Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 180510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 903(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 602(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 903(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 602(@300wpm)
Colten should let me go and follow the red dress woman. She’s beautiful and vibrant. She has life in her eyes. I am the echo of death. Alive, but just barely. And it feels like years since I’ve seen him. I’m still making sense of what I know and what I’ve been told.
“I don’t know who you are, but you can leave,” Colten says to Felix.
Oh, Colten …
With what little strength I can muster, I push against Colten’s chest, forcing him to lighten his grip. Taking a cautious step backward, I rest my hands on my walker. He’s so handsome in his suit. Tan from the summer’s sun, not pale like me. My heart hasn’t stopped galloping since my eyes landed on him. I can’t imagine a day when my heart can control itself around Colten Mosley. And I can’t imagine a day when seeing him with a beautiful woman doesn’t sting. Is it just not in the cards for us?
Colten uses one hand to wipe his face.
“I’m glad you’re good.” I push my way past him. I need conditioner and toothpaste. Felix said he’d get it for me, but I wanted out of the house. I wanted to do something on my own.
“Are you joking?” Colten asks, following me less than a step back. “I thought you were dead!”
“I was,” I murmur, choosing the sensitive toothpaste. My teeth have been terribly sensitive lately.
Damn … the woman in the red dress was so pretty. Such soft skin. So blond. So opposite of me.
My brain won’t shut off. Did he kiss her? Have they had sex? Does she know about me? How did he meet her? Is she like Tessa or nicer than Tessa? And why is my brain comparing red dress lady to high school slut?
“Josephine Eleanor Watts, you left me on our wedding day. I haven’t seen you in nearly six months. I spoke at your memorial service or ‘celebration of life.’ I’ve grieved you. Your family and friends have grieved you. Yet you’re shopping for toothpaste at a fucking CVS like it’s no big deal?” He turns toward Felix. “Who the hell are you, and why are you still here?”
“I’m uh … her ride. Felix. Dr. Trevino. She’s living with me. And uh … my wife. We’re helping her rehabilitate.”
“Rehabilitate from what? She looks emaciated. Whatever you’re doing, it’s not working.”
“Oh, no. She looks so much better than she did a few months ago.”
While they sort through things, I make my way to the shampoo aisle. My hair is disgusting. I need a good conditioner. It’s grown out too much. I’m not sure why I ever cut my hair, but I wouldn’t mind it shorter again like in the video.
“Josie, let’s go. We’re going home,” Colten says.
“Where do I live?”
“With me.”
“I do?”
Colten eyes me like he’s sad, like he’s trying to figure me out. A puzzle he can’t quite solve. I know how he feels. I’ve been trying to figure myself out for nearly three months.
“Yes,” he whispers. “Don’t you remember?”
I hand my items to Felix so I can push my walker. Colten snags them from him before I baby step my way to the checkout. “The woman in red is pretty. You always liked the pretty g-girls,” I trip over my words. It’s so much better than it was even just weeks ago. But it’s not perfect. I don’t know if anything about me will ever be perfect. Colten scans my items at the self-checkout and taps his credit card to the machine.
“She can’t walk that fast,” Felix says as I try to catch up to Colten because he has my toothpaste and conditioner.
Colten turns and shoves the bag into Felix’s chest. “Take this, and take the walker.” He scoops me up in his arms.
“She won’t learn to do it on her own if you do it for her,” Felix says.
“Shut up, Dr. Whoever The Fuck You Are.”
He has no idea what Felix has done for me, but I don’t try to explain it now. I’m too busy staring at the side of his face. I want to touch it. I want to kiss it. And that makes me want to cry because I think he’s let part of his heart go to another woman. And I’m … still so broken.
“She needs to come home with me.” Felix doesn’t back away from Colten. He’s invested in my recovery, and for that, I will always be grateful.
“Nope.” Colten nods for Felix to open the passenger door of the car.
Felix eyes me.
I give him a slight nod. “I’ll get a ride home later.”
“No. No you won’t,” Colten says while setting me on my feet to get into the car.
I sit sideways first, with my legs outside of the door. “Felix is helping me.”
Colten gives me a look. The emotion in his eyes tears my heart into tiny pieces. It’s painful. He takes the bag and the walker from Felix and puts it into the back.