Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
“I’m glad you didn’t. I like having you out here in the real world.”
“Even with all the crazy?” I ask.
“It’s a hundred times better than what I had to deal with before, so yes. Even with all the crazy.” I step up to her, hands in gloves, and lean forward, letting my lips touch hers. She kisses me back, and when I pull away she’s smiling.
I like her smiles.
“Shandy thinks you’re cute,” she says when I pick up my sander to continue work.
“And what do you think?” I ask, teasing.
She opens her computer. “I mean… the view would be better for me, you know, more relaxing… if you lost the shirt.” She winks and raises an eyebrow.
I tear off my shirt, toss it at her, and wink back before going back to work.
She stays with me in the shed all afternoon, only leaving to grab some bottled water, then coming straight back.
We work in silence.
Together.
Occasionally she throws me a few questions, but other than that, we do our own thing.
I like having her around.
Actually, I like it a lot.
Even if it can never work between us.
I see her move as she closes her computer. She stands, walks over to where I’m working, and runs her hand over the desk.
“What you create… it’s beautiful. The design, the shape… it’s so unique.” I hear what she’s saying, but my eyes are firmly on her. “It’s not shaped like a normal desk. It has grooves and isn’t a rectangle. What made you…” she trails off when she looks up at me, sucking in a breath. “What?”
My gaze slides over hers. “You are astonishingly beautiful, do you know that?”
She flicks her hair over her shoulder, a shy smile playing on her lips. “You aren’t too bad yourself, August.” She winks.
Chapter 23
Rylee
I stayed the night, and he was respectful the whole time. When I woke the next morning, he wasn’t there, but at the end of the bed was a bag full of clothes and my phone, fully charged.
I get dressed because today, I really need to get to the office. Despite what others think, I like my job. I’m good at it, and to be perfectly clear, I can’t let fear dictate my life.
Stepping down his stairs, I find August in the kitchen with Noah.
Noah offers me a kind smile before he turns back to August, whose eyes are eating me up.
His words from last night slam into me.
“Noah said Anderson spent the night in jail. His parents managed to get him out today, but if you press charges, due to the overwhelming evidence, it could go further,” August says.
“Press charges? He’s having a baby.”
“Do you think he’s harmless?” Noah asks.
I bite my lip and look down. “No.”
“Do you think he would do this again… hurt another woman?”
“Yes,” I say with a heavy breath.
“And you can live with that? What if the next woman he did it to, he killed?” Noah’s in full lawyer mode when he says, “I’ve seen it in the courts time and time again, Rylee. As a friend, and someone who cares about you, I want you to press charges, but I won’t pressure you if you don’t want to.”
“His family will hate me.”
“They already do. They asked this morning what charges they can lay on you.”
“Me?” My voice squeaks in surprise.
Noah nods. “They have nothing, so don’t worry. But they would do it to you if they could, if they could find anything.”
I watch August as he stares down at his coffee while he listens.
“Do you think I should?” I ask August.
“Yes,” he says without missing one single beat. “But it’s your choice. Do or don’t. I won’t judge you either way.”
“I have to get to work,” I say, not answering either of them right now because I need to think.
“Your car is here,” Noah says, handing me my keys.
“Thank you.” August nods. He knows I mean thank you for a lot more than what he did for me, but for also looking after me and even for inviting Shandy over. He cooked for us last night, and it felt comfortable. Not once did I feel as if he had eyes for Shandy, not like it did with Anderson. It was nice, and I’ve never had a lot of nice with a man before him.
When I leave, I drive straight to work.
Before I’m even settled in my office, my father rushes in, shutting the door behind him.
“Why are you here?” he barks. “Are you okay?” He’s in front of me in three strides, looking me over. “I’m going to throw everything I have at that family, and that kid will never see the light of day again.” He shakes his head and walks out without even waiting for a reply. I raise an eyebrow and push back in my chair.