Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
“In no particular order—Psych, Gossip Girl, Outer Banks, New Girl, and The Mindy Project.”
“I’ve never heard of Outer Banks, but the rest are pretty good. Psych is my favorite, though.”
“You know what we should do?” Ellis asks, not waiting for an answer. “Psych marathon!”
My grin morphs into a cheek-splitting smile. “Can we?” I ask Atlas.
He boops my nose. “How can I say no to you, pretty girl?”
“Y’all are on snack duty. Show’s on in five!” He takes all of our plates and chucks them in the sink before dashing into the living room.
I take it upon myself to actually rinse the plates and load them into the dishwasher while Atlas tosses a bag of popcorn into the microwave.
“You know we meant it, right?” he asks softly. “We really do want you here.”
“Are you sure?” Please say yes, please, please, please.
“More than sure.” The timer sounds and he grabs the piping hot bag and yanks it open with his fingertips before dumping it into a bowl. “Having you here makes this house feel like a home.”
“Okay, I’ll stay,” I whisper, hope settling into my belly like a seed taking root. Because if I’m not ready to admit it out loud, Atlas is right. Being here, with them, feels like home.
CHAPTER 21
ATLAS
Work’s been hell lately—or maybe it’s just me and my damn near obsessive need to be at Nora’s side twenty-four-seven.
Either way, I put in for some of my vacation days at work, and now the next two weeks are all mine.
Well, actually, they’re all Nora’s—even if she doesn’t know it yet.
Our talk the other night got me thinking… We have a lot to do before our little jellybean gets here, and I figured now’s as good a time as any to get some things in order and maybe even set the nursery up.
Assuming Nora wants to, that is.
“Pip?” I knock before stepping into my room.
She looks up at me and right away, I can tell something’s wrong.
“What is it?”
“Shouldn’t you be at work?” she asks, pointedly ignoring my question.
But her red cheeks, watery eyes, and wobbling chin aren’t things I can ignore. “That’s not important.” I cross the room and drop to my knees in front of my desk chair, swiveling her to face me. “Talk to me.”
“Am I even a person?” she asks, sounding so helpless and so frustrated, that I can’t help but want to find a way to fix it, even if I don’t really understand the issue.
“Of course, you are. What does that even mean?”
“All of these job applications want my social security number and a copy of my ID. I…” Her lips quiver as big, fat tears spill over. “I don’t have any of those things. I don’t even have a birth certificate!”
Shit. How can I fix this? Think, Atlas, think!
“Don’t cry, Pip. I’ll figure something out.” My words are meant to reassure her, but all they do is make her cry harder.
“How?” she wails, clutching my shirt as she seeks comfort in my embrace. “How can you? This isn’t even your problem, Atlas.”
I wrap my arms around her and hold her close. “First of all, anything that upsets you is one-hundred-and-ten percent my problem. As for the how, you leave that to me, okay?”
Nora shakes her head, or she tries to anyway, but with her head tucked under my chin, she really just manages to rub her cheek against my chest. “You can’t just swoop in and solve all of my problems.”
The fuck I can’t, is what I want to tell her, but instead I say, “It’s a joint effort, Pip. A give and take.”
She huffs out an unamused laugh. “So far, all I do is take.”
I tug her forward as I settle back into a seated position on the floor, pulling her completely onto my lap, silently delighting in her shocked squeals. “You’ve given me far more than you know, Nora.”
“Like what?” It’s clear from her tone of voice she thinks I’m blowing smoke up her ass. But I’m not. Nora’s given me so, so much.
“A purpose, for starters. Before you, I was content to just float from one thing to the next, but now I know what I want in life. And that’s thanks to you.”
“And what is it you want?” she asks, her voice soft and small.
Well, shit. Sort of backed myself into a corner, haven’t I? Here’s to hoping I don’t send her running…
“You, Nora. I want you.” She pulls back and looks up at me, clearly perplexed by my confession. I cup her cheek, intent on setting her at ease. “I know it’s a lot to take in and probably seems sudden, but I mean it.”
“But you barely even know me.” Her whispered argument holds no water, though.
“I’d argue to say I know you better than just about anyone else. I know every high and low point of your life. I know your hurts and your fears. I know your dreams, and if you’ll let me, I’ll do my level best to make them all come true. It’s only been weeks, but in my heart, Pip, it feels like years.”