Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“I’m all right,” I murmur, seeing the concern in her eyes. “It doesn’t feel real yet, you know?” I grab the broom and start to sweep the little bits of stray hair that have gotten away from us throughout the day.
“I know what you mean. When my brother and Bonnie died, it took a while for the reality of them being gone, really gone, to sink in. I guess it still kind of happens even now. There’s still days that I expect them to call or walk through the door,” she says, and I notice that her eyes are getting wet. “It gets easier to deal with the loss, but it never goes away.”
“I’m sorry, Ellie.” I lean over and give her a hug, hating that talking about this has brought up the memories of her brother and his girlfriend, who died in a car accident. When they both died suddenly, the care of their daughter, Hope, who was just a few months old at the time, was left to Ellie, and since then she has raised Hope as her own child. Hope knows about her parents, but Ellie and Jax are the only real parents she knows.
“Honey, you just lost your sister. I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around.”
“I wasn’t as close to Kelly as you were to your brother and Bonnie,” I remind her quietly, and she presses her lips together. Ellie didn’t care much for Kelly. Not that she knew her personally, but she did know of the things Kelly had done to me, and being the kind of friend she is, she’s been angry at Kelly on my behalf for a long time. “I wish things had been different between us, but they weren’t, and now they never will be.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” I agree.
“You know I’m here anytime you want to talk about anything, right?” she asks, wrapping her arms around my waist to give me a tight hug.
“I know.” I hug her back just as tightly.
“I love you. We all love you,” she whispers against my ear, and I pull in a breath.
“I love you, too,” I whisper back, vowing then and there to be a better friend to her and the friends I’ve made since moving here. Over the last few months, I’ve gotten so caught up in my own personal drama that I’ve neglected my friends and family, but that is going to change. Life is too short to live the way I’ve been living, and losing Kelly reminded me of that. Giving me one last squeeze, she pulls away and I wipe my wet cheeks, praying I’ll soon stop crying all the damn time.
“How are things between you and Sage?”
This is a subject I don’t really know how to go about discussing. Everyone who knows the two of us saw Sage coming around, trying to get me to talk to him before Kelly was murdered. Now they all know I stayed with him while my parents were in town, since he’s related to most of the people I consider friends. “We… I… we’re…” I sigh then roll my eyes when she starts to smile. “I honestly have no idea, but I do know we are not friends.”
“You’re not friends?” she repeats, and her brows draw together tightly.
“He told me before he left that we’re not friends and he did everything he did for me because I’m apparently his.”
“Ahh,” she breathes, and then mutters, “I see.”
“Do you? Because I don’t see, and I’ve been wracking my brain since he left yesterday, trying to figure it out.”
“It really is simple, honey. You’re his. He’s obviously claimed you.”
“Claimed me?” My nose scrunches up at that, and she giggles.
“Is it really that bad, being claimed by Sage Mayson?”
“Put like that, I guess the answer is no,” I reply as my lips twitch, and she laughs loudly.
“I didn’t think so,” she says right as the bell over the door goes off. Watching a woman walk up to the front counter carrying a huge bouquet of flowers, I follow behind Ellie toward the front of the salon, where Frankie’s been going over the appointment book since the last client left.
“How can I help you?” Frankie asks as the woman sets the bouquet down and steps out from behind it and into view.
“These are for Kimberly Cullen,” she answers, and Frankie turns to look at me.
“You got flowers, girl.”
“I see that.” I smile at him then turn my smile on the delivery woman. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She grins back before she turns and leaves through the door.
“Did Sage send you flowers?” Ellie asks as soon as the door is closed, and I shrug while searching for the card. Finding it a second later, I pull it off and open it up. Reading it, I blink and then turn and hold it out to Ellie and Frankie.