Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Laura glanced over her cheap sweatsuit with a sneer on her face. “You know what . . . I should send you the details for my beauty therapist. She could help you feel more, uh, normal.”
Autumn sucked in a breath. It didn’t matter that she knew they were shitty people. It still hurt. Their words had the power to make her feel small.
Stop it.
“Did your beauty therapist do your nails?” Frank asked casually.
Great. Did he think Laura looked amazing? Of course he did. Everyone did.
Suddenly, she realized that he still had his hand on the small of her back from where he’d caught her before. She attempted to move away, but he wrapped his hand around her side and squeezed.
Almost as if he was ordering her to stay put.
Which was a bit arrogant. But also, she liked the feel of him touching her. Odd, when she didn’t know him.
“Yes, she did. Do you like them?” Laura asked, fluttering her eyelashes up at Frank.
Autumn wondered what Brad thought about that, considering how he’d just been kissing her. But Brad didn’t seem to be paying her much attention.
“No,” Frank replied. “I don’t.”
Laura drew back, gasping. “Well, aren’t you rude?”
“Actually, I’m not the rude one. You’ve been a complete bitch since you came over here.”
Autumn stared up at Frank in shock. While it was nice to have someone sticking up for her, she certainly hadn’t expected it. And she kind of wished he hadn’t gone that far. Calling Laura a bitch was only going to make her worse. She knew how vindictive the other woman could be. And unfortunately, she had a lot of power in this town because of who her father was.
“How dare you! Do you know who I am?”
“Do I care?” he asked.
“Frank,” Autumn said in a low voice, glancing up at him.
He just grinned. Was he . . . was he enjoying himself?
Well, Laura deserved someone biting back and not letting her get away with her shit.
She grinned back at him. Maybe it made her a bad person to take enjoyment out of someone not falling at Laura’s feet . . . but she found she didn’t care.
“Brad, aren’t you going to say something?” Laura snapped.
“Really, Laura?” Brad whined. “I was trying to talk to Autumn before you came over here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Laura said in a fake sweet voice. “Were you telling her about us?” Laura held out her hand to show off the enormous diamond sitting on her ring finger. “Brad proposed. We’re engaged. Tell me how happy you are for us.”
Why would she tell her that? How long had they actually waited after Brad dumped her, before they’d started dating? She knew that Laura’s husband had died not long after Autumn had been kidnapped. Had they at least waited until after his funeral?
“Oops, I can see from your shock that you didn’t have a chance to tell her, darling.” Laura looked up at Brad with a simpering look. “Daddy is just so happy. He knows that Brad is on his way to the White House and I’m going to be a huge asset. I know how to give him what he needs.”
She knew what that pointed comment meant. She never would have been able to help Brad get ahead politically.
“Isn’t that right, Brad?” Laura said.
“You know,” Frank drawled, tapping a finger against his chin. “I can see the two of you in politics.”
“You can?” Laura simpered, fluffing up her hair.
“Yeah, it’s full of backstabbers and bullies, so the two of you should fit right in.”
Laura gasped and Brad’s face turned red.
Oh no. This was bad. So very bad. She elbowed Frank in the side. Time to get him out of here. Before he said something that sent them over the edge.
“Uh, congratulations. I’m sure the two of you will be absolutely miserable, no, I mean happy, h-happy together. Bye!” She took hold of Frank’s hand, hoping he didn’t feel her trembling with nerves and led him away.
A quick glance back showed Laura giving them a glare filled with daggers, while Brad just seemed confused.
She turned down a quiet aisle. She leaned back against a pole. Her legs were trembling and she was finding it hard to take a deep breath.
Frank moved closer to her. “Well, that was fun.”
She gaped up at him. They had very different ideas of what was fun.
“How the hell do you know those two self-absorbed assholes?” he asked.
“Would you believe that they’re my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend?”
“No. I can’t believe you’d ever have the bad taste to date him or be friends with her.”
“Well, you’d be wrong. Once upon a time, I thought they cared about me. But I was very wrong.” She raised her hand to brush back the hair in her eyes and realized that she was still holding his hand. She quickly dropped it. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to grab hold of you like that. Or get you involved in my drama.”