Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 106797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
We ate the rest of our dinner in silence and I helped him with the dishes, even though he tried to fight me on it. The one appliance missing from his kitchen was a dishwasher, so I washed and he dried. And he coached me on other foods to eat to keep my hunger at bay while I pretended to listen but paid more attention to the way the muscles in his forearms shifted as he dried each plate.
And we talked.
He listened when I spoke and he didn’t punish me by not saying anything at all. He talked, too. About the club, about the plans he still had for his kitchen. And by the time we finished and he walked me out to my car, I had seen Rhodes smile more than I had in all the years I’d known him before that night.
I drove home in silence, not even turning on the radio. I played through every word, every laugh, and every detail in my head. And my shirt still smelled like his body wash mixed with the chicken he’d cooked. I didn’t change before I crawled into bed and let the exhaustion from the day melt with the fullness in my belly, lulling me into a stupor. Mom peeked in to check on me at one point but I pretended to be asleep and she left again. Just as I was about to really drift off, my phone pinged. The bright light blinded me as I checked the screen, but then my eyes snapped open when the words came into focus.
— Hey. You awake? —
Mason.
The next day was miserably gray and humid with thunderstorms rolling through off and on all day. It matched my mood perfectly and I found myself wishing the sun wouldn’t show at all. Dale had to go into town for some banquet, so he offered to drive me to my training session. I stared out the window and thought about my phone call with Mason the night before.
He just called to check on me, but it was the first time we’d really talked since the break-up. I think I’d almost forgotten how badly he’d broken me until I heard his voice saying my name the way he used to. And then saying Shay’s in the exact same way. It killed me to hear him talk about her, even though I knew in his head he was doing what he thought was right. He was showing me sympathy and mercy, but I didn’t want it. Training with Rhodes was thickening my skin and numbing my mind. I liked numb. Numb didn’t hurt.
I sighed, resting my forehead against the passenger side window of Dale’s Corvette. It was raining, so I had no idea why he chose that car in the first place. It’s not like he could put the top down. But then again, that was Dale — he liked to show off his toys.
“I heard you on the phone last night,” he said, stirring me from my thoughts. I glanced at him and he was staring at me carefully. I just sighed again and put my head back on the window. “Was it Mason?”
“Yep.”
He paused, gripping the steering wheel a little harder. “And?”
“And he talked to me about his new girlfriend.” I swung back to look at him, hoping my eyes would convey that I didn’t want to talk about it. The truth was that it stung, and I realized on the phone with him that I wanted him back even more than I realized. I didn’t want to hear him talk about Shay because I wanted to be the only girl in his world.
Dale frowned, but nodded. “How’s training going?” he asked, changing the subject.
My stomach did a small flip when I thought about Rhodes and the night before. The dinner paired with Mason calling made for an interesting night. “It’s good,” I said, smiling.
He appraised me carefully. “I can see a difference already, you know,” he said. “I know it’s just been a little over a week, but you can tell. In the way you carry yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
Dale grinned, shaking his head. “I don’t know, I can’t really explain it.” He glanced over at me again. “You’ve always been beautiful, Natalie, but the confidence you’re gaining with this training takes you to another level.”
I smiled, trying to take the compliment but not really feeling up to the challenge. My self-esteem was low, and though Dale always seemed to see the best in me, I just couldn’t see it myself. Adjusting the messy bun on my head, I smirked. “Let’s just hope taking it to another level doesn’t mean another level up on the treadmill because I don’t think I can handle that.”
He laughed as we pulled into the parking lot of the club. Rhodes was standing outside beneath the overhang, sheltering himself from the rain. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the brick. His signature pose. I swallowed at the sight of him and unclicked my seatbelt, my eyes still on his.