Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“I have just done the walk of pride,” she says, laughing as she strides into the room, still amped up from her hookup last night.
“The date went well, then?” I ask, closing the door behind her.
“It was magical. It was so much fun. We’re getting dinner together later.” She sits on the beanbag, grinning up at me. “How was your…” Her grin falters when I burst into tears.
It’s like I’ve been waiting to see my friend to let all this out. When I rode the cab back last night, I felt so numb. It was like a survival mechanism, closing off my feelings so I wouldn’t have to face them. Now, Rachael jumps from the beanbag and rushes over, pulling me into her arms.
We end up sitting on the bed. I haven’t cried like this in years. It’s just everything. I can’t even explain it. It’s like life is stamping on my neck. I bury my face in her chest, hoping I’ll be all cried out soon, but the tears keep coming.
“What did he do to you?” she whispers, stroking my hair.
“It’s… it’s… it’s…”
Oh, dammit. I can’t keep it together long enough to finish my freaking sentence. I cry some more, maybe as long as five minutes, just lost in it, gulping sobs, eyes stinging, skin all puffy and itchy from the tears. Finally, I lie on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
Rachael lies next to me, our shoulders touching. “We can talk if you want,” she says. “Or we can just stay like this. Whatever you want.”
I take a long breath and force myself to sit up. “It’s a long story,” I explain, “and it’s pretty nuts. You might not believe it.”
She takes my hand. “Try me.”
When I finish explaining, Rachael stares at me with her mouth open. “All of that in one night? What happened to those thugs? What did the cops say?”
“I don’t know,” I murmur. “We just got out of there fast. We didn’t call the cops.”
She narrows her eyes. “You probably should have.”
“I know,” I groan, “but Duke didn’t say anything about it. Maybe he doesn’t want Ryan to get into trouble.”
“Oh yeah, got to protect the precious prince.”
“He’s still Duke’s son,” I say.
Rachael tilts her head, confused. “I don’t care if he’s the president’s son. The way he treated you was unacceptable.”
“I know that,” I reply, “but maybe he can change. He’s still young.”
“He’s our age, Molly. He’s not some little kid who doesn’t know any better.”
“Yeah, but I had to grow up fast. You know, because of Dad. You had to grow up fast, too.”
Another reason Rachael and I bonded so well in college—and probably a reason we both had a hard time making friends in high school—is that we both had difficult home lives, and that’s putting it mildly.
Yet it was nothing compared to what Duke had to endure, what he had to do to save his mom. I didn’t even ask how his mom’s doing now or if she’s still around. We won’t get a chance to have that or any conversation now. We can’t do this…
“Ryan didn’t,” I reply. “It’s like you said. He’s a prince. Completely spoiled.”
“So what now?” Rachael asks. “Are you going to wait for him to go to the cops or—”
“I don’t care about that,” I cut in. “I don’t care about the cops or those men or… I only care about him.”
Rachael leans back. She has an uncanny ability to look so deeply at me as if she’s peering directly into my thoughts. After a pause, she says, “You really like him. Duke. This wasn’t just about revenge, was it? This was… real.”
I swallow, smoothing my hands over my belly. I realize I’ve been doing this far more often since I first saw Duke. It’s like there’s already a baby inside me, his baby. That baby will have Ryan as a big brother. My ex will be my baby’s big brother.
“Yeah,” I say. “I think so. I’m not sure. It’s not like I’ve got any experience, but if anything is real, it’s this. That’s why I didn’t tell him at first. I didn’t want to ruin it. Now it’s ruined. There’s no chance it can work. Go on, Rach. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me there’s a way we can be together.”
I say it as a challenge, knowing there’s no possible positive response. Even so, deep down, I long for her to say some magic words to make this all okay. I long for her to reshape circumstances and the world so Duke and I can be a couple.
“I don’t know,” she says after a way-too-long pause.
“Be honest,” I tell her. “Imagine we’re not talking about me. Take my feelings out of the equation.”
“I…” She bites down, then looks at me steadily. “Okay, Molly. I don’t think this can work. That’s just my honest opinion.”