Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Christ.
What did that mean?
I stared at the ceiling, my hand splayed over her hip. I thought about her voice when she told me to “own it,” how her eyes had flared when I did, how she’d let me bend her over and fuck her like I hadn’t just earned the privilege, but like it’d always been mine to take. She hadn’t just tolerated it — she’d asked for it.
Like she’d said… she trusted me.
And something in my chest tightened so sharply I actually froze, the air leaving my lungs like I’d taken a body check square to the sternum.
I love her.
The thought slammed into me without warning, without mercy.
I was gone for her. I’d passed every exit ramp without even realizing it. And now I was barreling down this road at full speed with no brakes, no map, no plan for what the hell I was supposed to do when we got to the end.
And just like that, my pulse went haywire.
Because I was sure, more than I was of anything, that love was the last thing Livia wanted from me.
But I was powerless to stop it from being true.
I glanced down at her — hair spilling over my arm, lips parted in sleep, her hand still clutching my chest like even unconscious she wasn’t ready to let go. My chest ached.
I could already hear the echo of her voice telling me she didn’t want this, that I’d ruined what we had, that I’d read into something that wasn’t there.
But none of that stopped the truth from sitting heavy in my chest.
I was in love with Livia Young.
And I had no fucking clue how to survive it.
What I’m Counting On
Livia
Chloe and Will’s pool area had been completely transformed.
Edison bulbs stretched in strands above the water, their golden glow mirrored in soft ripples as the sun sank toward the horizon. In the pool, clusters of paper lanterns drifted lazily, casting shifting halos of light that made the whole place feel enchanted.
At the far corner of the yard, Chef Patel commanded her makeshift kitchen with a sharp voice that carried over the music, barking orders at her team of sous chefs. I caught Will’s uncle watching her from across the patio, smirk tugging at his lips, pride shining in his eyes.
Near the pool house where Chloe once lived, a string quartet played a delicate, romantic piece that threaded through the air as effortlessly as a breeze. High-top tables dressed in crisp white linens dotted the space, each crowned with a petite vase of hydrangeas and eucalyptus and a few flickering candles.
It was breathtaking, like stepping into a modern-day fairy tale — and it was exactly what Chloe and Will deserved.
The bride and groom floated from guest to guest, weaving in and out of conversations with ease. There were only about thirty people gathered, but I knew even that small number stretched Will’s tolerance for crowds. Brooding in solitaire was more his natural state. Still, he kept a gentle smile fixed in place, his hand anchored at Chloe’s back, his gaze never once straying from her. On her wrist gleamed the bracelet I’d made her, one I’d given her in private before the party. It came out perfectly, the moonstones making Chloe gasp just the way I hoped, and now I watched her absentmindedly touch it any time she felt a little nervous.
My job was complete, and the newlyweds were in heaven.
They were sun-kissed and radiant, carrying their happiness so openly it seemed to spill out of them, impossible to contain.
Maven and I were at the bar, waiting on fresh martinis as Maven filled me in on her latest philanthropic updates. I scanned the party as I listened to her, my eyes catching on the different packs of our friends who felt more like family now.
Vince and Jaxson were locked into a heated champagne pong tournament against Mia and Grace, their hollers of excitement ringing out over the otherwise calm and romantic space. But no one seemed to mind. In fact, they’d gathered a small crowd around them who were cheering them on — Mia and Grace especially, who I wagered were winning, judging by the little dance they were presently doing. Vince yelled something about cheating while his partner stood stupefied beside him, completely under Grace’s spell just like he had been since the summer they ran away on a secret road trip together.
Aleks had that same love-dumb drooling thing going on from where he chatted with Will and Chloe, his eyes on his wife even as he carried out a conversation. It was nice to see the bastard smile. He was pretty insufferable before Mia got her hands on him. I loved how Will was dressed casually in white linen pants and a sage-green collared shirt, like he’d just rolled up from the resort he and Chloe spent a week at. And Chloe was her incredible, colorful self — her dress like a tropical sunset, all bright pinks and oranges and yellows flowing together in an eclectic and somehow elegant design. The fabric was heavy silk, and it draped over her curves in ways that reminded me why I loved women so much.