Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
And much too dangerous.
Somehow, I already know that if I let myself fall for him, there won’t be a cushion to catch me. There’ll be a crash I won’t be able to walk away from.
His lashes flutter and his eyes open before finding mine. A drowsy smile curves his lips. Almost as if seeing me here, first thing in the morning, is the best part of his day.
A rush of warmth floods through me.
It’s like I’m sixteen all over again and hopelessly out of my depth.
I force myself to move, gently scooping Nora into my arms. She stirs only slightly, giving a sleepy sigh before tucking herself against me.
“You should’ve woken me,” I whisper, focusing my attention on my daughter even as I feel his gaze burning into me. “She’s my responsibility. I should be the one to take care of her.”
River stretches, the movement slow and lazy as his arms lift above his head. “You were out cold and she was upset,” he says, words still husky with sleep. “I figured I could handle it.” His steady gaze returns to mine. “And I told you that while you’re here, she can be our responsibility.”
Our.
That one small word punches right through my ribs.
It doesn’t hurt because I’m offended.
It hurts because I want it.
More than I want to admit.
Even to myself.
I clutch Nora tighter, like maybe if I hold her close enough, she won’t hear that word and get the wrong idea.
As if I haven’t already gotten it myself.
He’s making this feel too easy.
Too safe.
Too right.
And that’s the real danger, isn’t it?
There’ll come a point when River decides he’s done playing house and walks away after worming his way into both of our hearts.
It won’t just break me.
It’ll break Nora too.
And I don’t know if either of us could survive it.
20
River
“As soon as the season is over, we’re gonna start filming. You can’t believe how much money the network is dumping into this. It’s like we’re gonna be printing cash.”
Zane slides one palm against the other, like he’s handing out Benjamins at a strip club.
I stare at him for what feels like the hundredth time, and wonder how the hell we were ever friends in the first place.
Was it him who changed?
Or me?
Maybe it was both of us.
We came in together as rookies. We were green, hungry, and ready to take the league by storm. We clicked right away. Same line. Same grind. Same goals.
But now?
Every damn word out of his mouth is laced with bullshit.
It’s tiring.
He’s sprawled across the bench in front of his locker, towel barely hanging around his hips, yapping loud enough for the entire room to hear. I pull my sweatshirt over my head, jamming my arms through the sleeves like the motion will keep me from losing it.
Even though no one is asking questions, he keeps yammering about his reality star dreams.
“The producers want to feature Nora in a few of the episodes. You know, give it a wholesome, family vibe. Viewers eat that shit up.”
My head snaps toward him as I scowl. “Your daughter isn’t a prop.”
He barks out a laugh and claps a hand on my shoulder like we’re still bros. “Relax, man. It’ll be good exposure. I’m sure Callie will be fine with it. And who knows? Maybe this little setup can be lucrative for all of us. Callie can play the part of jealous ex who just wants her man back.”
The muscles in my jaw go tight and my hand curls into a fist at my side. For a second, I can actually picture my knuckles crashing into his face.
Just once.
Hard enough to knock some goddamn sense into him.
Like he hasn’t hurt Callie enough?
Now he wants her publicly humiliated on national TV?
And to bring Nora into it?
Neither of them should be used as pawns in Zane’s next publicity stunt.
They deserve better.
Every time Zane opens his mouth, it becomes more obvious that he’s not worthy of either one of them.
He never was.
I close the distance between us before dropping my voice as he yanks on a pair of joggers. “Did you know the bakery’s struggling? If Callie’s the one supporting your kid, maybe you should do the right thing and help her out instead of being a selfish tool and only thinking about yourself.”
He scoffs like I’m being overly dramatic, and that pisses me off even more. “You think I’ve got extra cash lying around?” He grabs his cologne and sprays it twice. “I need to head out. We’ve got a photoshoot tonight, and Gigi’s hair takes, like, an hour.”
He winks at himself in the mirror before strutting out of the locker room. The door swings shut behind him as the silence settles like dust in his wake.
Oliver shakes his head. “That guy is on such an ego trip. If Gigi dumps him, he’d probably marry himself.”