Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“I promise,” I swear to him without thinking, even crossing my heart, but the sound of Sheree, Joey’s mom, stops me before I get to the ‘hope to die’ part.
“Joey? Joey, where are you?” I hear his mom calling out.
That’s my cue to leave, and like right now.
Joey scuttles up the stairs without a word, and I make my way back out through his yard to Zak, who’s waiting anxiously.
I puff air out of my cheeks and feel like I can finally breathe once we’re moving again. I apologize to Zak. But Zak’s biggest concern is Joey.
“You sure he’s okay?” he asks. “I mean, accidentally having someone else’s kid in the car is one thing, but was he serious about running away?”
I know what Zak means, but no. Joey’s not likely to run off again. But for some reason, his choice of words hit me hard.
“Isn’t that what we are doing, Zak? Aren’t we running away?” I ask him.
The instant echo in my mind about the promise I just made Joey makes me feel almost sick.
Only because deep down, I know I won’t be coming home. Not yet anyway, and certainly not tonight if Zak’s intense look is anything to go by.
“I’m not running away,” Zak replies, reaching for my hand which he kisses.
“I was running toward something. And now it’s all mine,” he says with satisfaction. Both our hands slide into his lap. And with his other on the wheel, it’s enough for me to set my mind at ease.
I guess running away from one thing really can mean you’re running toward something else.
Something way better.
Like Zak Templeton.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Zak
I don’t know exactly what I was about to say to Jade before we found Joey stowed away in the back seat.
That kid sure is going places, but for today at least, I think it’s better he stay at home with his mom.
I don’t like the thought of Jade feeling like she’s running anyplace either. Except into my arms, which is where I think we both know she’d rather be right now.
She’s quiet once we’re moving again, and I don’t want to dwell on the Joey thing. I can see it’s rattled Jade some, and my nerves take a while to get over the shock too.
“I was going to take us to the workshop,” I muse aloud, finally getting back to Jade’s original question.
“But?” she asks, making such a face that I chuckle.
She looks as if I’ve got another heart-stopping shock in store, but I’m quick to let her know it’s nothing bad.
“I just…. And I meant it when I said we can wait, but I got us a suite at a hotel,” I tell her. Hearing how fucking boring and unromantic that sounds. And already hoping like hell the place is as nice in real life as it looked on my phone at four a.m.
I feel her hand tighten on mine, and she leans over with excitement.
“I don’t want to wait that long,” she’s quick to tell me, making me growl as I smile.
“I did a lot of thinking last night, Zak,” she tells me. “And everything you said before, before Joey…well, I feel the same. I feel exactly the same,” she says, squeezing my hand again.
Jade is giving me an intense look from beside me that I catch in the rearview mirror, settling it in my mind instantly as I set a course for the hotel.
Which is exactly where I was hoping she’d want to go instead of boring old work.
All that will still be there, but this. These moments we have together?
I’m already saving these to the Jade file, subheading: cherished.
“Maybe we could find you some actual clothes,” I suggest, but I’m swift to let her know I’d be happiest with her naked against me.
She grimaces, and I ask her what’s wrong.
“What’d I say? I thought you just said…?” I ask, confused.
“It’s not that, Zak,” she murmurs bashfully.
“I didn’t bring anything except my phone. And I’m not really able to buy anything,” she says in a near whisper.
I feel bad because I can see how much it hurts her to even say it out loud.
“Remember what I just said before?” I coach her, needing her to understand it now more than ever.
“You’re mine, and I’m yours. That means when you need or want something; it’s yours,” I explain firmly until she gives me one of her trademark sassy replies.
“Yeah, and with your money,” she says, rolling her eyes.
I click my tongue, but I’m only impatient. She hasn’t grasped the full concept of us just yet.
But I can show her.
“Your money too, if you want to think of it that way. But we don’t have to go clothes shopping. We can do whatever you want. It’s Saturday,” I announce, instantly giving us both the day off from work that we probably were never going to get to anyway.