Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 164557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Dad nods, his usual laid-back demeanor settling back into place. “Yeah. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I expected awkwardness, maybe even disappointment, but instead, they’re just…accepting. Like it isn’t a big deal.
Mom notices my expression and offers a gentle smile. “If you love this second boy, sweetheart, then we want to meet him too. Invite him and Will over. It’ll take some getting used to, sure, but if they make you happy, that’s what matters.”
I blink back tears, overwhelmed by how simple she makes it sound. I’d spent so long worrying about how they’d react, about keeping everything a secret, and here they are, telling me it’s okay. That I’m okay.
For the first time in a long time, I feel truly secure—both in my choices and in my family’s unwavering love.
“And if you really want to attend grad school in Sydney, we’ll support it,” she adds. “We don’t care about whether you attend an elite school, Char. We care about you following your heart. But gosh, we’ll miss you so fucking much.”
I grin in amazement. “You just cursed.” Mom never curses.
“That’s how much I’ll fucking miss you,” she says, and everyone bursts out laughing.
Later, I’m clearing the table with Ava, listening to her tell me about Ashley—who sounds both really cool and really strange—when the message I’ve been waiting for lights up my phone.
HARRISON:
Be there in 5.
I bite my lip as I study the screen. Nerves gather in my stomach.
Ava nudges me with her shoulder. “Is that him?”
I nod. “He’ll be here soon.”
This is the part of the day I’ve been stressing about the most. Harrison is in town again this weekend. Because I invited him. I saw him last night, and we sat in Will and Beck’s kitchen, talking for hours.
It took me a while to respond to the long letter he sent me on the app. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue a relationship with him. If it was worth it. The heartache, the pain, the guilt. But I was wrong when I told my parents that with Tiger gone, so were all links to my past.
I still have a link. Harrison. And if he’s willing to start fresh and try to build something that’s free of guilt and resentment, then so am I.
When I open the front door, I find a terrified Harrison on the porch. He’s dressed in perfectly pressed khakis, a white button-down shirt, and loafers rather than his trademark sneakers. In his hand, he holds a bouquet of pink peonies. My mom’s favorite flower.
“Hi,” he says nervously.
Tears sting my eyes. “You brought my mom flowers?”
He nods. “Is that bad?”
“No. She’ll love it.”
“Do I look okay?” he asks, shifting his feet.
A smile tickles my lips. “You look…like you’re applying for a job.”
“Shit.”
“No, it’s fine. By the way, you showed up on the weirdest day ever. Everyone just unloaded their deepest, darkest secrets over chocolate birthday cake with blue sprinkles.”
“I’m intrigued. Is one of them a serial killer with a torture dungeon?” he cracks, and I love this lighter, sarcastic side of him. It’s like he’s truly lowered his walls since we agreed to that clean slate.
“No. But I did find out my sister’s new girlfriend is a mortician.” I pull him inside. “C’mon. Let me introduce you to my family.”
DAD CHAT
GARRETT GRAHAM:
I want a third dog and Wellsy won’t let me get one.
JOHN LOGAN:
Ohhhhh look at the fancy man with his two dogs. Grace is allergic so we can’t even have one. Go fuck yourself.
JOHN TUCKER:
That escalated quickly.
DEAN DI LAURENTIS:
Just bring home a puppy without asking. It’s not like she’s going to cast it out on the street. She’ll take one look into those big puppy eyes and fall in love.
COLIN FITZGERALD:
That’s what Hollis and his twins tried to do to Rupi and she kicked him out for a month. That was the worst month of my life.
DEAN DI LAURENTIS:
Ours too.
JOHN LOGAN:
Why do you make everything about yourself?
DEAN DI LAURENTIS:
Summer came to stay with us for that month! Hollis’s wife basically started a chain reaction of unwanted houseguests.
HUNTER DAVENPORT:
We don’t use Rupi as a barometer for normal woman behavior, bro.
JOHN TUCKER:
I wouldn’t risk it, G.
GARRETT GRAHAM:
I will take all your opinions into consideration.
Next order of business. I want to throw a graduation party for Stan and Luke in Tahoe this summer.
DEAN DI LAURENTIS:
Speaking of Tahoe…
JOHN LOGAN:
No.
JOHN TUCKER:
Speaking of Tahoe…
JOHN LOGAN:
No.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHARLOTTE
Crying Day
I’M SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF MY BEDROOM, SURROUNDED BY BOXES, and it hits me all at once.
This is really happening.
I’m leaving.
Faith is next to me, passing me another stack of clothes to fold, but we both know this isn’t just about packing. This is about saying goodbye.
“This is so weird,” I murmur, trying to focus on the task at hand. My voice is tight, my throat already closing up. “I’ve lived in this room for how long now? Four years? And now…Australia.”