Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
I don’t know if it’s the way he’s looking at me, or if it’s just because I’m pissed at the conversation I just had with Josh, or if it’s the fact that as soon as I’m in his arms, I feel like I’ve never felt before. Whatever it is, it makes me whisper, “Fine, I’ll give us a fair chance.”
Fourteen
Nash
I watch her eyes while she agrees to give me a chance, while she agrees to give us a chance. The minute she says the words, I swear I about jump off my feet and pump my fist in the air, but instead, I kiss her softly, not the way I want to kiss her. “Go put your phone away, and then we’ll talk in the water.”
“Okay.” She turns and not even going far just dumps it on the first table she sees. The section of the beach is closed off for the family, so it’s safe. “I’m ready.” Then she walks to me, pinning her hair up on top of her head before sliding her hand in mine as we walk into the warm water.
I stop when I’m at my waist and duck down the rest of the way before I pull her to me. “Let’s talk.” I grab her hips, pulling her to me, and she wraps her legs around mine. “I’ll go first.” Her hands are outstretched by her sides as she moves them around in the water. “My father is not happy with me, and my mother is even more annoyed with me.” I see the worry in her eyes, and it washes over her face. “They think it was irresponsible and stupid, to say the very least, and disrespectful to you.”
“To me?” she says, shocked.
“Yes.” I nod. “I married you like you were some dirty little secret instead of showing the world how proud I was that you were my wife.” I see her swallow down the lump she had forming in her throat as her lower lip trembles. “And if I have to admit it, they are a little bit—but not a lot—right.”
“Nash.” Her voice breaks as she puts her hands on my arms, the warm water moving us up and down.
“No, Zoey, they are right because you aren’t some dirty little secret.” The words make my blood boil. “So I have to agree with them on that. They were right. And I voiced that, maybe not politically correct, but I said what I said, and we’ll deal with that when we deal with it.”
“When we get back, we’ll invite your parents over and have dinner with them, and I’ll let them know you didn’t get married by yourself. I sort of helped.” I can’t help but laugh. “Even though I thought it was fake.”
I kiss her neck, tasting the salt. “Thank you, baby,” I say softly. “Now who were you on the phone with?” I already know in my gut that I’m not going to like the answer. She avoids even looking at me when she starts talking, and all I can do is bask in the fact she’s here in my arms, at least for now anyway.
“I called Josh,” she admits, and even though it feels like she just kicked me in the balls, I have to not make her regret she told me.
“I see.” I try not to make my voice go so tight.
“He saw my Instagram post, and he’s been calling and texting me.” I nod instead of saying anything. “I owed him a phone call.”
My eyebrows rise. “You owed him a phone call?”
“We were together for two years,” she says and finally looks at me. “Two weeks ago, we were still dating.”
“And where does that leave you now?” My anger creeps up as I extend my hands to the sides as I move us in the water, closer to the shore.
“It leaves me in the water with my husband, telling him I’m going to give us a chance.”
“And you told him this?” I ask, and she nods.
“I mean, he did hang up on me.”
“What a dick. I mean, if I ever meet him, I’m going to shake his hand for sure.” My admission shocks even myself.
“What?” she asks, shocked. “Why would you do that?”
“If he hadn’t fucked up and pushed you away, I would have never gotten my chance to be with you.” I smile at her. Finally, the heaviness of the last five minutes leaves me. “So I owe him at least a beer.”
“Good to know I’m worth a beer at least,” she deadpans, and I wrap my arms around her waist even tighter, pulling her closer to me and kissing her neck again.
“You’re worth a bit more than a beer,” I joke with her, “but if he doesn’t know that by now, I’m not going to tell him.”
“So you are going to safeguard me?” She now leans in, wrapping her arms around my neck, laughing.