Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“I’m out here.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
We finished filming for the day and weren’t due on set until noon the next day.
As soon as she took one look at me, she questioned, “Are you okay?”
“My grandfather died.”
Her mouth parted, and her hand flew to her heart. “Oh my God.” She rushed to my side. “I’m so sorry.” Throwing her arms around my waist, she hugged me to her. “What can I do for you? How can I help?”
“Bay, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“I need to get ahold of the director and see if I can fly out for the funeral.”
She peered up at me. “When is it?”
“Tuesday.”
“Alright.” She nodded. “Where is it?”
“In our summer home.”
She flinched, realizing what that meant.
“My mom is sending a plane. I’ll fly in and fly out the next day. It’ll be quick.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have—”
“I want to. Please.” She kissed my cheek. “Let me be there for you.”
“My family isn’t—”
She shook her head, silencing me. “I don’t care what your family is or isn’t, Aires. You’re my boyfriend, and I—”
“Boyfriend?” I half smiled. It was the first time she called me that.
“I mean, what else would you like me to call you? Lover? Best friend? Pain in the ass?”
“That last one belongs to you.”
She smirked with a concerned gaze for me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“My grandfather was nice to me, but I think it was mostly just to piss off his son.”
She swallowed hard. “Yeah, that generational trauma is hard to break.”
I scoffed. “That’s one way to define my family.”
“I don’t have a black dress with me, but I can send my assistant out for one. Do you want her to pick you up a suit?”
“That’d be great.”
“Let me call her real quick.” She hugged me tight for a second before grabbing her phone and returning to the bedroom.
I stayed out there, needing a moment to process my grandfather being gone and Bailey coming home with me to meet my family, which wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the first time they’ll meet someone, but this is the first time it will matter to me.
Bailey
We were on our way to Aires’s summer estate, and I made the driver stop at the flower shop to buy his family an arrangement. I didn’t want to arrive empty-handed. Although his mother wanted to send their chauffeur to pick us up from the private hangar, Aires had an SUV waiting for us instead. He was adamant about having his own vehicle, which didn’t surprise me. He was a control freak like that.
“Do you think they’ll like me?” I questioned, looking out the window with his hand in my lap.
“I like you,” he expressed, making me smile at him. “A lot.”
Smiling wide, I shared, “I’ve never met someone’s parents before.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. My dates never got that far.”
“Has your family ever met—”
I shook my head. “No.”
He grinned, arching an eyebrow.
“You’re surprised by that?”
“Look at you. I’d be blind if I wasn’t.”
“Thanks.” I peered up at him through my long eyelashes. “But my family can be intense too, and I never wanted them to meet someone I wasn’t serious about.”
“Your family believe in love that much?”
I thought about it. “I can’t think of one family member who doesn’t.”
“You’ve waited this long. What’s another few years?”
A little taken aback by his response, I snapped, “Does that mean you don’t want to meet them?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Caught that, huh?”
“Was that a test?”
With an amused expression, Aires challenged, “What if it was?”
“By all means, did I pass?”
He simply shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Oh yeah?” I teased, enjoying our witty banter for as long as I could.
I wasn’t dumb enough to think this would be easy on him. If I could help by lightening the mood for a minute, I would try. Aires loved to laugh, and it was always so contagious. He had one of those laughs you’d end up laughing with because you couldn’t resist his.
“When do you think you’ll know if I passed?”
“I’ll tell you what? You’ll be the first to know.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
A glimmer in his eyes made me wonder. “Does your family know about me?”
“My mother keeps up with all the tabloid bullshit, and since your pretty face has graced every cover, I imagine they know something is up between us.”
“Is this the part where I have to beg for more information?”
He whispered in my ear, “But you know how much I love it when you’re on your knees for me.”
My eyes shifted to the driver. He wasn’t paying us any mind. Not that it would stop Aires. He was a relentless flirt and dirty talker.
Giving in to his demands, I mockingly pleaded with my hands in a prayer gesture, “Please, oh please. Tell me everything I need to know to pass their approval?”