Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“Derek isn’t yours,” Claire sneered, the bitter words spewing out, despite the fact that both mothers watched in panicked silence.
Jessica recognized Claire’s last-ditch effort to cut her down, and she found it sad. “I refuse to fight with you over a man. I’m not going to stoop that low, and besides, I don’t have to. Derek makes his own choices, and he’s already told me that he’d pick me every time,” she said, unable to forget their earlier conversation.
The other woman had no response to that, and she sat in silence, fury evident in her narrowed eyes and pinched expression. But Jessica had the upper hand, and there was nothing more Claire could do.
Having said her piece, Jessica stood, and she was unable to hold back one last comment. “I suppose I should thank you for leaking those photos and for all the free press for Curvy Girl Couture. I never thought I’d have actual celebrities endorsing my designs and supporting my business. So, thank you for that invaluable word of mouth.”
While Claire continued to fume in frustrated, angry silence, Jessica nodded courteously at Olivia, then turned to Derek’s mother. “Mrs. Bettencourt, it was nice to see you again,” she said. “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, ladies.”
Jessica walked out of the restaurant, her legs a bit shaky but her entire being filled with so much satisfaction. She’d stood up for herself, defended her self-worth, and now she refused to allow any more toxicity into her life, not when she had so many amazing things to look forward to.
She hailed a cab, slipped into the backseat, and gave the driver directions to the Blackout Media offices, where Derek was waiting to hear how her confrontation with Claire had gone. She planned to assure him she’d handled his ex and tell him how she’d faced Claire and stood up for herself.
Then she needed to be that brave with him. She needed to have the courage to be vulnerable and take the emotional risks she’d avoided for most of her life. The kind that could leave her with either a broken heart or the greatest love of her life.
And that meant being honest with herself and with Derek. She was in love with him. Had been for most of her life, and she wanted more than random hookups with him. She wanted a commitment and a future, not a temporary fling, and she wasn’t going to settle for anything less. But the choice wasn’t solely hers. Derek, too, deserved the future he envisioned for himself. Even if that meant she couldn’t be a part of it, and her throat grew tight at the painful thought.
Derek had proven he was a good friend and her white knight—and she knew he always would be, no matter what happened between them. He was that honorable, that dependable and loyal. And those were just a few of the qualities she loved about him. But Derek wanted something she might not ever be able to give him, and she had to be prepared because her heart and love might not be enough to make up for the possibility that she couldn’t provide him with that family he desired.
The driver arrived at the building, and Jessica got out of the cab, shoring up the last of her courage to find out what kind of future awaited her . . . one with . . . or without Derek.
Chapter Twenty
Feeling anxious and impatient, Derek paced in front of the windows in his office while checking his cellphone every few minutes for some kind of message from Jessica. He had the sound on as loud as possible for any calls or pings, but that didn’t stop him from obsessively looking to see if something, anything, had come through.
They’d parted ways over an hour ago, and while he was proud as hell of her for confronting Claire on her own, he couldn’t help but worry about how the meeting would go. Or how it might end. Even while he had every bit of confidence that Jessica could handle the situation and Claire, he hated not being by there to defend the woman he loved.
Love . . . the word and undeniable emotion resonated inside him, settling in his chest along with the certainty that Jessica was always meant to be his. And if he had his way, now that she was in his life, he wouldn’t ever let her go.
His phone rang, and without even looking at the caller, he swiped the bar and put the unit up to his ear. “Hello?”
“How could you allow Jessica to make a scene with Claire at Sadelle’s?” His mother’s irritated voice came through loud and clear. “I was there with Olivia when she sat down at our table and started making all sorts of horrible accusations. Did you know about this?”