Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Relief flooded me. “Really?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned. I don’t like that it’s happened so quickly and that it’s with someone neither I nor Killian has even met. But you can’t blame me for feeling that way.”
“No, I get it.” And I did. If Killian had fallen in love with Skylar without me having met her I’d have worried, not liking the idea of him investing emotionally in someone I didn’t know or like. “How do you think Killian will react?”
She sighed. “I think you know how he’ll react. He’s not just your big brother. He’s parent and big brother. He’s not going to like this.”
And that put a big fat dampener on it.
“Have you thought about how this relationship is going to work with you here and your guy in Colorado?”
There was the other big fat dampener.
“No,” I answered honestly. “I haven’t.”
“Autumn, please be careful. I’m not saying what you’re feeling isn’t real but this is a complicated situation. Maybe take some time to work all that stuff out before you get in any deeper with this guy.”
“Hudson doesn’t want to talk about it yet. He said he wants our hooks so deep in each other we’ll do anything to figure it out.”
Skylar let out a huff of laughter. “I bet he did.”
“How’s that?” I frowned.
“Babe, you’ve seen you, right? You’re drop dead gorgeous, confident without vanity, and just the sweetest, nicest person you could meet. I bet your guy took one look at you and decided he’d do and say just about anything to make you his and to make you stay. That’s what he means by doing anything to figure it out. I bet he wants you to move there.”
Unease settled over me. “You think?”
“He owns a successful construction company there. He has a big loving family. He wants to take you hiking in the summer.” Wow, she’d really listened to everything I told her. “This is not a guy who wants to leave Colorado.”
“But I don’t want to leave Glasgow.” And I didn’t. “I’ve never been away from Killian for more than a few weeks.” He was my family.
“Then you really need to talk to your guy before you fall any harder.”
Emotion clogged my throat. I sounded hoarse when I retorted, “I don’t think I can fall any harder. I’m already there.” I sucked in a shaky, teary breath. “What am I going to do?”
“You need to talk to him. And then you need to call me to let me know you’re okay. Do you want me to tell Killian?”
I knew it was cowardly to ask her to, but I just couldn’t handle my brother’s feelings on top of my own right then. “Would you? It’ll just make it easier for me when I do finally talk to him about it.”
“Of course.”
Needing to shake myself out of my dark thoughts, I changed the subject. “I’ve commandeered this whole conversation. How are you doing?”
Skylar released a heavy sigh. “I don’t feel so jetlagged anymore and I’m nervous because the press has backed off entirely just in time for us dropping the album. So I know they’ll be back, even though I refuse to promote it.”
“The album is amazing. It’s going to soar.”
“You know I don’t care about that. And without marketing it’s doubtful. But it’s my best work ever and I want to put it out there.”
“I think you’re going to be surprised,” I said, genuinely believing that this album would rock the charts and get millions of streams.
“We’ll see.”
We talked some more about her plans for the album drop and I told her about Susan and Molly.
“Only you, Autumn,” she said, the fondness in her voice unmistakable. “You go on vacation and then end up helping people out.”
“It’s not entirely altruistic. It’s Hudson’s plan to help me work out what I want to do with my life.”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
“Hmm… he’s proving something of a distraction, but I’m leaning toward event management.” And I was. I think I was even before the list.
“Good. Look, I better go. I can hear your brother playing something moody and melancholic on the guitar and I need to put him in a better mood before I drop your news on him.”
I wrinkled my nose. “TMI.”
“I didn’t say how I was going to put him in a better mood.”
“You didn’t have to. Anyway, you go do something I’m going to pretend you and my brother don’t do, and I’m going to get dressed and head down to breakfast. I’m starved.” And I was. A long night of sex would do that to a girl.
“Okay. Love you, babe.”
“Love you, too, Sky. And tell my brother I love him.”
“You got it.”
We hung up and I got dressed for the day, trying to ignore the churn of worry in my gut. That feeling wasn’t just about how Killian would react to the news of Hudson, but also about my future with Hudson. Skylar was right. Hudson would in no way want to leave Copper Cliffs. What the hell was I supposed to do with that? I couldn’t move to Colorado.