Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
His words slam into me, and I’m flattened by the truth in them.
“I don’t know,” I say, my throat constricting.
“I have a theory. Wanna hear it?”
I shake my head, vocal cords frozen.
“Too bad. I’m telling you anyway. Your parents gave you everything you could ever want, but they failed in the single, most important area. Because of that, I know you think you’re unworthy.”
Sharp pain barrels through me. “Please, Ash.”
“I’m here to tell you how wrong you are.” He presses his lips to my forehead. “You are so fucking lovable, Sawyer. You have no idea.”
Shaken to the center of my soul by his words, I’m on the verge of breaking down. It’s imminent, producing an aching lump in my throat. A horrid burn behind my eyeballs.
“I can’t do this,” I choke out, shoving past him and escaping into the women’s restroom. Two girls are touching up their lipstick in front of the sinks, so I enclose myself in one of the stalls until I can regain my bearings.
Ashton spooked me clear to my toes, and I’m still trembling, close to a tearful meltdown in a bathroom stall. Hell, This is the same stall where Mandy found me the night I caught Jake cheating.
This is where it all started.
I close my eyes and focus on breathing, all the while hoping the women hurry up with their primping and get the hell out of here. The door opens and closes a few minutes later, shutting out the giggly girls and the strong scent of whatever flowery perfume they bathed in. I come out of hiding and stumble to the sinks, knees wobbly and threatening to buckle.
Damn Ashton. What was he thinking?
I turn on the faucet and splash water onto my flushed cheeks. The more I think about our stolen moments in the alley, the angrier I become. Even if I weren’t terrified of putting this are-we-or-aren’t-we-more-than-friends limbo behind us, he’s got obligations to Corinne.
I flash back to a couple of months ago when I saw her all over him, her hands in his hair and her lips attached to his. At the time, I’d convinced myself I was oblivious to the tightness in my chest at seeing them together. Now my response to the thought of him with anyone else tears at me in such a raw, primal way that I’m not sure our friendship will survive this.
My eyes are red, my cheeks still splotchy from fighting off tears, so I splash more water onto my face and force myself to get a grip, and that’s when the door bursts open. All I see is blond hair, a red dress, and someone disappearing into a stall before the door bangs shut. Whoever’s in there starts retching, and I consider jumping ship, but my conscience won’t let me leave until I know she’s okay. A few minutes later, she exits, dabbing her mouth with toilet paper, and recognition hits me.
Natalie, Corinne’s older sister.
“Are you okay?”
Natalie nods. “Yeah. It’s just morning sickness.” She lets out an ironic laugh. “But it happens all day long.”
I blink in surprise. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yep, about ten weeks, so no alcohol for me.”
“Wow…congratulations?”
She laughs again, and the lighthearted sound breaks the tension. “Thanks. It’s good news.”
As she washes her hands, I dry my face with paper towels. With any luck, Ashton will have gotten tired of waiting and left already.
“So, you and Corinne, pregnant at the same time. That must be fun.”
Fun for them. Heartbreaking for me.
Natalie raises a brow. “Who told you Corinne’s pregnant?”
“Ashton did. She told him a few weeks ago.”
Natalie studies my face as if she’ll find the missing puzzle piece there. “You’re sure she told him this?”
“Yeah.” And then it occurs to me that maybe I just slipped up and spilled something I shouldn’t have. “Did she not tell you? Shit, I’m sorry if I’m putting my foot in it.”
“There’s nothing to tell. She’s not pregnant.”
I blink, and blink…then blink some more, and a hard swallow clears my vocal cords. “But he picked her up from the emergency room a few weeks ago. She said there were complications with the baby.” I’m dumbfounded and sound it.
Natalie shakes her head. “I was the one in the ER. She was there, but it was for moral support.”
Why would Corinne lie about something like this? My pulse is throbbing in my ears, and adrenaline rushes through me so fast, I’m dizzy from it.
Ashton’s been completely torn up over this—I’ve been fucking torn up over this—and to think she’s been lying the whole time? Why would anyone do something so low? So fucking cruel?
Natalie’s expression softens, and I can’t decide if it’s sympathy or pity I’m finding on her face. “This isn’t the first time she’s done something like this. It’s an attention thing with her.” A buzzing sound comes from the pocket of her jacket, and she fishes her cell out before scanning the backlit screen. “Listen, I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go.” She heads toward the door then halts long enough to glance over her shoulder. “Trust me. She’s not pregnant.”