Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I drawled.
“And she was okay with it.”
“Good,” I said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“But Ashleigh was at her house and overheard.”
I winced and reeled back from that. We’d planned to tell Ashleigh, of course, but she was complicated. Chase had given me a full pros and cons list about when to tell Ashleigh. Personally, I didn’t care, but he did, and I just wanted to do whatever would be the easiest. I hadn’t expected this.
“And she’s not okay with it?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean, she freaked out. Screamed at the top of her lungs. But Mom convinced her not to tell my dad since I said that I wanted to.”
“Which is good.”
“She seemed very…nice about it.”
“Nice is also good.”
“I don’t know,” he said again.
I laughed and touched my aching head. “Just spit it out. What’s bothering you? You afraid your sister won’t like me? I mean, isn’t that par for the course?”
“She invited you to a girls’ weekend actually.”
“A girls’ weekend?” I asked in surprise.
“Yeah, a spa day and drinks. It’s a whole thing. She does them regularly with her friends.”
I had been prepared for Ashleigh to dislike me. I hadn’t been prepared for her to invite me to parties and shit. Did she want to get to know me? Or did she want to sniff out information? I’d heard enough about her from Julian to know she was treacherous. I just didn’t know where this fell into place.
“Should I go?”
“Do you want to go?” he asked.
“I mean, I could use a spa day if that’s what you’re asking, but is she being sincere?”
“I really wish I knew the answer to that. I never quite know where Ashleigh falls. And you don’t have to go if you’re worried about it.”
“I’m not worried. I can handle myself,” I insisted. “I just want to make sure I’m coming into this on the right footing.”
“I don’t want you to handle yourself. You know what?” he said with a headshake, coming to his feet. “I’ll just tell her no.”
“Wait, I didn’t say no.”
“She’s probably going to try to do something stupid. Her friends are all catty. I don’t know if you’d like any of them.”
“Hold up.” I held my hand out. “I can handle a spa day with other girls. I want to get to know your sister, too. I’m sure she’s not as bad as everyone makes her out to be. Maybe she just needs a real friend.”
“That is very sweet,” he said with a frown. “But I’m not sure it’s reality with Ashleigh.”
I laughed. “How bad can it be?”
“That I do not want the answer to.”
“Well, I don’t have to go if you don’t want me to get to know your sister. But I don’t think she’s going to just leave us alone if I say no,” I reasoned.
I watched him contemplate that answer. I had memorized all the lines of his face. And even just being in his house for the last week had been enough for me to begin to learn that every movement he made had a story to tell. He was debating now whether or not it was worth it to deal with Ashleigh now or later.
“Fine. Fine,” he said, giving in. “I’ll tell her you’ll go. But if you need to bail, I can come get you at any time.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said on a laugh. “Honestly, you act like she’s going to cut me in my sleep.”
“No, she’s never that direct,” he muttered.
“Chase, get down here and kiss me and stop worrying about your sister. It’ll be fine.”
He dropped back onto the couch and brought our lips together again, but I could feel wariness in him. I hoped that he was wrong and Ashleigh was just dramatic. I’d dealt with girls like her back home and in college. Nothing I couldn’t handle.
9
HARLEY
“Drinks tonight?” Courtney called over to me as I stepped out of my office for the day.
I laughed and shook my head. “Can’t tonight. I have a thing with Chase’s sister.”
Courtney wheeled over to where I was standing. “Ohhh,” she said, “family time.”
“Not exactly. We’re going to some spa in the middle of nowhere. That’s actually why I’m cutting out a little early. I have to drive out there.”
“Oh my God, are you talking about The Retreat?”
“Yes,” I said.
She directed her wheelchair down the hallway toward the elevator with me. “I heard it’s fucking magical. Also a fortune but amazing.”
“Well, I guess it’s good to know that it’s real.”
It was hard to admit that I’d been worried his sister was going to send me on a wild goose chase. Chase had spooked me enough about his sister to think that she’d do it. Julian had only made it worse when I asked him about his ex-girlfriend. But apparently, I’d just let them get in my head.