Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“And?”
I showed her the screen.
“Holy. Shit.” She chugged down the rest of her drink in three huge gulps.
“Yeah, that’s…” My mouth went dry. “That’s a lot of money.”
Gasping from lack of oxygen, Sarrah pointed out, “It’s a lot of money he was willing to lose in order to keep you.”
The urge to argue rose once again. “I don’t think Scott could have ca—”
“Oh my god, are you kidding me?” Sarrah shot to her feet. “What is it going to take to convince you that someone loves you?”
“I don’t know!” I sat on the end of my bed, shoulders slumped in defeat. “I believe that Matt loves me. I don’t believe I deserve it, maybe?”
“Then go to therapy! In New York! Where the hot rich guy who’s madly in love with you is waiting for you!” She jabbed her hand toward the door frantically. “You are living the dream, and you want everyone to wake you up?”
Thirty billion could buy a lot of therapy. Maybe even enough to make me normal.
“I don’t know.” I tossed the phone down on the bedspread. “Things were so much easier when we were at the resort.”
“Oh, wow, shocker, life was easier when you were on vacation.” She rolled her eyes so epically I was sure they would sever from the optic nerves and fall right out. “Go to kink clubs, if it’s such a problem for you to be in the real world for more than twenty-four hours at a time.”
I frowned. “I don’t think I’m going to find many kink clubs in New York City.”
“False!” Now, she turned her jabby finger in my direction. “There are, and they’re totally legal. I saw a documentary about it on YouTube. They’ve got licenses and everything.”
“It’s not about the kink. It’s about—”
“It’s about the money, about him valuing you more than dollar signs, I get it. But it’s tired, Charlotte. There isn’t any reason you shouldn’t be with him.” She let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m going to get a car home. Don’t talk to me again until you’re in New York.”
“Come on, do you think it’s healthy for me to move in with a guy I—”
“I said don’t talk to me again until you’re in New York,” she reiterated, grabbing her purse. “Do with that what you will.”
My jaw dropped. “Sarrah—”
But she walked out.
I sat motionless, trying to process the last twenty minutes of my life. It all came up error screens. Scott had been against the relationship. Now, he was our biggest fan. Sarrah, who once gave me an hour-long lecture about financial autonomy because I’d cosigned on an ex’s car lease, thought I should toss out my entire life for a rich man.
Who were these people?
Why were they right?
I fell back on my bed and closed my eyes. I wanted to believe I was being pushed into calling Matt, that I wasn’t choosing to be with him, that I was bowing to pressure. That was bullshit. Barriers I was setting up in advance, in the hopes it would hurt less when Matt rejected me, or when I got scared again.
I was tired of trying to come up with reasons to run that I could comfortably fall back on. Maybe, for the first time in my life, I needed to see something through.
Matt was worth it.
If he would even answer the phone, that was. Since he’d ignored all earlier communication, I didn’t have high hopes as I listened to the call ring in.
“Hey, princess.”
My whole body went weak at the sound of his voice.
“I’m sorry I didn’t pick up before,” he said hesitantly, as if he was worried he was in trouble. “Scott told me not to talk to you before he did.”
“Oh, he told you that, did he?” I wanted to be pissed off, but Scott knew me too well. If I’d spoken to Matt earlier, if he’d tried to bring up the subject of poeticism versus reality before I’d seen the evidence, it would have been unlikely to sway me. “Did you really write him that check?”
“Of course, I did. I would have gone out and gotten him cash, if he’d told me to.” Matt paused. “Well, maybe. I don’t think I could get that amount of printed cash within a day.”
“I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get that amount of printed cash, full stop. So, remember, when the computers rise up, you’re going to be as broke as everybody else,” I warned with a miserable little laugh. “You’re not going to let him jump into our relationship and interfere every time I make a decision, are you?”
“Only when that decision scares the hell out of me. I allowed him to interfere because… He said I was losing you. And it confirmed the fear I’ve had all day.” Matt paused. “Charlotte. Am I losing you?”