Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Even now, when I should be here enjoying this spectacular dinner, my mom has found a way to ruin everything.
“I wish she’d just go away…” I mutter under my breath.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jameson slowly withdraw his hand and sit back in his chair. I look over at him just in time to see his expression change. He looks at me in a way I’ve never seen before, and I immediately know I’ve just said something I shouldn’t have said.
“Yeah, well, at least you still have your mom.”
Oh, no…
My regret hits me instantly like a spray of ice-cold water from a hose, blasting me straight in the face. I open my mouth to start my apology, but he’s already standing up and reaching for his wallet.
“Jameson,” I whisper as he brushes past me. “Jameson, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
But he brushes past me on his way to the register. I don’t want to make a scene, so I keep my voice low as I follow after him.
“Jameson, that was wrong of me to say that. I wasn’t thinking.” He’s already handing his card to one of the girls who works here as I fight desperately to keep it together. I turn my back to her in an attempt to keep her from hearing what I’m saying. “I’ve just gotten so used to taking care of myself that it didn’t even occur to me–”
“Yeah, well you’re not all by yourself now, are you?” he asks as he takes his card back from the girl and scribbles a tip on the receipt. Her eyes light up at the amount, but she can see something is going on between us and doesn’t say anything.
Jameson pushes past me again toward the front door. He’s pissed. I really fucked up and have to practically jog behind him to keep up with him as we exit the restaurant and go out to the valet.
He hands his ticket to the guy standing in his flashy red vest, along with a twenty-dollar-bill. “Make it fast.”
The valet’s eyes light up, and he nods. “Yes, sir,” he says before quickly rushing off in the direction of the cars.
I’m still panicking inside and am rubbing my hands together anxiously, trying to figure out how to fix this terrible situation. But Jameson has his back to me and doesn’t look like he’s interested in having a discussion right now.
“Jameson?” He doesn’t reply. He simply stands there, waiting for the return of the valet. “Will you at least talk to me?”
“It’s fine, Iris,” he finally responds. It doesn’t take a police psychiatrist to know that he’s lying. It’s obviously not. We should be holding hands right now, or he should have his arm around me. I shouldn’t be standing behind him like he just dumped me and he’s about to drive me home and then drop me off and never talk to me again.
“Jameson–”
But right then, the valet pulls up with his car and hops out. “Here you are, sir. All set for you!”
“Thanks,” Jameson replies. “Have a great night.”
“You too, sir!”
I don’t know why I do, but I wait to see if Jameson is going to go around to my side of the car to open the door for me. But this time he doesn’t, and I feel my heart sink a little when he simply slides into the driver’s seat and waits for me to get in. I guess I’m lucky he doesn’t just drive off on me.
I awkwardly go over and let myself in. I barely get my door closed before he’s pulling out of the parking lot. I don’t even have my seatbelt on and he’s hitting the gas and speeding out of town and heading for the highway, his eyes on the road, a stony expression on his face.
We sit in silence for what feels like an eternity before I summon up the courage to reach out for his hand. But he pulls it away. This only increases the tension that’s been building in my chest and causes my heart to skip a beat.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say, so I just continue to sit there in the stillness, listening to nothing but the sound of the engine and the tires on the road as more and more feelings of guilt and regret pour over me.
Did I just ruin this? Did I destroy everything with my dream man? He was lost once and I got him back and have I really lost him again?
Chapter 18
Jameson
ALBANIA, TWO YEARS AGO…
Cold sheets. Damp air. The feeling of worn out box-springs beneath me as I huddle beneath a worn-out sheet, fighting for warmth. This has been my life for the past eleven months since I was brought here to this warehouse and separated from my parents.