Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
“You don’t like the quiet?”
“Depends on the day.”
“It’s never quiet in Boston,” she says almost wistfully. “New York City either. I might make too much noise just to fill the silence. I’ve never had much peace and quiet before. I may not like it much. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a job soon and won’t have to stay here long.”
“Uh, fuck no,” I growl, dropping all the sandwich stuff onto the slate gray island.
She blinks wide eyes at me.
“You aren’t working.”
“I need a job, Rhys. I can’t live off my savings forever.”
“You won’t need to live off your savings,” I say, reaching for the loaf of bread. “Marnie and I will be having a discussion as soon as I can get to Seattle. She can’t cut you off from what rightfully belongs to you.”
“I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“You aren’t.”
She falls silent, staring out the windows. With dark falling, there isn’t much to see. The water is inky black, Orcas Island invisible behind the wall of rain still falling. Not that she’s really trying to see any of that anyway. The kitchen reflects back in the glass. She’s watching me and trying to be sneaky about it. It’s cute that she thinks I don’t know what she’s doing.
I don’t call her on it, though.
“I’m sorry I was a dick to you,” I say instead.
She turns back to me.
“The day we met,” I clarify. “It wasn’t because I disliked you.”
“Oh.”
“Can we start over?”
“I’ve cried all over you more than I’d like to admit. And you’ve seen me naked. I think it’s too late to start over, Rhys.” She laughs softly, the subdued sound both rich and burbling. Her voice has power. Then again, I already knew that. She sells out every performance she books. “But maybe we can pretend we met for the first time when you picked me up at the airport for my dad’s funeral?”
“Hell no,” I growl. “I’m not pretending I didn’t see you in that swimsuit, songbird.”
“You remember that?” A pretty blush creeps across her cheeks.
“You think I’d forget you looking like a goddess?” I scoff at the thought, slathering mayo on a piece of bread. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off you, Raven. That’s why I was a dick.”
“Oh,” she whispers. “I thought you were annoyed I was there. Marnie was.” A tiny frown pulls her lips down at the corners, crinkling her brows. “She didn’t want her friends to see me in that swimsuit. She thought it was inappropriate.”
“Marnie’s a shallow, self-absorbed bitch.”
Raven’s eyes go wide.
“It’s true.” I shrug unapologetically. “She likes to be the center of attention. If anything draws attention from her, she can’t stand it. It’s part of why she loved your dad so much. He was always happy to show her off and let her have the spotlight as often as she wanted it.” I scrape the butter knife on the side of the mayo jar and set it aside before piling turkey on the bread. “If she didn’t like you in that swimsuit, it wasn’t because she thought it was inappropriate. It was because she couldn’t stand the thought of you outshining her.”
“No one outshines Marnie. She’s beautiful.”
“You’re right,” I say with a wry snort. “She is beautiful. But that’s all she is. She’s something pretty to look at it. She’s not interesting. She’s not talented. She’s not driven, compassionate, kind, loving, affectionate, warm, or funny. There are a million things she could be, but she chose to be none of them. The only thing she has to offer the world is beautiful.” I rake my eyes down Raven’s body, my gaze pointed. “You’re the whole package—beauty, brains, talent, and heart. You outshine her, princess. She knows it. I know it. Everyone at that party knew it. You need a mirror if you don’t see it too.”
Raven dips her head, shyly looking at the tabletop.
Jesus. I love how sweet she is. It confuses the hell out of me at the same time. How does she not already know how incredible she is? Whoever she’s been dating has done a piss-poor job taking care of her. She shouldn’t have a single doubt in her mind about how beautiful she is.
“She’s in for a rude awakening when she has this baby,” I say, trying not to think too hard about the assholes who have put their hands on her.
“Baby?” she squeaks. “Marnie’s pregnant?”
“Fuck.” I lift my gaze to hers again, reading the shock written across her face. “You didn’t know.”
She shakes her head, her expression completely dumbstruck.
Son of a bitch.
“I thought she told you.”
Why the fuck didn’t Marnie tell her? What game is she playing here?
“No,” Raven whispers, her face pale. She swallows hard, unable to hide the hurt in her eyes. “She didn’t tell me. Um, how…how far along is she?”