Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“Why am I seeing your engagement in the news before I’m hearing it from you?” Mom asks.
They hate any important news over text, but I should have escaped to video call them. I was just in so much shock. Now I’m being a terrible daughter all over again. Lying to them feels horrible.
“I’m so sorry, Mumma.” I use the term intentionally because it always softens her up. “It wasn’t planned. I didn’t plan it. Dallas just did it, and I wasn’t expecting it, and his parents were here, and it all happened so fast—”
“His parents were there to witness you getting engaged, and we were not.”
The hurt in her tone makes me feel like a steaming pile of garbage. “Mom, you were on shift, and Ma was traveling back from that big vendor show in the States yesterday. Remember I invited you to the game, but you couldn’t make it work? I know you would have attended if you could,” I hastily tack on, so as not to make it seem like her fault. “And like I said, I didn’t know it was going to happen. Dallas is a little impetuous.”
She makes a displeased sound. “You just agreed to marry this man, and we haven’t even met him.”
Fuck me. “You’ve met him plenty of times. We went to school together from kindergarten to grade twelve.”
“We knew him when he was a boy. That was a decade ago.” She sighs. “It feels like we’re missing all these important milestones. We just found out you were dating him, and now you’re engaged. It’s like you’re living this life we know nothing about. I’m not used to being in the dark when it comes to you.”
“I swear it’s not intentional, Mom. It’s a complicated relationship.” The guilt really sucks.
She hmms. “Your ma and I, and your brothers, are coming to visit you this weekend.”
“Wait. What? Doesn’t Isaac have some big thing happening in New York? And how did Sam get a weekend off?”
“Isaac is CEO of his own company. He can take any weekend off he wants. And Sam is already off this weekend, so it works out perfectly. Your brothers were planning a hike, so now they’re adjusting the location since Niagara has the Bruce Trail. We’ll arrive early Friday evening. I’ll bring everything we need for family dinner; you don’t have to worry. But we are coming to see you. We want to get to know Dallas.”
“Isaac and his older brother were in the same freaking grade.”
“That’s different. Besides, Sam didn’t go to school with Dallas, and you were just kids back then. They only know of him—and, of course, what he looks like on the ice. They want to meet your future husband. And we would like to celebrate this engagement since we weren’t able to be there last night.”
“Right. Yes. Of course, Mom.” Once she has her mind made up, there’s no getting out of it.
“Great. It’s settled. We’ll see you Friday. Congratulations, sweetheart! I’m sure you’re very excited. You can fill us in on everything this weekend!”
“So looking forward to it,” I lie. Seems like my acting skills are getting a constant work out these days.
Mom ends the call, and the headache I’d finally gotten rid of comes back. Dallas is definitely going to regret this proposal. My brothers will make sure of that.
Two nights later, I’ve recovered enough from my epic hangover to spend time with the Badass Babe Brigade. Frankly, I need some girl time. My brothers have been messaging relentlessly since they found out about the engagement. At one point they started fighting about who gets to give me away. Which is sweet, but also, I’m not actually getting married.
“Thank you for hosting, Hammer.” My roommate is home for the next two days, and the walls are thin. She doesn’t need to hear about my relationship drama. I’m grateful she knows nothing about sports and has nothing to do with any part of my work life. Mostly we just say hi to each other in the kitchen, make small talk, and do our own thing. As far as quiet roommates go, she wins first prize.
“It’s no problem. It forces Hollis to spend time with the guys. And my dad.”
“They seem good though, right?” Shilpa asks.
“Oh yeah. They’re back to themselves again. And my dad has learned not to use his key anymore, so all is right in the world. But Hollis has a small social circle, and it’s the offseason, so this means he has to find something to do that isn’t me related. Also, it gives me a reason to use this place until the sublet is up.”
Hollis and Hammer have only been openly dating for a few months, and the person who owns the unit she’s subletting will be back in November.
“How many nights a week do you spend at his place?”