Total pages in book: 191
Estimated words: 182070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“Zac—”
“I’m sorry, kiddo. I’m so damn sorry for all of it.”
“No, it’s my fault too. I was just so sad after Mamá Lupe died and—” I gulped, and my shoulders bobbed under his forearms. “—I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you more. I’m just…. I was just used to people getting busy and forgetting about me. And I guess I convinced myself that you had only been nice to me because of the snake thing that I don’t even remember.”
Zac’s mouth went flat, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob. “I didn’t like you so much because you saved my life, kiddo. Bein’ around you has always made me happy. Even when you were a baby, you were always makin’ me laugh.” His head tilted forward, and I barely heard him, but I did. “You still do. That’s why I… that’s why I’m always botherin’ you. You make everything fun. Everything good. You’ve always been my favorite girl, kiddo. Hands down.”
I wasn’t sure if he smiled first or if I did, but what I did know was that I loved him with my whole heart, even though I knew better.
At least he loved me too. In his own way.
Chapter Seventeen
Me: I’m going to be late getting home. Get dinner without me. Sorry to bail, but I’ll make you some almond cake to make it up to you. XOXO
I sent the message with my right hand, leaned back against the seat I was in, and sighed.
I couldn’t fucking believe it.
Part of me wanted to glance at the man in the seat beside mine, but I couldn’t talk myself into it. I knew that this was my reality. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting where I was, with him beside me.
Having one of the worst days of my life.
The only positive side to all this was that he was pretending I wasn’t next to him too.
Thankfully, he was still doing that when my phone rang maybe a minute and a half after I’d sent my text message.
I LOVE ZAC CALLING flashed across the screen—I wasn’t sure when the hell he’d snuck onto my phone and changed his contact information, but it had made me smile when I’d first seen it—and I answered.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey. You stayin’ late at work? Want me to bring you somethin’ to eat before you get hangry?” my friend asked in one quick breath, in almost a whisper that had me wondering what the hell he was in the middle of doing exactly. He’d told me he had a meeting at White Oaks headquarters with the coaching staff. We had only made plans to squeeze in dinner because… well, I think we were both shook up after what had happened with Jessica and the switching of our numbers, and we both probably felt bad about it. Maybe. At least I did. I’d had a lot to think about lately, and that was at the top of my list.
I rubbed at my brow bone with my right hand and glanced at the man beside me to make sure he was still hung up on his phone. “No, I’m not working late.” Unfortunately.
But Zac beat me to speaking before I had the chance to explain. “You goin’ out tonight or… got, uh, a date or somethin’ you’re standin’ me up for?”
I straight-up snorted into the phone and glanced to my right once more to make sure he wasn’t paying attention. “Pssh. I’d never stand you up for some guy. I’m at urgent care—”
“Where?” he asked.
“Urgent care—”
There was a sound in the background a split second before his voice went soft but sharp. “You’re at the hospital?”
“I’m okay,” I tried to rush out, glancing at my phone to make sure the person snarling at me over the line was really Zac. It was. “I fell at work and cut my elbow—”
There were some noises in the background, and I was pretty sure I heard someone say his name before he basically demanded in one long breath, “You all right? Did it just happen?”
“About an hour ago? We just got here. I’m in the waiting room. I’m not going to bleed out or anything but it hurts.”
There were more sounds in the background, a few whispers before Zac asked, “Which one?”
“I just need a few stitches maybe.”
He blew out a breath that filled the line, and his voice was steadier during his next question. “Bianca. Where you at?” I’d swear I could hear him moving. Walking. Something.
“You really don’t need to—”
He didn’t let me finish. “I really do. What urgent care are you at?” Before I could get another word out, he added, “I’m comin’. You better not even start with your nonsense again either.”
I sighed, holding my throbbing elbow a little tighter to my stomach. I rattled off the name of the urgent care clinic that Gunner had driven me to, and that was when my boss finally turned to look at me instead of his phone for the first time since we’d gotten here. He’d had the nerve to roll his eyes when I busted my ass in front of him, and Deepa had screamed for someone to call an ambulance.