Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“No!” all my girls called at the same time.
I nearly fell over laughing. They only agreed to drop me off after I promised I wouldn’t see Gavin tonight, but, oh, I wanted to. Still, promises were promises.
I waved good-bye to my friends and lurched into an elevator in my building. I barely caught myself against the railing, saving myself from falling flat on my face, as it rose rapidly. The elevator doors dinged open on my floor. I stumbled out into the hallway and was almost to my apartment when I saw double of a figure sitting in front of my door.
I blinked twice, certain that I wasn’t seeing what I was seeing.
“Safia?” I croaked.
All the alcohol drained out of my body as my ex-girlfriend came into full clarity. Her beautiful limbs stretched and straightened as she came to her feet, swiping at her tear-filled dark eyes. Her long black hair was pulled off of her face in a harsh ponytail. Her medium-brown skin was on full display in high-waisted shorts and a black crop top with Doc Martens.
“Hey, Whit,” she said, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
“What are you doing here?”
“You know why I’m here.” Her words were raspy and broken. The same voice I’d listened to as it breathed sweet nothings into my ear.
“How did you even find me?”
Safia shrugged. “It’s not hard to search housing records, Whit.”
I shook my head, reaching for my keys. “I can’t do this tonight. I’m getting married tomorrow.”
“You don’t think that’s why I’m here?”
“You’re not going to change my mind,” I growled.
“Just give me a few minutes.” Her hand reached out and grazed my arm. I jerked back, and she retreated into herself. “Please. I flew all the way here.”
I shook my head, but already, I was opening the door. “You shouldn’t have come.”
Safia followed me into the apartment. “I know, but I couldn’t stay away.”
“You should have.”
I was the tiny pixie that barely grazed five feet, and yet I practically towered over my five-foot-nine ex. Our relationship hadn’t been perfect. She’d taken advantage of my generosity and then ruined everything with her ex.
“You never let me explain.”
I whirled on her. “And whose fault is that? You let your ex into my house. She was in my bed.”
“Our bed.”
“Don’t,” I hissed. “You even being here right now goes against everything I believe in. We don’t work. I walked away. This is done.”
Safia held solid and just waited for me to finish. “I know.”
“Then, why are you here?”
“Because you can’t marry him.”
I stared at her, waiting for the punch line. Because my ex-girlfriend couldn’t actually be here, trying to convince me not to get married the night before my wedding.
“What?” she whispered when I said nothing.
“Waiting for the end of the joke because this whole thing is ludicrous.”
“This isn’t a joke,” she argued. “I still love you. You can’t be with me for a year and then get married to some guy after knowing him a matter of months. That’s not even who you are.”
If anyone had told me a few months ago that I’d be marrying Gavin King, I would have laughed in their face. So, she wasn’t wrong. But it didn’t change what had happened between me and Gavin over those months. Something I never felt with Safia. Words I was never able to express. And that was because I hadn’t felt it.
“You don’t know who I am anymore, Safi. You should go.”
“Please,” Safia said, grasping my hand and tugging me closer to her. “Please, can we just talk?”
I closed my eyes and breathed out heavily. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you.”
Three words. So easy for someone else to say. Impossible ones for me to get past my teeth. Why couldn’t I say them like everyone else? Why couldn’t I tell Gavin even though I was sure that must be what I was feeling? Still, I couldn’t say it.
I tugged my hand back. “Fine.” I sighed. “Fine.”
“When Roni showed up, I wasn’t home. She broke into the house, Whit.”
I furrowed my brow. “She didn’t say that. She said she was waiting for you in my bed.”
“I know. I know she said that. I tried to tell you. But you’d already made up your mind. You’d already boxed all my stuff up and changed the locks. Without allowing me to even explain.”
I pushed past her to pour myself a glass of water. I didn’t want to be having this conversation. I’d avoided it long enough, and now, it was here, where I couldn’t avoid it any longer.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid,” I said after I had a long drink. “I had all the proof I needed right in front of me.”
“Roni and I didn’t get back together. I was furious with her for the shit she pulled.”
“What? Like the shit you’re pulling right now?”