Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I said, flipping him off. “I don’t need alcohol to deal with my problems.”
“Ha. Must be nice to be so much more enlightened than the rest of us.”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a fork and stuck it into the pesto pasta goodness, snagging a few shells. The basil flavor burst across my tongue, making me groan in delight.
“Ahh, not scoffing at my choice of food now, are you?”
I definitely was not. “Nope. You can feed me this shit any day.”
“Enough small talk.” Trevor tossed another olive in his mouth. “Tell me what’s happening with Ryder that has you moping like an emo teenager.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not moping.”
“Oh, you’re moping, all right. You’re moping so hard, my eyes are starting to hurt watching you. What’d he do?”
“Why do you think he did something? What makes you think it’s about Ryder at all?”
Trevor smiled, but it reeked of patronization. “Oh, you sweet summer child, only man trouble can put that pitiful look on someone’s face. You’ve always been a grumpy fucker, but then you hooked up with Ryder and started having regular orgasms with someone other than yourself. Now you smile, you only glare about half as much as you used to, and your possessive boyfriend leaves hickies on your chest to mark his territory for all the club-goers to see. You’ve been happy, Ally, and happy looks damn good on you.”
I had been happy. Ryder made me happier than I had ever been. He made everything better. Hell, two months ago, we had to pick up my brother from the police station at two in the morning after he’d been picked up by the cops on a drug charge.
And not his first.
The call came while Ryder and I were fast asleep, wrapped up in each other on a rare night off after an epic few rounds of sex. Of course, I’d tried so sneak out without waking him, and when that failed, I begged him to stay in his comfortable bed, but he rolled his eyes and not only accompanied me to the police station, but he drove me. Somehow, he made me laugh along the way. Instead of showing up at the police station with a brick in my stomach and heart palpitations, I’d had Ryder’s hand in mine and his help in navigating the situation.
He made it bearable.
He made it better.
“Yeah. He makes me feel… really fucking great.” The words almost lodged in my suddenly dry throat, but I managed to push them out in a raspy croak.
Trevor grinned, but there was a sadness in his eyes. One he buried deep and hid well, but it lived in him and probably always would if the man he wanted more than anything continued to be oblivious. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong so you can go back to feeling really fucking great?”
“I… I miss him.” My eyes stung, forcing me to avert my gaze as I blinked.
Fuck.
I refused to cry.
Instead of razzing me over the admission like some would, Trevor squeezed my hand. “His obligation to take over his father’s company has really done a number on you guys, huh?”
I nodded, still blinking like I had a full set of eyelashes poking my eye. “It’s not what either of us expected. We had no time to prepare, and now we have no time, period. Ryder wanted to take me out to celebrate the end of the trimester last night. He booked a reservation at Aurum. He always makes a big deal about little shit like that.”
“Oh my God, I’ve wanted to go to that place forever. Did you know the name means gold in Latin?”
“I did not.” Ryder probably knew.
“Damn, your man and his richness that get him in wherever, whenever, no matter how long the wait list. I’m not jealous at all.” He huffed, then reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “It’s so sweet that he did that. The man is gone for you.”
“Yeah.” Was he? I thought so for a while, but maybe this was his way of trying to back out of a relationship he no longer wanted.
“And don’t diminish your accomplishments by calling them little. Surviving another trimester of a robotics engineering master’s is not a little feat. You’re amazing, and I love how Ryder is showing you how important you are. That you matter to him.”
I grunted, and my stomach twisted, and bitter words vomited from my mouth. “Yeah, I matter so much he never showed up at the restaurant.”
Trevor winced. “Ouch. Did he really stand you up?”
I nodded. “He just straight up forgot. Got all wrapped up in shit at the office and forgot.”
He blew out a breath as he abandoned his olives. “I’m sorry, Ally. That must have been so disappointing.”
Disappointment didn’t begin to describe how I’d felt sitting alone in a swanky restaurant for over an hour by myself. “It was humiliating. I waited at the table for over an hour like a loser waiting for him to show or even text.”