Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“So I guess Rosie’s dating again?” Rocco said behind me. My hand tightened on the tongs.
“Not dating. It’s for Oui.”
“Same shit.”
“Not the same shit. It’s not a dating service.” I shot him a look over my shoulder. He looked way too amused for my liking.
“You’re right. Some of them sleep with their dates.”
“Roselyn is not going to sleep with anyone.”
Gabriel chose that exact moment to join us. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. “Rosie’s fucking someone?”
I turned the stove off, set my hands on the counter, and focused on breathing. I should let these assholes starve for this.
“She’s not fucking him yet,” Rocco said. “She has a date with Jimmy Ryan.”
“No shit?” Gabe sounded impressed. Another traitor. “The women in my office are obsessed with that guy. I wonder if she could get me his autograph.”
“When they start fucking, she can probably get him to go by your –”
“She’s not going to fuck him.” I turned around and pounded both fists on the counter between us.
“If you say so.” Rocco shrugged.
“I don’t understand why you care. You haven’t called her back, you haven’t gone to see her,” Gabe said.
“Because.” I slammed my fists against the counter again, took a breath. “I’ve been trying to take care of things before I go to her.”
Gabe looked at me for a solid five seconds before he took another sip of beer.
“What?” I snapped.
“Nothing.” He shrugged. Rocco laughed.
I wanted to kill them both. Instead, I made them serve their own food while I stormed over to the guest room that was on this floor and called Veronica. She answered on the second ring, and I pounced.
“What exactly are you playing at?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, having the nerve to sound confused.
“What is this email about Rosie going out with some douchebag quarterback?”
“Oh crap. Wait, you just saw it?”
“Yes,” I seethed. “What the fuck?”
“Well, I obviously didn’t mean to send that to you, so please disregard it,” she said. “Secondly, that douchebag quarterback is Patty’s godson, which makes him family, and he’s the furthest thing from a douchebag.”
I felt myself frown. “If he’s so fucking great, why does he need an escort service to get a date?”
“Okay, clearly you didn’t read the entire email, which is good since it wasn’t meant for you. This is not a paid date.”
“Why did she agree to this?” I asked. “If it’s not a paid date, why is she there?”
“Maybe she thinks he’s hot, like everyone else in the western hemisphere. Even I think he’s hot and he’s twenty years younger than me and I’m not into men.”
That made me scowl even more. “I don’t like it.”
“He’s taking her to an event this weekend.”
My chest squeezed. He was seeing her again this weekend? I was out here slaying dragons for her and she was letting some prince take her out on the town. What the fuck?
She sighed into the line when I didn’t say anything. “You had to know she wasn’t going to sit around waiting for you to decide to finally give her the time of day.”
“Give her the time of day?” I snapped. “She’s all I fucking think about all day. How much more time can she possibly demand?” The line went silent. I looked at the screen to make sure she was still there. “She just left the hospital.”
At that, she laughed. “Nearly a month ago. She’s been performing all week.”
“She shouldn’t be dating.”
“She’s totally fine. I saw her myself. She looks amazing.”
“Fuck you.”
“Dominic.”
“No. Fuck you. Why are you doing this to me?” I sat down at the edge of the bed, feeling like my heart might give out.
“If you want her so badly, why don’t you go and get her?”
“Because I’m no good for her.” I swallowed thickly.
God damn it. I felt like a golf ball had wedged itself in my throat. It was one of the reasons I’d been keeping my distance. Every time I thought about calling her or texting her or visiting her, I remembered her expression when that guy dragged her out of her dad’s house, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Another week, I told myself, just one more. I almost had Tommy, then I’d either go to her or let her go. But knowing she was on a date, drinking too much wine, and laughing with some asshole jock? No. That was not okay. Only over my dead body, and even then, my ghost wouldn’t allow it.
“It seems you have your answer, Dom. Just let her go.” She paused. “I have to go. Talk to you tomorrow.”
The line went silent. I stayed there for what felt like an eternity, staring at the grey wall in front of me, trying not to picture her on this date. Let her go, Veronica said. As if it were that easy.