Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“From word on the street, you got a bad boy showing his stripes again,” she says right away.
“You think I would call you if I knew that he was guilty? Please, how long have we known each other? Since grade school.” I thank my lucky stars that we had sleepovers and I stayed friends with everyone. “He was protecting a woman.”
“Is it someone he’s dating?” She bites right away.
“You know I won’t give you that information.” I laugh and turn around to see Doug. “But she was being manhandled by a man who was not only intoxicated, he was high.”
“Shut up,” she says while she slams her hand on her desk. “You’re lying.”
“Would I lie to you? I swear. Listen, you run this story, I’ll get you first dibs on his interview when he’s able to talk about it.” Fuck, he better fucking agree to this.
“You got yourself a deal. I just saw some video from the bar. Someone sent it. Your bad boy just became a hero,” she says, disconnecting the call.
“That was incredible,” Doug says. “Worth every penny.” He opens the pizza box. “You still owe him an apology.” He grabs a slice, eating it.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s right, it’s my job,” I say with my hand in the air, and we both turn when SportsCenter brings up Max’s name.
“The good deed of the night goes to Max Horton from the New York Stingers. Max Horton stepped in to protect a woman from being assaulted by an inebriated man. We have a video footage, and I have to say”—the reporter turns to her co-anchor, who is a man—“who wouldn’t want to be saved by Max?” She laughs and they switch topics.
I close off the television and Doug gets up.
“Okay, kid, I’m out. You did good tonight. Hard, but good.” He smiles and walks out, slamming the door lightly.
I look at the pizza box, but my stomach feels ill. I jumped the gun and accused him before I had all the details. I shake my head. I have to be neutral.
I pick up my phone and call the only person I know who will somehow understand me—my mom.
“Hey, sweetheart.” She answers right away.
“Hey, Mom,” I say softly while I pick at lint that is on my pants now that I’m curled up on the couch.
“What’s the matter?” Her voice goes tight right away and I hear her walk away from the noise.
“Nothing.” I try to pretend, but a tear sneaks out. “Max was charged with assault today.”
“Okay,” she says, confused.
“I already deemed him guilty and was not a nice person to him.”
“It’s normal, honey. After everything that happened with your brother, you don’t trust him.”
“Mom, that’s the thing; it’s my job to be on his side of sort, but all I did was stand there and shit on him. When in fact he was protecting his sister.”
My mother gasps. “Honey, you had no idea. You can’t blame yourself. Did you do your job in the end?”
I nod. “Yes, but I felt like a bitch, Mom. He brings out the worst in me. It’s been two days and each time I end up wanting to throat punch him. He complained today I shouldn’t work out in the gym because my yoga pants are provocative.”
My mother laughs. “Oh, dear God.”
“Then I told Matthew and he actually fucking agreed with him,” I bark. “Agreed with Douchebag Max.”
“Honey, I don’t know what is going on, but I do know that you aren’t the bitch you think you are. I mean, bitchy yes, but you get that from me.”
I laugh at her.
“But now you know to listen to the story before flying off the handle.”
“I do. I think I’m going to send him an email apologizing.” I sit up, walking to the door, and getting my laptop.
“You do what you need to do,” she says softly. “And if he doesn’t accept it, well, at least you know you tried,” she says right before I hear Cooper in the background.
“What happened?”
I hear her mumbling nothing before coming back to me.
“Now if you’re okay, I need to go and save Zoe.”
“What did she do this time?” I laugh, thinking about my wild twin sisters.
“She slipped some sleeping pills in her tutor’s coffee this morning. Needless to say, we got home to a snoring Mrs. Hendreick.”
“Oh my gosh.” I laugh out. “Okay, Mom, thank you for this.”
“Anytime, sweetheart. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” I say, disconnecting the call.
I pull up my email on my laptop, composing the email.
To: Max Horton
From: Allison Grant
Subject: Tonight
Hey Max,
I just wanted to say I’m sorry about jumping the gun tonight and accusing you before knowing all the facts. I got them to spin the whole knight in shining armor thing. You will have to grant them an exclusive interview when all charges are dropped.
Again, I’m sorry.