Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I slowly walked toward the pair. My stupid, obscenely expensive, Italian-made shoes squeaked with every step I took. Just outside the lobby door was an array of lights and sirens.
Oh God, was Flynn going to be arrested? It didn’t matter because all it would take was money and a great defense lawyer, and since I had the first one in spades, getting the second one would be a breeze.
I forced away the presence of everything going on outside and focused on Flynn. The closer I got to the man who’d once loved me, the farther Flynn moved away from BJ’s side. At one point he even turned his back to me. I continued to move forward until I reached BJ. He gave me a much warmer welcome.
We all stood there in silence for what seemed like forever. I knew it wasn’t my turn to talk and it definitely wasn’t BJ’s, so that left one person, and he had the right to say whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.
“You have one chance to tell me the truth,” Flynn announced, his back still turned to me. “One chance,” he warned.
“I found out my father—”
“I know all about how your father and cousin took you to court arguing that you weren’t doing what was in the best interest of the company shareholders by putting the reins in someone else’s hands, so don’t even bother with trying to sell me on that one.”
His words gutted me. If I told him the truth, he’d hate me forever, but if I lied to him, the outcome wouldn’t be any different. It came down to whatever would hurt him less.
BJ gave me a nudge. I put my hand on his soft nose in the hope of working up the courage to tell Flynn I’d bailed on him because I no longer had the same feelings I’d had for him back on the ranch.
I opened my mouth to say that exact thing, but instead I whispered, “I was afraid.” I wasn’t sure what part of my brain had decided it was time to be honest for the first time in a long while rather than run from something that I knew could hurt me, but I was grateful for it.
“I was afraid,” I said more loudly. “When I got the call that my father and cousin were trying to take the company from me, I knew I had to come back here and stop them. For Uncle Ray. For everything he’d worked so hard to build and for all the employees and tenants who relied on him. I didn’t want to leave. I was being a selfish asshole because I didn’t want to leave the ranch. I was selfish because I didn’t want to spend even five minutes apart from the person who finally made me feel like I was worth taking a risk on. But that isn’t who I am and that’s not the man you fell in love with.”
“I thought I’d fallen in love with someone who promised to be my home for the rest of our lives. I remember the promise that said I’d never wake up alone again,” Flynn said coldly.
I couldn’t stop the tears from silently flowing down my cheeks. “I knew leaving like I did was wrong. I knew how much it would hurt you, but I did it anyway.” I paused long enough to suck in a few deep breaths.
“When you told me about how you and BJ explored the country on foot, I could see it. I could see it just by listening to the way you talked about having seen so many places that few people ever did. You were living life on your terms. Do you even know how incredible that is? How brave? That was when I knew that no matter what we meant to each other, it would never work. How could it? You’d literally experienced this life-changing event that made you see the world in a different way while I was trying to do the same thing by throwing money away like it was paper. While you were out there living a real life, I was hiding behind designer clothes and handing money and presents to people like it was candy for trick-or-treaters. Everything about me is a lie, Flynn. Even Brooks. I might not have paid him to like me, but I lied and manipulated him so I could get what I wanted.”
Flynn was silent for a long time. So silent that even BJ took notice because the horse started getting antsy. I took the reins and looped them around the saddle horn so he wouldn’t step on the reins if he began walking.
Which was exactly what he did. BJ went straight for Flynn, who was staring out the window. The longer Flynn remained silent, the harder it became to stay where I was. I dashed at my eyes so I could watch as BJ nudged him gently. Flynn raised his hand and began stroking his best friend’s neck. Knowing Flynn would never be alone made it the tiniest bit easier to let him go.