Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
A phone call won’t do!
I have to look Charlotte McDougal in the eyes, hold her hands in mine, and tell her “I love you, Charlotte, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you, if only you love me, too.” Even if Charlotte breaks my heart and tells me she doesn’t feel the same way, at least I’ll know the truth and won’t have to spend the rest of my life wondering.
“Are you still there?” Max says. “I’m in the middle of something here, Auggie.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’ll let you go. I’ve got a plane to catch.”
“A plane?”
“To Dallas. Or New York? Shit. I’m not sure if she’s left Dallas yet. Either way, I’m going to fly to her and tell her I love her in person.”
“Atta boy. Keep me posted.”
“Thanks a million, Maximillian. You’re the best big brother, ever.”
“And you’re a dumbass, Augustus.”
We both laugh. In this instance, he’s not wrong.
“Good luck, Auggie. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hang up and press the button to call Tessa. Charlotte said she’d be training in Dallas for a week, and it’s been about that long now. Is she spending one more night in Dallas or has she already arrived in New York, her new hometown?
“Lucky’s doing great,” Tessa says in greeting. Thank God, we swapped numbers when we traded photos yesterday, or else I’d be having even more of a coronary right now.
“Glad to hear it. Listen, do you know if Charlotte will be in Dallas or New York tonight? I want to surprise her by flying to her, but I don’t know where to go.”
Tessa squeals and shrieks, “Please, tell me you’re finally going to get your girl!”
My heart leaps. “You think she’ll be receptive?”
“Oh, god, Auggie. Charlotte made me promise not to tell you this, but I don’t care anymore. She’s been miserable this whole week without you. She misses you so much and totally regrets taking the job.”
“She does?”
“When we talk at night, she’s always stuffing down tears. She keeps saying the job isn’t what she thought it’d be. That life isn’t fun anymore, if she’s not with you. And I keep saying, ‘Okay, well, call him and tell him that.’ But she won’t say it first. She said she’s already told you, well enough, in her own way, and now the ball is in your court. Does that make any sense to you?”
“It sure does.” I clutch my heart. “I love her, Tessa. She’s the one. My reason to breathe. My future wife.”
Tessa squeals again. “Please, please tell her all that.”
“I will. Assuming I fly to the correct city. Is she in Dallas or New York?”
“I’ll look. I have access to her location. Hang on.” There’s a pause, during which I feel like my heart is going to explode and splatter all over the walls of my small living room. After what feels like an eternity, Tessa blurts, “New York! She’s at JFK airport right now. She must have literally just arrived.”
It’s a slight bummer. Dallas would have been a shorter flight. “Off to New York, I go! Keep track of her for me, okay? Whenever she arrives at a hotel, shoot me her pinpoint location, so I have it when I land.”
“You’ve got it. Go, Auggie, go!”
“Give Lucky a big hug for me, okay? Tell him not to worry, Daddy finally pulled his head out of his ass and is on his way to tell Mommy he loves her more than life itself.”
Tessa whoops. “I’ll let Lucky know. Ryan, too. He’ll be thrilled. Keep us posted!”
“Roger!”
“Rabbit.”
I laugh.
“Sorry,” Tessa says. “Ryan’s whole family always does that. The weirdos have rubbed off on me. Now, go!”
“Be sure to send me that hotel location.”
“I promise. Now, go, go, go—go get your girl!”
33
CHARLOTTE
Iput my book down. I’m in bed in my hotel room in New York. Trying to distract myself, so I won’t think about Auggie. But it’s not working. Did he see the stuff I left for him yet?
I check my phone.
Still nothing.
He got home yesterday, and I told him I’d left his spare keys in his mailbox. So, he should have checked by now. Auggie’s not the type to let mail stack up forever, especially not after a week away. Did he check his mailbox last night and see what I left there, and now he’s feeling overwhelmed and stressed out and needs times to gather his thoughts? But what’s there to think about? The condo is his now, no strings attached. Unlike me. I want all my strings tied up with Auggie’s now because there’s no better man in this world than Auggie Vaughn—as a general proposition, but also, specifically, for me.
Could it be Auggie’s not sure of his feelings for me? Perhaps for Auggie it’s the difference between signing a letter “with love,” like I stupidly did versus signing it with only “love.” That little “with” makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Shit.