Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 78164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Tears fill my eyes as she looks at me.
What a sweet, wonderful girl. Her father didn’t deserve her, and I’m so glad she’s found a safe, soft spot to land.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” she says. “But I did see Tate a bit ago, and he looks like a wounded puppy.”
I chuckle, wiping my eyes.
“Be tough with him,” she says. “But be ready to forgive him too. Because, unlike other men that we know, this guy is one of the best. I know. I have a slightly older version of him.”
I smile, pulling her into another hug.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Of course. Now let’s really meet for drinks this time.”
I laugh, and it feels so good. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
“Come on. I’ll show you to the party.”
My breaths are strangled as my nerves get the best of me. A part of me wants to hand Carys the card and run like my life depends on it. I’m already emotional. What if I see Tate and we cause a scene?
I can’t do that to him.
Fuck. I shouldn’t be here.
“Hey, Carys,” I say, stopping in my tracks.
“Yeah?”
I hand her the card with Tate’s name on the front. “Can you give this to him for me? I just, um … I need to go.”
“Sure. We’d love for you to stay.”
I shake my head as the tears start to well again. “Thank you. I’ll call you for drinks next week.”
Before I turn into a blubbering mess, I turn and walk down the street toward my car.
Tate
“Tate!” Carys runs to me like a dog is chasing her. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”
“And I’ve been standing here talking to Bianca.”
“Hi, Bianca,” Carys says, then immediately turns her attention to me. She slams an envelope in my hand and then shoves me toward the side of the house. “Go.”
I’m so confused. “Where?”
She stands in front of me, panting. “Aurora is here.”
“What?”
“She was here. I saw her out front. She panicked, asked me to give you this, and is headed to her car. Go!”
I take off running to the front of the house.
“Go left on the road!” she shouts.
I sprint down the driveway, my heart pounding. Perspiration gathers between my shoulder blades as I trek onto the road. I look to my right, then to my left.
“Where are you?” I ask, scanning every driveway until I spot the last car in the line. And, just in front of it, is my girl.
“Aurora!” I shout, my jog turning into a sprint. “Wait!”
She jumps, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes find mine.
Even from this distance, and in this situation, I can see her love for me. I can see the pain inflicted on her. I can see the rest of my life.
Somehow, someway.
“Hey.” I pant, stopping a few feet from her. “Carys said you were here.”
She’s beautiful in a pale blue dress that shows off her delicate shoulders. Her hair is piled on top of her head. There are bags beneath her eyes.
I want to touch her—to reach out and pull her close. But I don’t deserve that. I broke our trust.
“I’m sorry,” I say, holding her gaze. “I tried to call and apologize. Then, when you didn’t answer, I figured coming by your house wouldn’t be a good idea.”
She almost grins.
“I was wrong. Selfish. Childish. Mimi called me a brat.”
She bites her lip to keep from smiling.
“I have no right to tell you what to do, or to pressure you into doing anything,” I say. “No matter my intentions, it was wrong. And I will never do anything like that again.”
“Mimi called you a brat?”
“She did. And she was right.” I shrug. “I want you in whatever way you’ll consider letting me have you. I should’ve been more considerate of you, and I wasn’t, and I hate myself for it.”
“So what are you proposing?”
“Whatever you want. You call the shots. You’re in control.”
Her eyes soften.
“I want you to know that marriage is always on the table. Fifty years from now, it’ll still be there. But I won’t bring it up again,” I say. “I’m not going to hurt you by making you think about terrible things. How stupid was I?”
“So no marriage?” she asks.
“I love you, Aurora Johnson. I’d rather have you in my life and arms and not be married, than not have you at all.”
She nods, her breaths coming in deeper. “Did you read your card?”
“What card?” I look down at my hand. “Oh, no. Carys shoved it at me, then hurled me toward the road.”
She fights a giggle. “Open it.”
The top of the envelope is tucked into the back. I free it and pull the card out of the sleeve. Aurora watches me nervously as I open the card.
Her handwriting fills up most of the blank space.
Happy birthday, Tate.
You’re impossible to shop for because you have everything a man could want. Well, except for two things.