Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 153268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 766(@200wpm)___ 613(@250wpm)___ 511(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 766(@200wpm)___ 613(@250wpm)___ 511(@300wpm)
“I did,” Mamushka confirmed, placing Gravity inside her car seat on the table for her nap. “Good for you, Callichka.”
I whipped my head to my best friend. Maybe she’d understand the weight of this situation. “I figured it out. This was why I slept with Row all those years ago behind your back. Not because I was a shitty friend. But because I was in love with him. Am in love with him. I never stopped being in love with him. He was always the one. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”
Dylan stared at me wordlessly, a small smile on her lips.
“Oh. Sorry for the TMI confession, Mom.” I cringed.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” She patted my arm. “I figured out the cause of your rift long ago.”
“Well?” I probed Dylan. “Isn’t that shocking?”
“Hmm.” Dylan nodded obediently, plucking a heart of palm from her plate and taking a crunchy bite. “Riveting. The local news is on their way.”
What was happening? I’d thought Dylan would be thrilled to hear Row’s love for me was reciprocated.
“Wait a minute…” My face fell. “Oh, shit.”
“There’s a baby in the room,” Mom chided with a scandalized gasp.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
“Yup.” Dylan rolled her eyes, giving my mother an exasperated look. “Baby’s still here, but go ahead, please ruin my child’s delicate ears.”
“You knew all along, didn’t you?” My stare ping-ponged between them. “About me being in love with Row. You’re not impressed because it was all clear to you.”
“Bingo.” Mom saluted me with her cup of tea in the air.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I shifted my gaze between them accusingly.
“Would you have listened?” Dylan asked.
“Yes!” I flung my arms in the air. “Of course I would’ve.”
All Dylan needed to do was elevate one carefully plucked brow.
“Fine, I would have fought you until my last breath and denied it through my teeth. But oh my God, this sucks so bad. I’m in love with a man who was in love with me and tried to make it work, and all I did was stand in our way like an idiot!” I buried my face in my hands, placing my elbows on the table.
“Is.” Dylan washed down her pickled meal with a Liquid I.V. drink.
“What?” I moaned into my palms.
“A man who is in love with you. Present tense. It’s not too late.”
“He’s in London now.” I sulked, looking up to glance between them. “That is so, so far away.”
Now that I wasn’t high on my own supply with finishing the podcast, I was afraid he’d forgotten all about me. He hadn’t answered me back, had he? And I’d texted him plenty.
“There’s this thing…” Mamushka frowned, stroking her chin. “I heard about it the other day in the news…can move really fast in the air.”
“I know which one you mean.” Dylan turned to look at her, putting a hand on Mom’s shoulder. “That big metal thing? Long wings? Gross preprepared meals? Very crowded.”
“Yes. I think it’s called a helicopter…no, an eagle…” Mamushka looked deep in thought.
“A plane!” Dylan exclaimed. They high-fived each other.
“Way ahead of you. Already bought a ticket,” I announced. Because even if he rejected me, it would still be worth it.
Row was worth it.
Worth getting my heart broken.
Worth trying and failing.
Worth breaking my bank account and my savings for a ticket to a foreign land I’d never been to.
Worth sitting in a metal tube for half a day, basking in the unknown, headed to a love declaration that was one hundred percent going to be awkward and klutzy, like my entire being.
“So what do you need from us, exactly?” Dylan frowned.
“Some help finding a few things in the clutter that is my room.” I pushed up my sleeves. “I’m going to win him back if it’s the last thing I do.”
Mom grinned. “Your father would be so proud. Go get him, Callichka.”
ROW
Another restaurant opening night. Another reason to want to shoot myself in the face.
The only thing stopping me at this point was the fact the floor was pure amethyst crystal. I’d dropped $50K a slab on that shit.
“Full house tonight.” Tate turned to his assistant, Gia. “Too bad it’s full of fucking nobodies. Didn’t I tell you to invite actual celebrities?”
“The entire cast of Wicked and The Lion King RSVP’d. Three MPs and a duke too.” She was frantically brushing her thumb over her iPad, the blue screen lighting up her face.
I wanted to turn around and walk out of here. Nothing felt worth doing since I’d parted ways with Cal. And the worst part was, she kept on texting me, and every time she did, it took all my fucking mental strength to ignore her.
I couldn’t settle for half-assed. No matter how lovely said ass was.
“You’re giving me politicians and West End actors? Do you want to lose your job? Are you allergic to money?” Tate snapped. We were sitting at the bar. The kitchen was running smoothly, thanks to Taylor, whom I’d brought with me. Sure, in my own asshat fashion, I’d had to be all the way in London before I had given him a call and offered him a position, an apartment, and a one-way business-class ticket. But it was the right thing to do. My head wasn’t in the game. I needed someone with an eagle eye to watch over people.