Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“No.” She shook her head. “Don’t say that. Opposites attract.”
I…had no words. This wasn’t the hostile and guarded Dawn; this was the real her. She was in love, or thought she was, and she wanted that guy to love her back. A part of me felt for her. We all wanted to be loved, or to have that back again.
I tucked Sia’s phone into my pocket and started for the door.
“What are you going to do?”
I turned around, hitting the door with my back and pushing it open. “I don’t know.”
I saw the pain and hurt in Dawn’s eyes, but my heart hardened. I felt for Dawn. I did. But she’d gone about things in a bad way, and Sia was my family. Even after forgetting about me the night before.
“You stood me up!”
I went up there to tell Sia about Dawn, but then I saw how happy she was. They were eating cheese from a platter. Jake had his arm around her waist, and she was snuggled into his side. If they hadn’t been so adorable, they would’ve been nauseating.
Dawn could wait.
She was putting a piece of cheese in her mouth and froze. “What?”
“We had plans last night.”
“Oh…” I saw the wheels turning and then she groaned, her head falling to the counter. She rested her forehead there, gently hitting it one more time. “I am such a shitty friend. Holy shit. I suck. There’s no other way around it.” She moved around the counter, lifting her arms up. “First the whole make-out in front of you and now this.” She pulled me in, hugging me tight. Her voice dropped to a murmur, “I’m so beyond sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Slumber party tonight. I don’t care what I have going on. It’s canceled, and prepare for an entire month of me groveling. You’ll be getting chocolates, wine, whatever you want. Every single day.”
I laughed, hugging her back. “I’m okay, and I don’t want any of that. Just don’t stand me up again. Okay?”
Sia continued to apologize, but I was more interested in hearing how fun the hockey game was. Then I heard about their spontaneous decision to go swimming in the middle of the night, and a small guilt began gnawing at me. I didn’t want to get Sia mad about Dawn. She was ridiculously happy with Jake. If anything, I’d tell Jake later, but for now I wanted to do damage control, so I excused myself to the bathroom. I knew her passcode, and I deleted my calls from her phone, then the two texts, too. None of them had been seen yet, and once I was done, she’d never have any idea they’d been there in the first place.
I checked for any creepy messages from Dawn as well. There weren’t any, and after I finished, I left her phone on a table by the elevator door. Sia hadn’t asked for it yet, though normal Sia would’ve wanted it as soon as I stepped off the elevator. Happy and in love Sia seemed to have forgotten the whole thing already. Probably how she lost it in the first place.
When I returned, they invited me to dinner with them at Gianni’s at seven. I gave them a maybe, saying I wasn’t sure how I’d be feeling. I was going to wait to see if Cole really did call me before deciding on my plans, but of course I didn’t tell them that.
Once I got back to my place, the waiting began.
As time passed, I began to wonder if he’d follow through. Maybe he just wanted to get away without any awkwardness. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted him to call. I wanted to see him again, and I hoped I wasn’t being stupid at the same time.
Halfway through the afternoon, I realized he might not have my number. I tried to shove that aside, but figured he knew where I lived, but probably not my number. I should go with Sia and Jake. I wasn’t going to wait here in case he rang my floor. Literally.
That worked. My decision was made…for thirty minutes.
Then my mind started whirring again.
Did he have my number? Something told me he could find it.
Cole knew Dorian.
Ken had called him Cole the night before.
I had to know.
I was moving to the elevator before I realized what I was doing. Hitting the lobby button, my heart raced.
When the doors opened, I didn’t step outside. I looked up, and Ken was there. He looked too.
“Does he have my phone number?” I asked, straight to the point.
He nodded once. “He does.”
No other questions asked; no other answers needed.
I nodded in thanks and hit my floor again. I leaned back and closed my eyes. I felt like a nervouås school girl. Was this how dating was? How hooking up felt? I had a new sympathy for Sia.