Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
I roll my eyes. “Right now, I think it’s late enough that I should drink some water, have a bath, and go to bed so I can get up for work tomorrow and not look like ten verities of hell.”
“If there are ten, then Kayden’s dad belongs in every single one of them.”
“Sadie! Promise me you won’t say anything!”
Sadie’s lips purse. “That’s just a given. Now, I’m going to put this wine in the fridge, call for a cab, and then I’m out of here. But don’t think I won’t be working on a strategy to get you guys back together.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“A good strategy! Although, I think the best one would be just you going over and talking to him. But not tonight. Not right now. Not when you’re kind of buzzed. Drink some water. Here, I’ll go and get you a glass. Then have a bath—a nice, long, luxurious bath. Take your time thinking about what you want to do and say, but not too long. And not really what to say because the only thing you should say is the truth, and then you should confess your real feelings.”
“Sadie!” I groan.
“What! That’s the real truth! And sometimes, it hurts to hear it.” She grabs the wine and walks toward the kitchen, shaking her head and muttering about still not being able to believe what an asshole Kayden’s dad is and something about nut kicking.
When she gets back, she pulls me up off the couch into a hug. “Promise me you won’t make a decision tonight. Decisions made when slightly inebriated are bad. And also, I don’t think things would come out right.”
“They came out right enough with you.”
“That’s because I’m your best friend,” Sadie says, squeezing me like I’m a ragdoll. She steers me into the kitchen after and hands me a glass of water. “Here. Now promise, no decisions tonight. Bad, good, or otherwise.”
“Fine,” I relent before chugging back the water. “No decisions tonight.” My head already feels a lot better. Maybe the tacos we had for dinner finally soaked up the wine.
“But decisions soon. And then a wedding. Because that’s the natural outcome!”
“Argh!”
Sadie hugs me again, hard, and I walk her to the front door. I let her out when a cab pulls up in front, its headlights sweeping over the dark street. As I wave her out, I steal a glance at Kayden’s house. The lights are on, but that’s about all I can see. I quickly duck back inside and shut the door hard, my heart beating rapidly as if I’ve just done something extremely illegal.
I have no idea what I’m going to do, but Sadie’s right. No good decisions were ever made with a wine-drenched brain, even if it’s not as wine-drenched anymore. My head’s a mess. It’s been a mess for years. But my heart’s in an even worse condition, though it’s definitely not getting sorted out tonight.
CHAPTER 18
Kayden
This is the second time I’ve found a note on my door, except this time, there was no knock, and it wasn’t me who found it.
When I opened the door to the contractor who was standing on the other side—a burly man with a shock of dark black hair, bronzed skin, chiseled features, and a muscle shirt that proudly proclaimed him to be from Australia—he pointed at the door.
“There seems to be a note taped there for ya, mate.”
I hastily tore the letter off. It’s just after ten in the morning, which is not the most likely time for Rea to leave a note, but if this is how we’re communicating now, I suppose she could have stuck it on there before she went to work.
“Brian,” the contractor says, sticking out a large hand. I grasp it to give him a handshake. He has a tough grip, so I grip his hand firmly in order to not lose manly points.
“Kayden. Thanks for coming. Take a look around. We already talked about the scope of the work, but let me know what you think.”
“I’ll do that.” The guy definitely has a twangy accent that’s different from most of the Texas drawl here. He truly does seem to be from Australia, which means he’s not just rocking the shirt because he likes it.
While he wanders through the kitchen, I tear open the envelope. It’s standard letter size. Informal. And my name isn’t even on the front. I expect to see Rea’s handwriting, but instead, there’s just some bold type there.
Kayden,
I hope you’ll both forgive me for this one day, but it has to be said. Rea won’t ever say it because she’s too worried about hurting the people she cares about the most. Right, that’s still you, but she probably won’t admit it either. If I don’t do something drastic, I feel like you’re both going to lose each other a second time. That would be a shame because Rea’s like a sister to me, and she deserves to be happy. I suppose you do too. Kidding. I know you do. So, here it goes. Last night, Rea told me the real reason she had to break up with you, and it wasn’t her choice. She didn’t want to do it, but she did it to protect you, her family, and herself. It’s complicated. As I said, even if pressed to the point of heinous torture, which is a step up from regular torture, in case you were wondering, her lips would stay sealed. I’m under no such obligation, but I really can’t look you in the eye when I say this, so I guess I’m taking the shitty way out and writing it to you instead. You need to talk to your dad. Ask him about the real reason Rea broke up with you. If he doesn’t tell you straight, then I will. Here’s my new number. Just let me know.