Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Can he, though? Can he really make it all better?
I like that he wants to, though.
I watch Bailey’s eyes go wide as she takes in the luxurious layout of his car. Not quite a limo, it’s still huge inside. The backseat has two rows of seats that face each other like a limo would. Hell. Maybe this is a limo, just a slimmer model for navigating the streets of NYC.
“This is some fancy car,” Bailey say. “I kinda can’t wait to see what your place looks like.”
Me neither. It’s a little weird to me that I’ve already made up my mind I love the guy, and I’ve never stepped foot in his apartment. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go at all. He was never supposed to go into my apartment, and now here we are with Bailey and Ben and heading toward his. But life has a funny way of tricking us, sometimes. Of letting us think we have control, when we really are only along for the ride.
“Yeah, for real,” Ben says. “Do you have like servants and stuff?”
Liam smiles and strokes his chin as if he’s trying to remember. “Yeah,” he says. “I suppose I do.”
“What do they do?” Ben asks, his large eyes wide. He doesn’t seem so afraid anymore.
“Whatever I tell them.”
Bailey gives me a smirk and I narrow my eyes at her to tell her not to even think about saying anything.
“I’ve got someone who cooks for me,” he says to Ben. “Someone who cleans. Someone who drives. It’s just the way it goes.”
“Woooowww,” Ben says. “Do you rent out movie theaters when you go? Do you have like a diamond on the home button for your iPhone? Have you ever owned a solid brick of gold?”
I burst out laughing at the image of any of these things. “Is that what you think rich people do?” I ask, and Liam’s laughing, too.
“Not much of a fan of movie theaters,” he tells Ben. “I like to watch movies at home. Gold bricks? No, but I’ve seen and held them. As for diamonds, I can think of much better uses for them than to bling up an iPhone.” His eyes meet mine and hold them for a second. I breathe in and out not saying anything, because I’m not sure if he meant to imply what he did or maybe he didn’t imply anything at all. Maybe I’m just lovesick and silly and I need to get myself together.
It’s a good drive to his place in uptown Manhattan, and by the time we get there, we’re all starving, and quiet, not having really processed the loss we’ve sustained, but curious what will happen next. This is a part of NYC I don’t see much of. There are no broken sidewalks or graffiti on the walls. There are no people making out on the stairs and landlords reaming people out on the street.
A few couples walk by, one dressed in casual but simple clothing, another holding hands and dressed as if they’re going to the Oscars. I feel suddenly silly in my worn jeans and sweater I had on from the bookstore.
“Do you have clothes upstairs?” Bailey asks me. “Stuff in his place?”
“No,” I tell her honestly. “I’ve never been here.” But I don’t elaborate. She knows we meet at a club sometimes, but she doesn’t need to know what kind of a club it is, so I try to tell her as much as I can without revealing too much. “He has a room at the club, and I keep things there, though.”
“I see.” She lifts her brows and looks from me to him and back again. She knows there are things I don’t want to tell her, and I hope she can respect that. It’s for her benefit as much as it’s for mine.
Manuel comes around to open the door, and I’m suddenly aware of what a big deal this is for Bailey and Ben. They’ve never seen luxury. I’ve been spoiled by Liam these past few weeks, and even though I’ve taken care of them as best I can with what he’s paid me, it’s nothing like really seeing firsthand how other people live.
“Wow,” Ben breathes, his eyes widening at the sight of a gorgeous red Ferrari parked at the curb.
“Wow is right,” Bailey says, craning her neck to look to the top of his building, then moving her head from side to side to take in as much as she can. “Liam, take us in!”
“Come on. This way,” Liam says, and I can’t read his expression. Is he proud or embarrassed? Both? Or something else altogether? I don’t know what he’s thinking. I feel like we’re really invading his privacy, and I have no idea how long we’ll stay here. I’m not even sure he wants us to. We could’ve easily gone to a hotel, but for some reason he chose to bring us here. But he’s ushering us into the building, where a man in a suit bows his head to greet him so it’s not a great time to ask him.