Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“I know, and I guess that’s kind of the point. I’ve spent my whole life…staying in my lane, I guess. I go to the gym, go to work, hang out at the bar my mom’s owned since before I was born, and watch the same movies over and over, because they’re comfortable. That’s pretty much it.
“And the thing is, I know better than anyone that life is short. It’s also extremely unpredictable. I was reminded of that every week at my job, and then when my dad died, it felt like the universe was grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think lately, and what I’ve realized is that I need to stop coasting and start living, shaking things up, and taking chances.” He looked up at me and continued, “If there’s such a thing as fate, it would make me think you arrived in my life exactly when you were supposed to. During that week we spent together in San Diego, it was as if I finally woke up. I felt alive, instead of just going through the motions. I still carry the essence of that with me, and it’s causing a ripple effect in the rest of my life, from quitting my job to trying new things that are totally outside my comfort zone.”
“Really? You’re quitting your job?”
He nodded. “Right now, I’m on an extended leave of absence. But I’m planning to call my supervisor and tell him I won’t be returning.”
“That’s huge,” I said. “What do you think you’ll do instead?”
“I have no idea. All I know is, that job was never the right fit for me, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I just couldn’t develop a thick enough skin and remain unaffected by the stuff I had to deal with on a daily basis.
“I also realized after talking to you about it that I was sticking with the job for other people. I wanted to make my brother and my mom proud, and that took priority over how it was making me feel. But I deserve to be happy.”
“You absolutely do. For what it’s worth, I’m really proud of you for making such a big change and taking care of yourself.”
He grinned at me. Then, for a long moment we both just stood there, as if we weren’t quite sure what to do next. Finally, he brought the conversation back around by asking, “Anyway, how does meeting here at one tomorrow sound?”
“That works for me, but the lake might be more crowded at that time of day. Should we be worried about someone discovering us here?”
Romy thought about that before saying, “We should be fine. I can’t imagine my brother or any of his relatives coming here. Why would they? Their idea of an outing is dinner in a nice restaurant, not visiting a lake in the park.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Are you heading back to the parking lot?”
“No, I think I’ll stay here a little longer.”
He gave me a quick hug before starting down the path, and I leaned against one of the pavilion’s supports and watched him leave. That had gone so much better than I could have hoped for. I knew I had a long way to go to earn back his trust, but he was giving me a chance. That was all I needed.
After a while, I started making my way back to the parking lot. I had a full day to kill and absolutely no idea how to pass the time.
What had I done before I met Romy? Who had I been back then?
So much of my time had revolved around Art—trying to earn the respect of the closest thing to a father I’d ever had, and fulfilling my obligations to him, even after he died.
When was it enough?
Yes, he’d protected me, and he’d left me a literal fortune, but how much more of my life was I expected to give him in return? So far, it had been six years. Since they’d followed right on the heels of ten years in prison, that meant none of my adult life had been mine—except for these last two weeks with Romy, and then without him.
Now I needed to figure out how to put the past behind me once and for all. It was the only way Romy and I had any shot at a future together.
16
Romy
The next morning, I decided to try to have a conversation with my brother. We’d just finished breakfast, and he and I were lingering over coffee while Jack was upstairs taking a shower.
I retrieved the coffee pot and refilled our mugs before asking, “Can we talk?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I took a breath and said, “I need you to call off your manhunt. This is between Marcus and me, but you’re using what happened between us to fuel your own vendetta.”