Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Because she knew me and how much I hated to lose.
And that? It was all I needed to get control of myself.
Cassidy jammed her fork into her leftovers, took a bite, and contemplated me while as she ate. It was like she was watching the plan as it began to form in my head.
My chair legs squealed across the floor when I launched to my feet. “Thanks for your advice.”
“You’re welcome, but you didn’t need it. I mean, you always get your way, Preston. Why would that suddenly stop now?”
Her comment wasn’t meant to be mean, and it caused me to smile. “Right.”
I was about to head up the stairs to my office, but a new thought stopped me in my tracks.
“Hey,” I said. “Since we’re cool with talking about all this relationship stuff, can I ask you something?” It was a question I wasn’t sure I could handle hearing the answer until now. “Are you and my dad going to get married?”
Her fork had been halfway to her mouth, and she froze awkwardly, because this had to be one of the last things she’d expected. Her fork slowly lowered back to the container, and her eyes clouded over with sadness. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Well, he’d have to ask me first,” she lifted her shoulders in a defeated shrug, “and that’s never going to happen.”
I felt the strange urge to defend him. “I bet he’s waiting until you’re done with school.”
Her laugh was empty, “No, it’s not that.”
“Okay?”
She stared at me like I was missing something huge. “He won’t ask because while you’ll tolerate us being together, we all know it can’t go any further than that.”
My heart slowed as I realized what she was saying, and my unfocused gaze drifted away from her. They’d never be more to each other than they were now because they thought I wouldn’t allow it. Cassidy and my dad were sacrificing what they wanted—what I knew she hoped for—to spare my feelings.
With as terrible as I had treated them both, somehow they still put me first.
Shit. Could I ever be that selfless?
“You’re saying you’re not going to get married because of me?” I asked. “That’s dumb.”
She stared at me in total disbelief. “Uh . . . I agree. Are you saying,” hope sparked inside her eyes, “you’d be all right with it if we did?”
I didn’t need to think about it. “Yeah, I’d be okay. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, and people might be shitheads to us about it, but—yeah. I told you I wasn’t going to stand in the way of you two, and I fucking meant it.”
I had a whole new perspective after seeing it from the other side with Sydney.
Cassidy looked around the room wildly like she didn’t know what to do. But then her gaze snapped to me, and it came from her in an urgent rush. “You should tell your dad that.”
“Okay, I will.” I flashed her a smile, before turning back toward the stairs. “This was a good talk.”
“Yes,” she breathed, “it was.”
Up the stairs I went, leaving her to consider all the new possibilities of her future, while I began to focus on mine.
After Troy knocked, the apartment door swung open and revealed a thoroughly annoyed Colin. He glared in my direction and clearly felt I’d ambushed him, but this was his fault. He’d been ignoring my texts all day, even the business ones, so I’d had to use our mutual friend as my ‘in.’
Once I’d explained everything to Troy, he’d agreed to help. He'd asked Colin if he could stop by, and I’d tagged along without an invite.
“What the hell are you—”
That was as far as Colin got before I made my way inside his place, not caring if it was rude. We had shit to discuss.
“Last time I was here,” I said, “I didn’t get a chance to say any of the things I needed to, so this time you’re going to be quiet and listen.”
Madison was seated on the couch in the living room area, and my forceful tone drew her attention. I didn’t mind if she overheard this. Maybe she’d see my side and help her boyfriend get his head out of his ass.
“I’m sorry,” I announced, adding all the weight I could to the word. “It was wrong to keep my relationship with Sydney a secret, and how I pulled Troy into it too. I lied to you, and that was really shitty of me. I’m sorry for being a bad friend.”
Colin acted like my apology was unexpected, but also that it wasn’t enough to move the needle. He pointed at me and was going to say something, but I cut him off.
“I’m not fucking finished.” I massaged the muscles at the back of my neck. “When you told me I wasn’t allowed to date her, I tried to respect that. I really did. For more than a year, I ignored my feelings. I pretended they didn’t exist, even when all they did was get stronger.”