Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
I open the group chat on my phone and start a new message.
I need your help.
Jude
Everything okay, sis?
Devon
Do you know what time it is? Some of us are trying to sleep.
Nolan
Dude, don’t be rude.
Millie
Uh-oh. Has this got something to do with Mr. Broodypants?
It does and stopping calling him that.
Millie
But you knew who I meant, amiright?
Mills . . .
Jude
How can we help?
I need a grand gesture. Something to win Kyler back.
Devon
Oh shiiiiiit, she’s pulling out the big guns!
Nolan
*fans self* I love a good romantic gesture.
Millie
*rolls eyes* you would . . .
Guys . . .
Nolan
What kind of romantic gesture are you thinking? Like, small, discrete love notes left for him to find? Or the grand all-in-for-the-world-to-see teddy bears and flowers and shit, kind of thing?
Millie
If she knew that, she wouldn’t be asking for our help.
Devon
Yeah, what she said, moron.
*sighs* can we have a house meeting so we can brainstorm ideas?
Devon
Depends. Are you providing food?
Millie
Devon! The girl has a broken heart, and she needs our help to fix it. We should be providing her with food.
I’ll make brunch. Deal?
Devon
Hell yes!!
Nolan
I’m soooo there.
Jude
You don’t have to do that, T.
Devon
Yeah, she does!
Millie
See you in an hour.
I’m piling some bacon onto a plate when Devon and Nolan join me in the kitchen with Jude following shortly after. Despite the fact I tell them it’s polite to wait for Millie before they dig in, they’re halfway through their first plate of food before she arrives. Luckily, I’m now used to their eating habits, and take an extra tray of the breakfast burritos I’ve made out of the oven.
“Hey, no fair!” Devon exclaims through a mouth of half-eaten food, “you kept some of the goods back.”
Millie responds by lightly hitting him on the back of his head as she walks past him and takes the plate I hand to her. “Life’s not fair, get used to it,” she says before taking a bite of some bacon.
“So,” Jude takes a sip of his juice before continuing, “what kind of grand gesture were you thinking?”
“Well, that’s why I need your help,” I reply. “I’m not entirely sure. I don’t want it to be cheesy or clichéd. But at the same time, I want to make a statement and show him my feelings are genuine. Plus, I need him to know I’m sorry for bringing Adam into our lives. While I knew nothing of Adam’s scheming, Kyler still believes if it wasn’t for me, the Nelsons would never have found Lacey.”
“Here’s the thing, T,” Jude points his fork at me, as he contemplates his next words. “Ky’s grown up without anyone actually showing him they care for him. His dad left when he was young and sure, he has his mom and his sister, but they depend on him. They only show affection for him when they want something. He’s gone through life being distrustful of everyone.”
“So, you need to show him not everyone is like that. Not every woman close to him uses him,” Millie chips in.
“I get that,” I tell them, “and, I know it takes a lot for him to trust people. And I know I’ve got to show him he can trust me again and how I feel about him.”
“I think you do need to go down the cheesy, clichéd route.” Nolan holds up his hands to stop everyone from butting in. “No, hear me out. Jude’s just said Kyler’s never been shown true affection. So, show him. Do all the grand gestures. Spoil him. Romance him. Show him how you feel about him. Leave him notes of affection. Do a ‘Love Actually’ and tell him how you feel on huge cards and then show him those in front of everybody. Show him that he’s worthy of love. And show him he’s worthy of your love and in return, he’ll trust you. That’s what he needs. That’s how you’ll get him back.”
“That’s . . . actually not a bad idea,” Millie says, with a hint of dismay in her voice.
“Your constant ability to not give me credit for knowing how to be romantic wounds me, Millicent.” Millie flips the bird at him as her reply.
“I think Nole’s on to something.” Devon says, “and I think there’s a perfect opportunity coming up to grand-gesture Kyler so hard he’ll have no choice but to take you back.”
“What are you thinking?” Jude asks him.
“This weekend. It’s the National Championship game against Augsburg. It’ll be packed and so everyone will witness you winning him back. It will be a grand gesture as you’ll be showing him, he’s loved in front of an arena of people. I mean, you’ve seen proposals at those big sporting events. They are always a big hit.”
“This only gives me a few days to get everything ready. How can we be sure he’ll stick around long enough to see me?” I ask, nerves taking a hold of me.