Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Things in Lindell never stay a secret.
That means that the breakup or whatever it is that Mac wants to talk to me about will start bouncing around in people's whispers before morning, so why waste time talking about it? We can just make a clean break from each other and be done with it. There's no reason to spend time discussing it.
I refuse to cry in front of the man, and I know the second he vocalizes the reminder that this was just supposed to be a little fun between the two of us and nothing serious, then the floodgates will open. I'll save that embarrassment for another day. Thank you very much.
I don't know if it was the way I was looking up at him this morning, but I have no doubt he saw the stars in my eyes, and it made him want to bolt out the door.
It doesn't matter that he claimed me. I could hear the possession in his tone when he mentioned the damn Tate brothers. But just because he doesn't want me to have sex with other people doesn't mean he wants to be in any sort of situationship with me.
"That's him, right?" Sage asks, unwilling to just leave well enough alone. "I know it's him because I'm the only other person who calls you."
"Thanks for reminding me how much of a loser I am," I mutter as I drop down onto the couch.
I don't know why I'm fighting this conversation with her so hard. I know it's going to happen. Getting it over with and out of the way is probably better.
"It's not just him," I confess. "It's all of it."
"Explain all of it," she says as she takes a seat to my right in the high-back chair that looks even less comfortable than her old, lumpy sofa.
"My business is a failure and because I've tried to invest so much into it, my savings are all but gone. I love the hours I work at the store for you, but I'm going to have to find a more permanent position somewhere else just to make ends meet."
"Running a business is hard," Sage says, and I know she isn't saying that just to placate me.
She's had her own struggles with trying to keep the doors open at That's Another Story. It's not easy to make a business work when you're dependent on such a small group of people.
Lindell is a small community, and as much as they like to support local businesses, everything is less expensive online. Who can fault anyone for saving their hard-earned money by finding things at a lower price?
"I've drained my accounts to the point that I don't even have enough to move back to the city and try to start my catering business there," I continue. "I've backed myself into a corner, and from where I am right now, I don't see any other alternative other than giving up on my dream."
My friend pulls in a deep breath, and I sort of love her a little more for not spouting off suggestions as if drastic changes are easy to make with one simple conversation. She takes a moment to mull over what I've said before speaking, and in the meantime, I wring my hands in my lap, feeling utterly defeated.
The situation with Mac is just like the straw that's threatening to break it all. I let myself get attached to a man who doesn't do attachments, and that's on me. I don't need an I changed my mind conversation with him to know what he's going to say. I can do without the kick while I'm down.
"Maybe you don't give up on the catering goals completely. Maybe you just put them on the back burner until it's a more optimal time for you."
"I feel like every moment of my life has been one thing after another on the back burner," I mumble, fully accepting this pity party I'm having for myself right now.
"I understand that," she replies. "I wish I had a magic wand that I could wave and make it all better."
"Wouldn't that be nice?"
My phone chimes, telling me that he left a message this time. I ache to reach for my phone and listen to what he has to say, but I don't think my fragile emotions can take anything else negative right now.
"I bet he would help you," Sage says, once again making me wish I'd found a hole to crawl into rather than put myself in front of anyone else.
This whole situation would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with if I hadn't confided in anyone else. Failing at the business, failing at whatever was going on between Mac and me. It's all just too much, and having witnesses to it makes it ten times worse.