Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
“You sure?” I ask, concerned that she’s pushing herself, on top of all the stress. I don’t want to lose this baby or her. “You’ve been really sick.”
“I’m good. I feel okay right now.”
I eye Royce. “Give us ten minutes to change again.”
He nods. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I give him a wave and Cat and I head to the bedroom. Once we’re there, she steps in front of me. “What was that down there?”
I cup her head, wanting to tell her I know, but now isn’t the time. “A husband who loves his wife and wants everything with her?” I kiss her. “Let’s go and get back. We have a date for pizza, no olives or wine, and I intend to keep that date.”
She laughs. “Suddenly I think I might want the olives.”
And I think I might just want her. Forget the pizza, no wine. We can’t get this meeting over and back home soon enough for me.
Chapter eighty-three
Cat
“How much can I reveal?” I ask as Reese and I settle into the back seat of Royce’s SUV, both of us now in jeans and button-down shirts. “I need to call my editor.”
“Scoop it, baby,” I say, squeezing her. “It’s out tomorrow anyway.”
“Don’t name me as a source,” Royce says. “But otherwise, go for it.”
I grab my phone. “My editor is going to have an orgasm with no man present.”
Reese and Royce both laugh. I punch in my editor’s number and she answers immediately. “I was about to call you. Word is they’re searching houses.”
“And dismissing the charges against Dana tomorrow. I’m going to tell all. I’ll have my column to you in about an hour.” I think about Dana. “Actually, I need two.”
“We’ll make it work. Write it, baby!” She hangs up. I pull out my MacBook and I have a brief moment when I think of Reese in the hallway of our apartment earlier, worried about me and us. What I felt in him and from the experience with Debbie helps me connect to all the things Dana must be feeling. I start to type:
Lies never end well. People suffer. People hurt. In the end, though, we all hope that the truth wins. It has. The truth has won.
Reese leans close and studies my words. His lashes lower and there is this new torment in him that I don’t understand. I touch his cheek and give him a questioning look. “And we’re here,” Royce says. “I’m going to valet.”
Reese kisses my hand and my door is open by a hotel employee. Reluctantly, I shut my MacBook and suddenly wonder if Reese has guessed I’m pregnant and read something bad into my silence. Oh God. He has. I know him. I scoot out of the vehicle and before I can even speak to Reese, Royce is by our sides.
We head inside and I spy a seating area. “I’m going to park myself right there.” I push to my toes and kiss Reese, and stay right there, close to him. “Whatever is bothering you, you’re overthinking it. Be as confident in us as I am.”
He cups my head and despite the busy lobby and his preference for privacy, he kisses me. “I love you, Cat. I’ll be back soon.” He starts to move away and I catch his arm.
“I love you, too.”
His lips curve and he leans in and kisses me again before he joins Royce at the elevator. I watch him disappear into the car and then claim my seat to start typing, certain that every word will be motivated by the ironic way the lies that have attacked our lives, have attacked Dana and this trial.
Reese
“I think she’s pregnant,” I say when the elevator doors shut. “I think she’s pregnant, and she has regrets about it because of Debbie. I need that DNA test, Royce. Whatever it takes, however much it costs.”
Royce glances over at me. “You think she has regrets? Why?”
“She hasn’t told me. How can she want to be pregnant after another woman just claimed I fucked around on her?”
“I know people, and on top of that, your wife is close to my wife. Cat is not filled with any kind of regret.” The elevator halts and we step into the hallway, but we stop right there.
“I didn’t think so,” I say. “But why the hell hasn’t she told me?”
“Lauren and I had two pregnancies and one failed,” he says. “The second time she waited a few weeks to tell me because she knew I’d be crushed if we lost the baby. I guessed just like you seem to feel that you have and that’s when she told me. Maybe she just wanted out from under all of this before she told you.”
“Well,” I say. “I can’t blame her for that.” I think of her birthday surprise. Maybe that’s why she’s waiting, but I need to fucking know. “Let’s go deal with this.”