Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
This time Brooks did manage a small laugh. “What did you do, go pissing off the gay mafia again? Do the fashion police know you’re on the loose in jeans and sweatshirts these days?”
When I remained silent, Brooks instantly stopped joking around. “Jules?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head because for all my bravado a few seconds earlier, I was chickening out fast. “It’s nothing,” I said as I discreetly wiped at my eyes. The goal was to get rid of the few tears that had fallen, but I made it look like I was rubbing the sweat and grime from my face.
“Jules—”
“Is that the sign for the regional airport?” I asked as I nudged my chin in the direction of the highway sign. While the regional airport was made for the smaller, privately owned planes and charters, the main airport wasn’t far away, and the traffic of full-sized planes coming and going helped drown out the possibility of continuing the conversation.
It was easy to find where the Cunningham jet was parked because the company logo was written across the body of the luxurious plane.
“Do you want me to come with you?” I asked. The old Brooks probably would have sent me a silent yes in some way. As Brooks’s personal assistant in his father’s company, I’d been running interference between him and his father for a long time, but I could see things were different now. It was in the way Brooks held himself. It was the anger that burned in his eyes.
I doubted he’d ever need me to run interference for him again. Whatever was now running hot through his blood was exactly what he needed to stand up to his prick of a father.
“I’m good. I won’t be long,” Brooks said simply.
I watched him leave the car and stride over toward the plane like he owned the whole world. Had Xavier done that for him or had being around Xavier done it? I wondered if I’d ever have that kind of courage. I’d spent my entire childhood trying so hard to figure out who I was supposed to be that I’d ended up getting lost in plain sight. The only one who’d gotten a peek behind the curtain was Flynn. Even now, after royally fucking things up with the only man who’d ever even realized there was a curtain to peek behind in the first place, all I wanted was to hear his voice. I wanted him to tell me that everything would be okay and really mean it.
With every plane that flew over the SUV, I tried to imagine myself on one of them. The fantasy of running away from home had been just another curtain to hide behind. It would be so easy to just have Brooks drop me off at the main airport so I could catch a flight home. I had my wallet, which was all I needed to get on any plane to anywhere that wasn’t Eden, Wyoming, and yet it made me physically ill to think about being anywhere else. If there was ever a time to tuck my tail between my legs and run away, it was now. I could book a flight from my phone. Hell, I had enough money to hire a private plane to take me home if I wanted to.
So why wasn’t I doing anything?
Ten minutes later as Brooks emerged from the plane, I was still mulling over the answer to my own question.
As soon as he was clear of the jet’s stairs, they were raised, indicating the jet was leaving. When Brooks strode to the driver’s side, I scooted over and dropped down into the passenger seat.
I didn’t ask Brooks how his conversation went with his father as he practically raced back to the main highway. He was in complete control and despite his concerned expression, I had a feeling it had nothing to do with his father. It wasn’t until Brooks began patting down his body and then scanning through the console of the vehicle that his distress kicked in. “My phone,” he said.
I easily found the phone lying at my feet. “Here.”
“I didn’t leave a long enough note,” Brooks muttered as he took the phone from me. “I just wrote that there was something I needed to do and I’d be back. What if he thinks I left? I ran away before, so what if he thinks—”
“He won’t,” I tried to reassure Brooks. I knew he was more worried about Xavier’s reaction to the note and lack of a phone call than he was about his uncle’s response. Brooks dialed his phone. I was able to hear the other side of the conversation, but unfortunately, it was Xavier’s voicemail. He tried again, each time getting the same result.
“God, please don’t let anything happen to him…” Brooks whispered as he began using the talk-to-text feature on his phone to send text after text, waiting only a few seconds between each one. My heart broke for Brooks as his efforts to reach Xavier failed. Calls and texts to his uncle also went unanswered.