Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Between tapings, I grabbed a sip of water and half a granola bar, but it hit my stomach wrong. Hunger mixed with queasiness in a way that made my vision blur for a second. I braced a hand on the table until it passed.
“Long night?” another reporter asked.
I forced my lips into a small smile and answered, “Long few weeks.”
She nodded in understanding and turned back to her notes.
Midway through filming a feature clip, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it until the take wrapped, then stepped behind a divider and checked my screen.
Raiden
Hope the interviews go well. Crashing soon. Good night.
I wanted to text back, but I had no clue what to say. How to act like everything was normal between us when my entire world had changed…and he didn't know his had too yet.
I would tell him when I got back.
For now, I just had to make it through the day without falling apart.
7
MARISSA
By the time the wheels hit the runway at JFK, my whole body felt like it had been put through the wringer. Although I was more tired than I ever remembered being, I’d barely slept during the ten-hour flight. Even with the unexpected upgrade to first class, I just couldn’t get comfortable.
The touchdown jolted me forward in my seat, and my stomach lurched. Nausea had become a constant, unwelcome travel companion, and the turbulence only made it worse.
I closed my eyes and breathed slowly through my nose. I was finally home.
Except nothing about me felt the same as when I’d left.
The pilot’s voice filtered into the cabin as everyone stood, impatient and jostling for overhead bins. I stayed seated a moment longer, bracing both hands on the armrests until the plane door opened.
My legs wobbled when I stood. I grabbed my carry-on and walked with the crowd through the jet bridge. Every step reminded me that my body wasn’t just tired—it was different in a way no one else could see.
Baggage claim was loud and chaotic. Normally, the noise would have grounded me after a long international flight. Today, it barely reached me through the fog of exhaustion.
When I made it to the cab line, my phone pinged with a few notifications. The first was a text from the man I hadn’t been able to get off my mind.
Raiden
You’re back.
My breath hitched. I hadn’t even given him my flight number, but there wasn’t a hint of doubt in those two words.
I tightened my grip on my suitcase handle so hard my knuckles ached. Him somehow knowing exactly when I returned to New York without having to tell him made me feel wanted. Claimed, even.
But his message was also a reminder of the news I needed to share with him.
I typed a reply.
Deleted it.
Tried again.
Erased that too.
I’d been struggling with what to say to him ever since I saw those two little pink lines. I finally gave up and went with the simplest response possible.
Me
Yes.
I made it to the front of the line before he replied and climbed into the cab, sinking against the seat as the driver pulled away from the curb. My reflection looked pale and tired in the window, and I rested a hand over my abdomen without thinking.
Now that I was almost home, my exhaustion overtook me, and I fell asleep. When the driver announced we’d arrived, I startled hard enough that my stomach twisted again.
“Sorry,” I muttered, using the app to pay before hauling myself and my suitcase onto the sidewalk.
The chill slapped me awake for all of two seconds. It didn’t help much. I was still wiped when I rolled my suitcase into my apartment. Every muscle in my body felt stretched too thin.
When I pushed my door open, the faint scent of stale air greeted me. I stepped inside and felt weird that everything looked the same while I felt completely different.
My phone rang before I even set down my tote bag. I nearly dropped it when I saw my boss’s name.
“Marissa Crane.”
“Hey, Marissa!” Roger greeted. “How was the trip?”
“Long,” I admitted, sinking onto the edge of my bed. My mattress dipped under me, and I wanted nothing more than to lie down and never get up again.
“Well, all that work paid off. The coverage was fantastic. Upper management is thrilled.”
I barely resisted the urge to sprawl on top of my comforter. “That’s great to hear.”
“We want to start testing you on some bigger sports pieces.” He paused for effect. “Football segments. Maybe some baseball when the season starts. Think you can handle that?”
A surge of excitement perked me up.
“Wow,” I managed. “That’s…amazing.”
“Fans loved your banter with Raiden Shaffer. We’re planning to lean into that momentum for your next assignments.”
“Right,” I murmured, my throat tightening.
I was about to tell that same tight end I was pregnant with his baby after our one night together, and the network was already trying to turn us into a marketing angle before they knew we would be forever connected.