Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“This weekend?” he asks, and I nod.
His wince tells me everything I need to know and my heart sinks into my shoes. “I’m going to Norfolk this weekend to stay with my parents. But…come with me. There’s a few of us going.”
“I don’t even know where Norfolk is.”
“It’s by the sea, in the most easterly part of the UK. You should get out of London, get a break from things here.”
I smile because I can see the offer is genuine, but there’s no way I can go and stay with Beau’s parents. “That’s really sweet, but I think I’ll stay here.”
“No,” he says. “Come with me. You can meet everyone and—I mean, Madison I think is a fan, and from what Jacob says, Sutton has concert tickets for you next year, but really they’ll get over themselves in a hot minute and I promise you won’t be uncomfortable.”
I sigh. “I should stay. I need to work.”
“My mum makes the best roast dinner ever. We can go for a walk up to Blakeney Point. It’s so beautiful and no one will bother you, I promise. It’s not that kind of place. It’s low-key and relaxed. I swear, Tom Cruise filmed a movie around there and no one blinked an eye. You won’t be bothered.”
The idea of getting out of London appeals to me. I’ve never seen the country outside of London, save the backstage area of an arena. It might be nice to see some of the English countryside I’ve heard so much about. But the paps—would they follow me? And the security implications… It would be a lot to organize in just a couple of days.
“How far away is it?”
“Just over three hours in the car. If my cousin Vincent’s in town, he’ll be going up by helicopter, so we can hitch a lift with him. Or a road trip, just the two of us might be fun.”
“I can’t—” Just before I’m about to give him a list of reasons why I can’t possibly travel up to Norfolk, my phone goes and it’s Felicity.
“I need to take this,” I say.
“You want me to go?”
I shake my head and swipe up. She and Tommy are on the phone. My stomach dips.
“Beau’s here,” I say in warning.
“Hey, Beau.”
He waves then stands, wandering over to the acoustic guitar leaning on the wall behind the drums. He is a guy, after all.
“It’s 3am Eastern, which means it must be bad,” I say. “Just tell me.”
“Matt has been pictured having dinner with a woman from his office,” Felicity says flatly.
A little under two years ago, Matt decided to go back to work. He got a job at a law firm as an associate. It meant he wasn’t as flexible when it came to coming with me on trips, but we made it work. I knew it was important for him to have something for himself. And his mood seemed to lift. I think he enjoyed being away from me and the people I employed, and I completely understood that. I was happy for him.
She doesn’t have to tell me who it is. I know already. “Amanda,” I say.
He used to tell me about people in the office—his boss, who he said was terrible at his job but a gold-star kiss-ass. The senior partner, who he seemed to have a great relationship with. There were other members of his team: Chip, Alison and his assistant, Janine. And then there was Amanda. I always suspected he was attracted to her, but I told myself it was normal to be attracted to people outside of a long-term relationship.
“You know her?” Tommy asks.
“I know of her. They worked on the same team. Matt used to talk about her.” I remember being a little jealous, and when I confessed to him, Matt told me I was being paranoid. Amanda was just a colleague. I felt uneasy because I hadn’t accused him of anything—I’d just said I was jealous. He’d made the extra connection in his mind and created something for me to be jealous of.
“We have a quote from Matt’s PR. He’s enjoying the company of friends and family as he rebuilds his life after his split, blah blah blah.”
“He’s hitting back after the pictures with Beau,” I say. I can’t be angry. We’re not together and we’re not getting back together. In the words of the wise and wonderful Taylor Swift, We are never ever getting back together. Shouldn’t I be happy for him that he’s moving on? Or that I’m rid of him at least.
“There’s just one more thing,” Felicity says. It’s always Felicity who delivers the bad news. Tommy has my back one thousand percent, but he absolutely doesn’t like to upset me. “They’re also pictured going back to her apartment building. Holding hands.”
My stomach swoops, and I press my palm to my belly button. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.” What else is there to say? Yes, I want to know how long it’s been going on for. Yes, a masochistic part of me wants to know if he was planning to leave me for her. Yes, I want to know if they’ve had sex or if they’re serious, or if he’s just trying to make me jealous.