Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“A mural isn’t going to solve world hunger or anything like that,” I try, wanting to side with Delphi no matter what.
She swipes to another photo. “And she writes these cute little handwritten notes to put in her daughter’s lunchboxes every day. She says the kids keep them in a special drawer in their room.”
“Okay, that is kinda cute.”
“If this works out, how can I not be seen as the evil stepmother?”
I give her a look. “You would not be an evil stepmother. It’s not you’re going to take the cute handwritten notes their mom wrote them and throw them away.”
“That would be a dick move.” She lets out a sigh. “But still. I don’t want the girls to see me that way.”
“You don’t become the evil stepmom by accident… it starts when you villainize their mom. And you wouldn’t do that. You’re a good person, Delphi.”
“We’ve only gone on one date. I’m getting way ahead of myself.”
I shrug. “I think it’s normal. If you can’t picture it actually happening then that’s telling, right?”
“Oh, totally. And I love you for indulging in my crazy.”
“Hah. What are friends for?” I take another drink and look around, automatically scanning my surroundings out of habit.
“I thought about maybe doing a double date in a few weeks but Xavier is a little intimidating, not just because he’s a vampire but because he’s well, like famous now.”
“I agree with you. He is intimidating.” My heart skips a beat when I think about him. There’s still so much about him that’s a mystery to me and the dark, dangerous parts of him drew me in from the start. It never put him out of reach but instead made me want him more. I’ve already accepted that I should never have let him in the way I did, but even if there was a way to go back, I wouldn’t.
I’d choose him a thousand times over.
The weirdest feeling comes over and me and I turn, pretending to stretch my back so it looks like I have a reason. The little cafe we’re in is full, but I don’t see anything glaringly obvious and out of place. Still, the weird feeling doesn’t go away. It’s not a bad feeling and something almost like familiar excitement goes through me, reminding me of going to sleep knowing you get to wake up to something you’ve been looking forward to.
“She has a boyfriend,” Delphi says, carefully scrolling through the ex wife’s photos so she doesn’t accidentally like one. “Looks like they’ve been together for nearly a year.”
“So, she’s moved on. That’s a good sign.”
“Yeah. I think. Oh, look, she posted that she and the girls got their dad a Father’s Day present last year. Hmmm…but he also got her a Mother’s Day gift this year.”
“That’s a good thing,” I tell her. “He respects the mother of his children.”
“You’re right. I’ve never dated a dad before. What if the kids hate me?”
“They wouldn’t hate you.”
“I don’t know how to act around kids.”
I cock an eyebrow. “You’re a pediatrician.”
“Yeah. I make kids cry on a daily basis.”
We both laugh. “Don’t worry so much. Just try and see where this goes but also the irony of me trying to give you dating advice is not lost on me.” I take another drink. “Does he have an Instagram?”
“He does, but there’s not a ton posted. Mostly photos of the girls, his dog, and him golfing.”
“Hey, better than gym mirror selfies.” I winkle my nose. “Unless he’s like a personal trainer or something, seeing a man brag about how much weight he can lift grosses me out.”
“Right? I am way more impressed with how much he has in saving than I am with how much he lifts at the gym.”
I laugh. “I gotta tell Mabel that one. She puts little quotes like that on her profile.”
“I just love her. She’s so weird.”
“It’s part of her charm, that’s for sure.”
We keep talking about Andrew and I help Delphi pick out a dress to buy for her next date. The weird anticipatory feeling doesn’t go away, and that I’m looking forward to this sense gets stronger as the time goes on. Delphi and I wrap up lunch and walk together out of the cafe. She’s parked on the opposite side of the street from where I’m going to get picked up, and I pull my phone out to text Hector and tell him I’m ready.
There’s a bench under a flowering tree nearby, and whoever is sitting on it catches my eye for some reason. It’s a woman who looks to be maybe ten or fifteen years older than me. Right away, I consider her attractive, with beads at the end of her braided dark hair. She’s wearing a green dress that flows around her ankles as she gets up and starts walking to me.