Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
This conversation is torture. I’ve had enough. I’d rather be in court with the most hostile witness on the stand than talk to Elaine any longer or deal with her nightmare of a son.
“So this is the kind of man you are? The kind who goes back on his word?”
“I’m the kind of man who will not continue to contribute to the chauvinistic degeneracy of a young man who treats women like pieces of meat. If you have an issue with that, Elaine, frankly I don’t give a damn.”
And with that, I hang up.
Ah, that felt good. Although I do wish I could be there to see Reed’s face when he gets the call from his mother that going to her and acting like a spoiled brat didn’t end up getting him what he wanted.
What a strange world we live in. One where boys like Reed, who have been handed everything they could ever want on a platter, are so ungrateful, yet incredible girls like Nikki, who work hard and never ask for anything, can’t even get an up-to-date laptop to write on until a guy like me comes along and decides to step in.
I want to spoil her. I want to give her everything she could ever want in life, including every chance to do the things she wants to do. I know she could be a successful writer if she would just believe in herself. If she could just get her work out there in front of the right people’s eyes.
Suddenly, it’s like the entire Earth shifts beneath my feet. This case I’m working on today is enormous. Monumental, one of the biggest of my career surely. But as I think about Nikki and all the things I could do for her, all the things we could do together, it feels less important than it did a few days ago.
I’ve been building this life for myself, this career, this firm, but now all I can think about is building a family with her.
Is this what love feels like?
I wouldn’t know. I’ve never felt it before. I’ve said it before to other women, trying to convince myself that I was actually experiencing it, but I think I knew deep down in my heart that I was just pretending.
Maybe that’s why those relationships never worked out. Maybe I was just waiting for the universe to lead me to Nikki. Because now there’s a feeling deep down in my core, a feeling more powerful than anything I could ever hope to describe, a feeling that I know is going to change everything.
7
Nikki
“I just can’t believe you broke up with him,” my mom says for what must be the fifth or sixth time since I got home from work. I roll my eyes, just thankful my dad isn’t around to pile onto the inquisition, and grab my towel off the hanger.
“He was an asshole, Mom. Believe me, if I told you exactly what he said—”
“But he was rich,” she laughs. “He would have been an easy ticket to the high life!”
“That’s nice, Mom. So he’s right he gets to cheat on me?”
Mom waves a dismissive hand in the air. “So he gets a little side action. Big deal! You get to live in a big house and wear diamonds, maybe have your own side piece too.”
I almost gag. “That sounds great, Mom. Date a guy for his money and then have some weird relationship where we both cheat on each other? No, thanks.”
“Hey, you want out of the valley, don’t you?”
Part of me desperately wants to tell her about Grant and all the amazing things going on between us, but I just can’t. I’ll have to someday, but right now, Grant is like this private secret, a wonderful little treasure I get to keep just to myself, and I’m not going to tell her and have her try to ruin it somehow by saying or doing something stupid.
“I’ll figure something out,” I say, heading for the bathroom. I need a shower after work if I’m going to see Grant, especially after Logan spilled almond milk all over me and got it in my hair.
“Not working at the coffee shop you won’t,” my mom laughs. “Take my advice, Nikki, and call Reed back and apologize. You won’t regret it.”
“That’s not happening,” I reply, closing the bathroom door in her face.
I run the water as hot as I can and step into the shower, trying not to think about how obnoxious my mom is and doing my best to focus on the fact that I’ll be seeing Grant again tonight. That’s all that matters. I’m pretty sure I could have been attacked at gunpoint today and seeing Grant would make me feel all better. That’s the kind of effect he has on me.
I wash up, and when I get back to my room, I see I already have a text on my phone: