Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 167204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 557(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 557(@300wpm)
Before I lift the heavy ass thing, I walk over to the cookie table to grab one more of the red velvet ones because they were delicious and I’m still hungry, then I retrieve my bag and slide the strap over my shoulder.
“Well, seeing as you’re a devoted student of the sciences now and this auditorium isn’t big enough for both of us, I’m leaving. Enjoy your seminar,” I say, then I turn to go.
He’s off the couch and after me a second later.
“Brynn, wait.”
“No, Killian,” I snap, whipping around to face him. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to even show up today? I got no sleep. I am exhausted, physically and emotionally. I don’t have the energy for this.”
He’s not so glib now. “I get that. You don’t think I feel the same way?”
“Well, I certainly can’t tell.”
I really can’t, and it’s fucking annoying. I look like a homeless lady who lives in the park and steals the odd scraps tossed to nearby birds, and I feel even worse than that. He looks like a carefully selected profile picture.
I’ve never hated how goddamn effortlessly attractive he is more than in this moment.
More gently, but also a little bit like an asshole, he says, “Well, maybe if you answered my text messages, you’d know.”
I glare at him. “I don’t text engaged men. Sorry.”
With that, I turn back around and storm out of the lounge.
The bastard follows me.
“See, when you say it like that, it doesn’t sound like you’re really sorry.”
“Killian, I swear to god…”
“Hey, come on, stop.” He grabs my arm, making me stop, but we’re alone in the hallway now. “I’m serious. I need to talk to you.”
“I have nothing to say to you. Unless you’re telling me you’re not marrying Sloane, I have nothing to say.”
That kills the last remaining sparkle of amusement in his blue eyes, and as unhinged as it is, I almost feel guilty.
“It’s not that simple, Brynn. I wish…” He trails off, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. But I know I fucked up a lot for you, and I want to fix it.”
“I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, maybe. I don’t care. You’re getting my help anyway. Have you checked your bank account today?”
“No,” I say, frowning.
He nods at my bag. “Give it a look.”
Scowling even more, I pull my phone out and quickly log into my online banking.
The balance should say I have about $45, so my heart drops into my stomach when instead it says my balance is $10,046.28.
Eyes wide, I look back up at him. “What the hell is this?”
“In the interest of not letting you walk headfirst into any more walls I’ve built without a warning, I should tell you that when I called you off work to go to Paris, I didn’t exactly just call you off for the weekend.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“I quit both jobs for you.” When my eyes bulge out angrily, he goes on. “In my defense, you don’t have time to work, Brynn. You really don’t.”
“I have to work,” I tell him. “I don’t have a network of powerful friends who help me get ahead, Killian. I need a job to show I have income—”
“You don’t need a network,” he interrupts, “you’ve got me. If the income is an issue, I’ll co-sign. My income is more than sufficient for any apartment you could want. What’s in your account now is more than enough to get yourself set up in an apartment. You don’t have to live with anybody, and you damn sure won’t be stuck living at the Zeta house. I’ll put more money in your account next month, and I’m going to buy you a car since yours is God knows where. If you want to go with me to pick it out, we can go Friday. Otherwise I’ll buy you something myself, but either way, you’re getting a car.”
“You cannot buy me a car.”
“Yes, I can.”
“What will Sloane think?”
“I don’t give a fuck what Sloane thinks. I care about you, so I’m going to fix as much of this mess I made for you as I possibly can.”
I cross my arms and lift my eyebrows. “Does that include apologizing to Liam for acting like a jealous asshole when you have literally no right?”
He scowls. “Fuck no. Did I not tell you just yesterday that if I see you with someone else, I’m gonna raise hell?”
My jaw drops open. “You mean hours before your fiancée stormed into our apartment in the middle of the night? Yeah, I think I do remember that, and how fucking dare you think that still applies.”
“Damn right it still applies. That’s where the colossally unfair part kicks in, you remember that?”
“I want to hit you,” I state, feeling rage in my body like it’s a living thing.