Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
"I did graduate."
"You didn't walk the stage."
"I'm not one that enjoys a stage." That is true.
"But I'm proud of you. Even if you hadn't wanted to go, you still killed it. That was no easy task." Truly attended one of the best universities in the world, and she managed to graduate early.
"Thanks." She bites into her waffle. "It was study or die of boredom.” I know she's only teasing, but it still stings.
"I'm sorry." I’m going to be carrying the guilt of how alone she felt for the rest of my life.
"I didn't mean it that way." Her face softens. "I did get to meet Mabel, though. That makes it worth it." They'd become close. I made sure to dig into her once they started becoming friendly. I made it a point to know who was around Truly.
"I'm guessing she hates me."
Truly cringes. "Maybe."
"As she should," I say, surprising her.
"What, really?"
"I mean, have you caught her up on things?" I know she hasn't. I've been stuck to her ass since we laid everything out there.
"Shit, I do need to call her. I was letting things be because she was in the midst of finals."
"We could go visit her if you want."
"Really?"
"If you want." I don't see why we couldn’t.
"You make it sound so easy."
"It will be. No one will ever keep you from the people you love, Truly. I fucked up, and I won't make the same mistake again, even if I'm not the one you're trying to get to."
"Kiss me," she orders, leaning over toward me. I press my mouth to hers but don't linger. "Hey, that was short," Truly huffs out adorably.
"Because you'll end up getting fucked on this kitchen island."
"So?" She wiggles her brows at me, making me groan.
"This is why." I slide my hand between her legs and cup her pussy. "You have to be tender." She starts to speak, and I level her with a stare.
"Okay, a little sore," she admits, rolling her eyes at me. "Now what?"
"Depends on how you choose to handle your parents." That is the sole reason I have not obliterated everything they hold dear.
"Wait, do you think they're really headed over to my graduation even after you refused to attend with them?"
"I'm sure I can find out."
"Let me get my phone." Truly hops up, heading back toward the bedroom. My eyes stay trained on her ass. She's only in one of my shirts and panties. I press my palm down on my dick. How can I still be hard?
"Yikes," Truly says, coming back out of our room, her eyes trained on her phone. She's clicking away.
"Have they been messaging you?" Anytime they try to contact me, I ignore it.
“I’ve got missed calls and texts from them. I haven’t answered back.” She worries her bottom lip between her teeth as she clicks away on her phone. “Oh crap,” Her eyes widen slightly. “They are there. Mabel said they tracked her down, demanding to know where I was.”
"Did she tell them?"
Truly shakes her head no. "She told them she wasn't my keeper.” Truly snorts a laugh. "Mabel kind of is my keeper, or she was when we were in school together. We both kept tabs on each other. Safety and all." I nod, but I too had been keeping tabs on Truly. I'm still pissed about how she'd given me the slip one evening using Mabel's passport.
I grab my own phone and turn off Do Not Disturb, and it blows up. "What the hell is that?" Truly comes to sit back down next to me.
"Work, your parents, and now mine as well. A few investors." I'm out of the office for one day, and things start to go to shit.
"What did the parents say?" she asks.
"I haven't clicked their messages."
"Me either!" Truly laughs. "I don't want to." That feeling is mutual. I know I'll be dealing with lies and manipulation when I do.
"We don't have to," I try to reassure her.
"At some point, we will, and maybe the sooner, the better."
"Depending on what you want to do, I can start making moves." We'd softly brought this up, but I want to circle back to it when Truly has had more time to process it all. I don't want her to make a knee-jerk decision she could regret.
"I don't think I want them in my life."
"I need something more solid than think. There will be things that can't be undone."
"As in the company?"
"Yes."
"What will you do?"
"The same thing our fathers always try to do when they take on a new adventure. I'm going to dismantle it." The same way they tried to do to my and Truly’s life together.
Chapter Fifteen
TRULY
"Idon't care if I'm on the moon or in a whole other universe. You better call me when these things happen!" Mabel scolds me through FaceTime.