Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“See what?” he asks softly. “What do you want me to see when I look at you?”
“Me,” I whisper, my attention still on the night beyond the window, because I might break if I look at him. “I just want you to see me.”
He takes a step closer and takes my hand. I let him, and watch as he toys with our fingers. “You think I want to save you because you’re broken?” Gently, he nudges my chin with his thumb until I lift my eyes to meet his.
“I heard you say it. I heard you tell Ethan.”
“I know you did. And I’m sorry I used that word.”
“Don’t pretend. Don’t take it back and pretend you didn’t mean it.” I can take a lot, can survive a lot, but I don’t know if I can handle lies from Brayden. “I know I’m damaged goods. I’m ruined, and that’s why I can’t do this.”
He opens his mouth, but I race for the door. There’s nothing I need as much as I need to get away from this conversation and those beautiful, dark eyes so full of pity.
Brayden
I flinch as I listen to the door click shut behind her. Each one of her words was another twist of the knife in my gut. Damaged goods. Ruined. Broken. To her, it’s all the same.
And now she’s gone, and I feel like something inside me is indeed broken beyond repair.
Molly
Two days until Christmas, and who’s sleep-deprived, heartbroken, and dragging her ass through the mall to finish her shopping? This girl.
Luckily, I have two friends who called me bright and early and asked to join me.
“How’s the situation with Brayden?” Shay asks.
I groan. Unluckily, one of them shares blood with the guy I broke up with last night.
Teagan elbows her. “We agreed we weren’t going to talk about it.”
Shay scowls at Teagan. “It’s almost Christmas. We can’t very well give them time to figure it out on their own if we want a happy ending before Santa comes.”
The words happy ending remind me of Brayden’s flirting, and I bite my lip. Until heartache lances through me, and I have to close my eyes.
“See?” Teagan waves a hand in my direction. “See what you’ve done?”
I take the girls by the wrists and lead them into the chain restaurant off the hall to our left. “If you two are going to bicker, I need a drink.” And maybe lunch. I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday. I wasn’t up for risking it on my stressed belly this morning.
Teagan lights up. “Ooh! I like that plan.”
After we’re seated and give our drink and lunch orders to the waitress, Shay says, “We missed you and Noah at brunch this morning.”
I frown. “Sorry. I guess my Jackson family brunch days are behind me.”
“You don’t think you’re going to get out of it just because you move out, do you?” Shay asks. “Mom would never hear of it. She’s already attached to you and Noah.”
Teagan nods. She may not be a Jackson, but she’s around them enough to be an authority on the family.
“But Brayden and I aren’t—”
Shay waves a hand. “Doesn’t matter. Mom’s like a bad mob boss. Once you’re in, there’s no escaping.”
“That’s . . . weirdly comforting.” I smile at the thought of sweet Kathleen as a mob boss and almost laugh. “I’m sorry about this mess, though. I knew better than to get involved with Brayden, and I did it anyway.”
Teagan and Shay exchange a look, then Teagan clears her throat and says, “I need to step out and make a call.” She slides out of the booth and heads for the door.
I cringe in Shay’s direction. “Did she just leave so Brayden’s overprotective sister can beat me up?”
Shay shrugs, but her face lights up as the waitress returns with our drinks. “You’re my personal savior today,” she says.
The waitress grins. “I get that a lot. Your food should be up soon.”
Shay takes a sip of her beer and sighs happily.
“Thanks,” I tell the waitress, but I wait until she goes before turning to Shay. “If you’re going to give me a speech about how amazing your brother is, you can save yourself the trouble. I already know that. I’ve seen it for myself. This isn’t about him.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Nodding, I drag my finger down the condensation on the side of my pint glass. The beer snob in me wants to point out they’re serving this stout way too cold, but judging by the way my stomach keeps flip-flopping, I won’t be drinking it anyway. I already miss him so much it hurts. “I’ve always been the problem. Not him. If anything, I wish he weren’t so great. Because then maybe . . .” I sigh. I can’t even imagine a Brayden I’d be worthy of.
“I was in love once.” Shay turns to the window and the busy parking lot beyond. “He took my breath away and made me smile, and I never believed I was worthy of him. As long as I believed I didn’t deserve him, it was easy to walk away. Then one day I did, and my excuses were so convincing that he didn’t come after me.”