Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Of all the things I was expecting this morning pre-flight, getting a life lesson from Grizz wasn’t one of them.
He glances toward the back of the cabin as boarding nears completion, then pushes himself slowly out of the seat. Before he leaves, though, he pauses beside me one final time.
“Don’t let the fear of losing whatever this could become stop you from pursuing a future with her,” he says. “You’ll carry that regret forever, and that’s no way to live your life. You deserve more.”
I look up at him.
“That’s pretty wise,” I murmur.
Grizz smirks.
“Well,” he says, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder, “you’re the one who told me that in the first place. Might be time to take a page out of your own book, Julian.”
Chapter 30
Harper
There’s depressing and then there’s eating mint chocolate chip ice cream alone in your apartment on a Friday while wearing mismatched socks and spiraling over a billionaire.
I recognize this fully and yet here I am, curled into the corner of my couch beneath a blanket with Beau sprawled across my legs while When Harry Met Sally plays in the background for emotional support purposes. The apartment is unusually still tonight without Dylan here. He’s out with friends somewhere in the East Village, immersed in the glorious chaos of being seventeen and in love with his own life.
I’m happy for him. High school is beautifully simple despite all the turmoil puberty brings. Even the heartbreaks at that age carry a strange optimism because you still believe there’s always another beginning just around the corner.
Adulthood is less forgiving.
I dig my spoon back into the pint of Ben & Jerry’s and take another bite while staring blankly at my phone sitting face down on the coffee table.
Then it buzzes… Abby.
“Mint chocolate chip,” I say by way of answering.
“What number pint are you on?” she asks without preamble.
I glance down at the container in my lap. “Halfway through the first one tonight.”
“Rookie numbers.”
“Not for long.”
There’s a beat of silence before her voice softens a bit. “And still nothing from Julian?”
“Actually…,” I begin, “I have heard from him.”
Abby gasps. “That’s great!”
“No,” I say. “No, it’s really not.”
“Why? What happened? What’d he say?”
I lean my head back against the couch cushions and stare up at the ceiling while Beau lets out a sleepy sigh. You think I’d be mollified to hear from him after a week of being radio silent. I hadn’t heard a word from him since I walked out of his home. No calls, no texts, nothing.
He’d let me go. Ghosted me. Then out of nowhere today, he texts me five times.
I let out a sigh. “He says he needs to see me once the Vipers get back today from their road trip.”
Abby goes quiet for a second. “That’s… intense… and kinda odd.”
“It’s exhausting,” I say honestly. “This whole hot-and-cold thing doesn’t fly with me. I’m done. I haven’t responded to him and I don’t intend to.”
And that’s the truth of it. If Julian had just walked away, I could’ve started stitching myself back together. But instead, he keeps pulling me emotionally toward him only to disappear again. Admittedly, I’ve read every text he’s sent but I’ve resolutely ignored each one after.
I stare down at the melting pint of ice cream in my lap. “More importantly,” I say, “I don’t trust him right now, Abby. And you know without trust, what’s left?”
The words hurt to admit out loud since I did trust him once.
“But maybe you should listen to what he has to say,” she says softly.
Anger swells within me, because I tried on more than one occasion to get him to talk to me. “He hurt me, Abby. He really hurt me and then he expects me to just forget about it because now he’s ready to talk? I mean, come on…”
Abby exhales slowly through the phone. “I know.”
“And the worst part is I still…” I stop myself before finishing the sentence.
A knock suddenly sounds at my front door. I frown and glance toward the clock. Who would be coming by now?
“Hold on,” I mutter into the phone. “Someone’s at the door.”
“You think it’s him?”
My pulse jumps hard enough to make me instantly annoyed at myself for it. “I don’t know… No, can’t be. I don’t think they’d be back in the city yet.”
I push the blanket off my legs and stand, crossing the apartment while Beau readjusts himself on the couch cushion.
Another knock sounds just as I reach the door.
“Hang on,” I tell Abby before I press one eye against the peephole.
Percy stands in the hallway outside my apartment, wearing a dark wool coat.
“Oh my God,” I whisper.
“What?” Abby asks.
I pull back from the peephole slowly. “I need to call you back.”
“Harper—”
I end the call before she can finish. Then, with trembling fingers, I unlock my front door and pull it open.