—God, no. If we were at work, I’d tell you to think long and hard about your issues and find the best way to approach them. I’d tell you to meditate and write a list of all the different ways you could conquer your demons. But thankfully, we’re not at work.”