Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Kai glanced over to me with a small smile on his lips. “Yes, sir.”
Dad turned to me, still gripping Kai’s hand. “Is he treating you well?”
I laughed and nodded. “Yes, Dad. Now, let his hand go before you break it.”
Dad narrowed his eyes toward Kai as he still held onto his hand. “I’m a triple black belt in taekwondo, young man. You know what that means, right?”
“You could kick my butt in a heartbeat if I hurt your daughter?” Kai asked.
“No.” Dad shook his head. “It means I could murder you and make it look like an accident.”
“Daddy!” I gasped.
“Phil, it’s time to let go of Holly’s boyfriend, sweetheart,” Mom said, still wiping away her emotional tears of joy from me having an actual boyfriend. Well, an actual fake boyfriend, but what my family didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
Dad dropped Kai’s hand and grabbed our suitcases for us to take into the house.
“You should’ve warned me about your dad,” Kai whispered, massaging his hand.
“I told you he was overprotective.”
“Yeah, but you left out that he could murder me with his pinky.”
“Don’t be dramatic.” I took his hand into mine and began massaging it for him. “You have to tuck your fingers away with taekwondo, or you might break them. He’d kill you with a kick or a punch, not his pinky.”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re a triple black belt, too.”
“Gosh, no.” I started walking in the direction of the house, and Kai followed, seeing how I still had his hand in tow with mine. “I’m a double black belt. Nothing too serious.”
“So, you could kill me, too. Noted.”
“My whole family could.”
Kai nervously laughed as Mom followed after us.
She patted Kai on the back. “Don’t worry. Nobody’s dying this weekend. I’m so glad you’re both here.” She turned to me. “Your brother and his boyfriend arrived not too long ago. I cannot wait for you to meet MJ. He’s as charming as ever.”
We walked into the home and took off our shoes and winter coats in the front foyer. Mom hung everything up for us, and as we rounded the corner toward the living room, Kai and my mouths dropped as we stared at Alec and his boyfriend.
“Holy shit,” we said in unison.
“Well, I’ll be. Kai exists,” Alec smirked. “He’s handsome, too. Good job, sis.” He walked over, patted me on the back, and shook Kai’s sore hand. “I’m Alec, Holly’s brother. And this is my boyfriend, MJ.”
My eyes locked with MJ, and I saw the panic in his stare. “MJ,” I echoed my brother, tilting my head slightly as I puckered my lips. “What does that stand for?”
“Uh, Matthew Junior. I was named after my father. My family calls me MJ, but most people call me Matthew.”
Matthew.
Yup.
That’s right.
It was the same freaking Matthew I’d spent the past two months with. The same Matthew who wined and dined me. The same Matthew who showed his true colors to me and disappeared completely from my life after I wouldn’t hook up with him.
Matthew was MJ! Matthew was Alec’s MJ! How in the world was this even possible? How had my life gone from semi-dramatic to a full dramatic stop?
I’m going to vomit…
“Now that you are here, I’m excited to announce the news!” Alec said. “The merger of my company and Trading Construction finally went through!”
“Oh my gosh,” I gasped. “That’s huge.” I didn’t make it a habit to compliment my brother due to our bickering relationship, but I knew how big of a deal it had been that the merger of the two companies went through. With that deal, Alec became one of the youngest multimillionaires in the country. With his company’s technology and security systems and Trading Constructions history, they would change the construction world.
I was proud of the little jerk. He was doing big, big things.
“That’s not the only news,” Alec said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a ring. He slid it onto his ring finger, gleaming. “MJ asked me to marry him, and I said yes!”
“Holy shit!” Kai and I repeated one more time in unison.
“It happened last night after the merger,” he explained. “Go get the champagne, will you, MJ? We need to toast!” Alec said, nudging his boyfriend—correction, fiancé—in the side.
“You got it,” MJ said, hurrying away.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you!” I said as I chased after the jerk, disappearing into the kitchen.
HOLLY
“What is going on?!” I whisper-shouted toward MJ as I caught up with him in the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”
Guilt sat heavily in his eyes. “Listen, I was just as surprised when I walked into this house and saw your family pictures on the walls.”
“Well, it’s time for you to leave.”
“What? There’s no way I’m going. I’m engaged to your brother.”
“No, you’re not.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Yes, I am.”