Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Coswell, I—”
“I don’t want to know. Later, Fred.”
I hang up and close my eyes. I do want to know. I want to know so fucking bad.
Every time I talk to Erica, I hope that miraculously Zah will appear behind her. Erica swears she’s traveling alone this time. Zah doesn’t post those cute little video vlogs to her channel anymore.
I miss seeing her face. I’ll admit that I watch the old videos every night before bed just to hear her voice. Maybe it’s good she doesn’t post anymore for me to know where she is.
“Fuck, I could go to her. The season is almost over,” I murmur to myself.
Let it go, Bent. You don’t have the time.
CHAPTER 30
Old Friends
Zahirah
“Thanks for coming to hang out with me,” Gilbert says with a smile.
“No problem. Dinner on the yacht was fun. Although I didn’t know you would be here this long.”
“My grandmother wanted to stay a bit longer. Her yacht, her decision.” He shrugs.
“That’s cool. How are things going with the family business? You running things yet?”
“Not yet.” He chuckles. “I sort of hit a snag. My family would prefer me to be married before I’m handed everything.”
“Oh, that must suck. What are you, twenty-nine? That has to be a lot of pressure.”
He shrugs again. “Notice I said would prefer. The real pressure comes from my grandmother. No one is good enough for her. My fiancée has to have her approval.”
“And she doesn’t like your girlfriends?”
“None that she has met. She’s a romantic. She has this great love story in her head for me.
“I’ll see it in your eyes when she’s the one, Gilly,” he mocks.
I snicker and take a sip of my water. This is such a lovely house he’s renting for the week. He said his grandmother needed some time on land.
“Are you sure I can’t get you something stronger than water?”
“Oh, um, no. That’s fine. Water is perfect,” I say with a smile.
The last thing I need is for him to run back to Bentley to tell him I’m pregnant. I get a little nervous and begin to fidget. I’m saved as an older woman enters the room.
“Grandmother, I would like you to meet Zahirah,” Gilbert says as the woman takes a seat.
She looks me over with a warm smile. I return the smile as I take her in. She has all the markings of a woman of wealth.
The Chanel suit, the pearls, the diamonds. Her perfectly coiffed hair. There’s a regal air about her.
“Aren’t you lovely. Very pretty indeed. Do you live here?”
“I’m visiting for a bit. To be honest, I’m getting a bit homesick,” I reply.
“Where is home, dear?”
“Arizona, Grand. We went to school together. She’s from our hometown.”
“Oh, this is the young lady you used to talk about. Uh, Zahirah Nickels, the track star, yes?” she says excitedly.
I look to Gilbert and knit my brows. His cheeks blush and his blue eyes widen. I watch as his mouth flaps open and closed a few times.
“Grand, I … uh … yeah. That Zahirah. I didn’t know you remembered any of that.”
“How could I not? She was all you talked about in high school. I’ve been waiting for years to meet her.
“Have you eaten, dear? Would you like some lunch?”
“I don’t want to be a bother. I should probably be going soon.”
“Nonsense. It’s not every day I finally get to meet Gilbert’s girlfriend. I’ll go to the kitchen and have them prepare something for us,” she says happily.
“Oh, ma’am, I’m not—”
Gilbert reaches for my hand and squeezes it. I look to him, and he shakes his head at me. I search his face and take in his tight expression.
I fall silent and allow his grandmother to leave the room. Once she’s gone, he stands and gently tugs my hand for me to follow him. I do so with furrowed brows.
“Oh my God, I’ve never seen her so happy to meet a girl in my life before. I don’t want to break her heart. We leave in a few days.
“Could you do me a favor and just go with it? She has more days behind her than in front of her. Who knows if she’ll make it back home? Please, Zah.
“I’ll give you anything you want. Name it. Just pretend to be my girlfriend for her sake,” he pleads.
I look up into his eyes, searching. He’s serious. I take a step back. This is all a bit too much. My stomach decides this is the moment it’s going to act up.
Covering my mouth, I race back inside for the powder room I used when I first arrived. Thank God I make it and am able to empty my stomach in private. Once I’m done, I wish I could hide out in here forever.
“Zah, are you all right in there?”
“I’ll be out in a second,” I call.