Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
I kiss the dip in her neck and whisper in her ear, “Tonight.”
Julia
Naive and stupid, this shit has to end.
What did I think? I can’t comprehend.
Mistakes belong where they’re made, in the past.
I knew better, I knew this wouldn’t last.
It left me numb, dead in the ditch.
Love is wrong and my heart’s a bitch.
I stare out the window of Mason’s car as the city lights flicker on, although it’s not even dark yet. Classical music fills the cabin and my body is still humming from the rush of pleasure he gave me moments ago.
But nothing is okay.
I need to end this. What’s the saying? Get over one man by getting under another? I’m not interested for two reasons:
I’m not over what Jace did to me.
I’m not ready for another man to do the same.
That’s what I’ve been telling myself all day ever since I left Mr. Walker’s office. I don’t have time for fooling around and I’m not ready for anything serious. And that’s what this has become; it’s staring me right in the eyes.
This is serious. It’s too serious. I’m suffocating and what’s worse is that the minute I’m with Mason, the very second that he looks at me just right, says all the right things, the moment his lips press against mine and his skin touches mine, I’m done for.
I’m head over heels for Mason. I didn’t even hesitate when he told me to bend over my dining room table for him. I didn’t hesitate in the parking garage either. He’s had me from the very night we met.
There’s something about him that makes me weak, and I’m so very tired of being weak.
I can’t do this. I need to end it. Just the very thought ... it hurts.
“I—” I start to give him the honest truth, my whole truth. I don’t know how to be okay on my own and that’s my priority right now. That’s the bottom line. Pressing my back against the smooth leather and glancing at him in the driver’s seat, the words are right there on the tip of my tongue. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t know what’s real and where I stand with anything, and I need space to figure it all out, but my phone goes off in my purse, the ringtone loud and obnoxious.
I let out a frustrated sigh, pulling it out and just missing a call from my mother. I almost call her back, but then I see the text messages. Dozens of them.
I hit the first one from Kat.
The last message makes me sick to my stomach. It’s going to be okay.
What’s going to be okay? What now? I scroll up to read the messages starting from the top.
OMG I just saw, are you okay?
Minutes later:
I can’t believe he did that to you!
Everything is all right, we’re going to get it taken down.
A chill slips like ice down my skin.
I don’t have to ask her what she’s talking about. Maddie sent me a link to the online article. It’s already been taken down, but she screenshotted it.
My heart sinks as I skim it, but my eyes keep flickering to the picture. It shows me and Jace, and right next to it, Jace and some beautiful woman. It’s obvious what the article was about and it makes me sick. My throat goes dry and tears prick my eyes.
Really? They posted this now? I think back to who I told and who would have heard about the apartment. It’s up for sale as of 4:00 p.m. today, so that was only five hours for someone to dig up the dirt. I can barely breathe.
“Jules?” Mason’s voice doesn’t stop me from reading. It’s not the worst thing that’s been said about me but it’s not kind, and it’s not true. I wasn’t turning a blind eye. There’s a difference. I truly didn’t know.
My anger only increases when I see what they’re saying about me now. I’m not running around town. I’m not spreading my legs … I can’t even finish this article. The last paragraph I read is:
Now that her husband is gone, she’s letting loose but choosing the same kind of man. The socialite doesn’t seem to care about her reputation anymore.
Whoever gave the details to the Daily Word knows that I’m seeing Mason but they don’t know how often, since they claim he cheated on me two nights ago. I’ve been with him every single night for weeks now.
Every insecurity in me is replaced by raw rage.
Heat dances along my skin. I’m not this person that they’re painting me to be. I’m on the edge of breaking into a million pieces. I told Mason this is why I didn’t want us to be public. I knew something like this would happen. I knew it!
Is that a stage of grief? Wanting to murder everyone?