Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
This was one of my desperate steps, having a fake article published about how I might be getting engaged to some woman I made up. Knowing that my Neverland girl has a feisty side to her, I thought it might provoke her to come out of hiding.
Evoking jealousy is never something I played with with Melody. I always wanted her to be sure of what we had. In fact, I was the jealous one. Tray might be right about this article being a stupid idea. I just know it would trigger me to come out if I heard such a thing about Melody. But what do I really have to lose by doing it?
“You know how many people called asking for a comment or information? The news that the infamous bachelor Easton Ledger is not only dating but engaged. Everyone wants to know who the lucky girl is that got you.”
In the past five years, people seemed to forget I was with Melody. While we didn’t hide our relationship, we hadn’t been seen in public together often after I’d gone to college. We always spent time alone watching movies and being together when we got the chance back then, but she was still in fucking high school. In the past few years, people have become extremely interested in my romantic life. Only because they couldn’t find one.
“We both know I haven’t moved anywhere.” Tray knows a lot about my life. When I hired him, I had no idea how much I’d come to lean on him.
“That doesn't stop them from calling me!”
“Tell them no comment.” I shrug.
“If she’s out there and sees this—”
“She’s out there—” I correct. I won’t believe anything else. Her father flipped on a handful of his trading partners to give up the Ponzi scheme they’d been running. He wasn’t the ringleader, but he had his hands in it. They got away with millions. Melody’s father turned on everyone and gave them all up to save his daughters.
Not in a way that they would go to jail, but they got whole new lives. In the flip of a switch, they disappeared. The only reason I can believe Melody might have gone along with it was because of my family.
Her father got millions from us in the end in different investments. She really thought the loss of the money and the things her father did would change things for me. What she didn’t realize was I’d never been more alive and loved someone so much in my life until her. There was nothing anyone could do to change that. My girl had no idea the things I’d do to keep her. The things I’ve done to work my way into the right places with my money and power to find her.
“Fuck,” I mumble when I see another call come in, this time from my mom. “I have to take this.” I know without a doubt that she’s calling because she’s already seen the article. Or someone alerted her to it.
“Good luck with that.” Tray chuckles, knowing it’s my mom.
“What is this I’m reading?” my mom yells into the phone. “Years! So many years!”
I’m taken back by her anger. “I thought you didn’t think Melody was good for me.” The line grows quiet for a long moment.
“Years.” She whispers now. “Are you really moving on?” My mom sounds disappointed in me, which wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. I thought she’d be overjoyed at the fake news.
“No. I made it up.”
A small laugh comes from her. “All right then.”
“All right then?” I repeat. My mom is still able to shock me.
“The devotion you’ve had for her is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, Easton. If Melody is the woman that will make you whole, I want that for you. I don’t want you to settle or give up on that.”
I’m sure at first my parents were relieved once they believed Melody was out of my life. They thought she’d changed me, pulling me off the path they wanted. That was until they saw the real effect she had on me. Any path anyone thought I was going to travel down disappeared. It was me with a chainsaw making a new one. It didn’t matter if it existed, I was going to make it so.
I was going to bring it to life. I would destroy anything in my way to get where I needed to be. My parents should have known that. I’m a Ledger, after all. Our last name comes with power. Everyone started to realize how grounded she’d truly kept me.
“You didn’t always feel that way,” I remind her as I step out of the back of the SUV when my driver rolls to a stop in front of my building.
I walk past my doorman to go down and get a coffee. I couldn't sleep on the plane ride. All I could think about was Maggie maybe coming through for me. An address. That’s all I need. Just a small crumb to lead me in the right direction.