Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“You have to go back?” He’d counted on her staying with him.
“I’ve got three meetings tomorrow,” she explained. “I managed to get the court date moved two weeks, but unless we’re shutting your office down, I should take those meetings. I can move them if you need me here.”
His mother was going to be fine. There was no need for Jayna to stay up and rearrange her whole life when she’d already done that once tonight. She was right that they needed to keep things moving. “No, I’m okay. You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”
“I’ll text you our room number,” she promised. “And here are your keys. I’ll catch a cab.”
“No. We’ll catch the cab. You take the car.”
He hadn’t said the words. He’d been about to, but he was surprised that Paul was the one who insisted. Paul rarely inconvenienced himself.
“And I’ll walk you out.” He wasn’t letting her walk around a parking lot by herself at three in the morning. “I’ll be right back.”
They walked out to the parking lot, her hand in his. When they’d made it to his car, he kissed her, wanting to put off the moment she had to leave. “Thank you for bringing my brother out.”
She tilted her face up. “No problem, but you should talk to him.”
“Why? Was he the reason you got waylaid?” They’d taken at least an extra hour more than they’d needed. “Did he try to go home and pack or something?”
“No. He called Caroline and she’s going to pack a few things for him,” Jayna replied. “I stopped by the apartment and grabbed you some toiletries and a change of clothes. They’re in the car. Paul wanted to get here as quickly as he could, and you should know I’m going to need you to wire transfer a pretty hefty amount of money tomorrow.”
A deep relief overtook him. “He told you where to send the money?”
She nodded. “Yes, I convinced him staying safe was more important than proving to you he’s changed.”
“Good. I’ll send you all the info you need,” he promised.
“I think he has.” She looked up at him, a solemn expression on her face.
“Has what?”
“Changed. At least I think he’s truly trying. I talked to him for a long time tonight and I think he’s made some important choices.”
“My brother is very good at playing out dramatic scenes.”
She shook her head. “But they’re not scenes. I know you don’t understand him, and he’s burned you before. You do not owe him another chance, but I hope you give it to him. I hope you at least hear him out. He’s trying to find a balance that’s hard to achieve on his own. I think I found a way to get his movie back. I’ve got to check into a few things, but I worry if he goes back to LA without settling anything with you, he’ll lose his way again.”
“If you get his movie back and he’s got a little money, I assure you he’ll be back in LA in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t think so. I think if you ask him to stay, he will.”
“Why would I ask him to stay?”
“For your mom’s sake. For his. Because he needs to be here for a while, maybe a long while. He needs to find himself again, and he can’t do that out there in the world with no one to anchor him,” she said quietly. “I think he needs his family. He needs his brother.”
“Well, he got to you, didn’t he?”
She sighed. “Like I said, I know you don’t owe it to him, but I hope you’ll at least talk to him.”
“I’m giving him what? A quarter of a million dollars?” He resented the fact that they had to use the little time they had to argue about Paul, but then wasn’t that what Paul always did? He put himself in the middle of everything so the spotlight was always on him.
“It’s going to be more than a quarter of a million, but he’s going to pay you back. I set the sale in motion,” she replied.
“Sure he will. Maybe he does this time, but it’ll happen again.”
She opened the car door, her shoulders sagging. “Maybe, but if we don’t have hope, I don’t know what we have. I guess you’re right. We make the same mistakes over and over again, and who can really put up with it? It’s probably best to protect yourself when you know what’s coming. Good night.”
“Hey.” He wasn’t sure what she’d meant but those words had felt personal. “You don’t make mistakes like that, baby. You’re not selfish.”
“My mother would disagree,” she countered as she slid into the driver’s seat. “If I don’t see you before, I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know when we’re bringing the car.”
She shut the door between them, and Quaid felt his fists clench.