Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“I didn’t hear you say anything,” Jane Larson says.
Is this woman an idiot? Clearly, the answer is yes, as cruel as that might be. This is a much better story for her. Now, she gets to take down the big bad CEO instead of just another woman. Not that I could ever realistically think of Sophie as just another woman.
“I whispered it to her,” I snap. “I told her to break your phone because you deserved it.”
“No, I won’t let this happen.” Sophie sits up, looking so dignified, so confident. “Kaleb is lying to protect me. The truth is—”
“Sophie.”
“The truth is,” she continues, looking at me stubbornly, “I’m being blackmailed. Somebody has illegally gotten hold of a silly video I made when I was thirteen. Now, they’re trying to use it against Kaleb and me.”
“I don’t understand,” Maxine says. “What sort of video could do that?”
There’s nothing for me to do. Dammit, my woman is too good. Her heart is too pure.
“I’m Paul Taylor’s sister. That means I saw Kaleb a lot growing up. I…” She looks down, seeming to doubt herself, but then she pushes through it. It’s so impressive because I can see how difficult it is for her. Not that I want her to do this. “I had a silly crush on him. Somebody found a video of me talking about the crush. They said they’d show my brother unless I got Kaleb to say it was him, but it wasn’t.”
She stands up, suddenly filled with passion. She looks so fierce, so capable, so experienced despite her age. There’s so much to admire about her in this moment.
“It was me, and I did it because she…” She points a finger at Jane. “… thought she deserved her little brush with fame more than Kaleb deserved to be there for his best friend. We thought he might die—my brother—and you didn’t even care. All you wanted was your little video. I bet you hope to get a reality show from all this drama.”
Jane flinches, and I’m sure Sophie has struck a nerve.
“You can make any excuses you want,” Sophie says, “but we both know you were wrong. Try to pull on people’s heartstrings. Say you needed it for emotional support or whatever. It’s bullshit. You’re a liar, and you know it.”
Sophie turns and marches off the set. I stand, adjust my cufflinks, nod to Maxine, then turn and follow my woman.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Gwen
“This is so wrong,” I whisper, running my hand softly through Paul’s hair.
He yawns and leans against me, breathing softly. He’s typically got a smile on his face, but he somehow seems more content than usual. It’s the pills, I know that, but it still feels nice.
“You always say that,” he murmurs after a pause.
My body gets stiff like a knife of betrayal has just sliced through me. That’s what it feels like every time I come here. I’ve never told Sophie about my crush on her big brother Paul, all the times I’d dream of him holding me, kissing him—all the times I was over here, watching, praying I could have him.
Then, last year, when I turned nineteen, we ran into each other on a hiking trail. My boyfriend had just broken up with me on the trail, leaving me to walk back alone. When Paul heard what happened, he left his friends and walked with me. One thing led to another… okay, many others.
We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell her for weeks.
“But it is,” I say, kissing his cheek again.
“You’re lucky I’m all dosed up,” he says, chuckling. “Or those kisses might give me ideas.”
“I want Sophie to know this doesn’t mean we’re not friends, you know? Do you think she could ever accept that?”
Paul normally takes this seriously. Usually, I can sense his panic, but now he smiles dreamily. “I think when she sees how happy we are together and hears us talking about babies and the future…”
My belly tingles like it always does when he talks about that stuff. I still can’t believe it sometimes, the fact he wants a future together as badly as I do, but he does. Over the past several months, we’ve talked about it a lot.
“I think that’s the pills talking,” I tell him.
“Maybe,” he sighs, “but she’s always asking me when I’m going to find somebody.”
“I don’t think she meant me.”
I cuddle as close to him as I can without hurting his leg. Being with him felt right from the first time we did it, but there’s always a black cloud hanging over me. When I’m with Sophie, I’m lying about her brother. When I’m with Paul, I’m lying about Sophie’s crush on his best friend.
Okay, I’m not lying, but I’m withholding big time. I wonder if there can ever be a day when we don’t have to keep secrets and can really be together.