Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Turmoil flared inside of me. Not that long ago, I would’ve given anything to hear those words. But now I just felt anger. He had no damn clue how much damage he’d done. I’d almost missed out on the best thing to happen to me because of how scarred I was, and here he was worried about himself.
“What happened to Monica?” I asked.
“We broke up.”
And there it was. I folded my arms across my chest. “Oh. So she dumped you and now you don’t want to be alone?”
Josh shook his head. “It’s not like that at all. I broke up with her. It was four months ago, actually. But I didn’t want to come to you until I got my head straight and was sure. I know how much I hurt you, Sloane. I didn’t want to risk doing it again.” He paused. “I started seeing a therapist.”
I didn’t reply. I just stared into his face blankly. After everything he’d said, I felt … nothing. Though that wasn’t completely true. Maybe I felt a little appreciation. Because if Josh hadn’t been a complete jerk, I would be married to him right now, and then I wouldn’t have met Wilder.
But Josh must’ve taken my silence as contemplation, because he leaned closer. “We can start slow, Sloane. I know I’ll have to win your trust back. But if you give me another chance, I promise you won’t regret it.”
Just then, the front door opened and a big group of familiar faces walked in—there had to be eight or ten of them, all cops. “I have to go.”
“I’ll wait for you.”
I stood. I was about to tell him to go home, not to bother waiting—not today or for me—but when I opened my mouth, I realized one of the guys who’d come in with the group was not a cop. And that man was currently staring right at me.
Wilder.
I walked to him without saying anything more to Josh. “What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t want to leave things the way they were this morning. So I took Lucas to the airport and made sure someone could pick him up on the other side. Then I grabbed a cab here.” Wilder looked to the table where I’d been seated, a few feet away. He lifted his chin. “Who’s that?”
I swallowed. “Josh.”
“Josh, your ex?”
I nodded. “He just stopped by. I had no idea he was coming.”
Wilder’s jaw flexed.
The crowd that had just come in was rowdy. I needed to go help Dad. “Could you—would you give me two minutes? I need to help behind the bar.”
Wilder nodded and pointed to the seating area with booths, where Josh was seated. “I’ll wait over there.”
I hesitated, but he couldn’t possibly mean he was going to wait with Josh. He meant the seating area in general …
“Go help your dad,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”
I nodded, but by the time I’d made my way across the room and taken my position behind the bar, Wilder was sliding into the seat across from Josh. “Oh shit.”
Dad heard me and looked over. He grinned. “Guess I won’t have to take out the trash after all. Wilder will do it for me.”
A heavy, sinking dread formed in the pit of my stomach as I took orders and mixed drinks. I poured half a beer from the tap onto my hand, because I couldn’t stop looking over at the two men in the booth long enough to see what I was doing. Wilder’s face was stern as he spoke. I couldn’t see Josh, but I knew I needed to get back over there. A few minutes later, everyone who’d just come in had their first drink.
Dad looked at me. “Go. I got it.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
As I approached the table, Josh stood. He looked like someone had run over his dog. The smile he attempted failed miserably, and his eyes went briefly to Wilder before returning to me. “I’m going to head out. Call me if you want to talk, okay?”
I nodded, feeling bad, though I knew I shouldn’t at all. “Take care, Josh.” My mind was jumbled, my nerves still a tangled mess as I slid into the seat my ex-fiancé had vacated.
Wilder studied me for a moment. “He came to tell you he wants you back.”
The words were a statement, not a question, though I felt the need to confirm and nodded. “I had no idea he was coming.”
“He’s been calling and texting you, and you never answered.”
“That’s because I’m not interested in what he has to say.”
Wilder took a deep breath before looking into my eyes. “You sure of that?”
“Very.” I reached across the table and held out my hand. I was grateful Wilder didn’t hesitate to take it. “I’m sorry about this morning,” I said. “I called you and left a message, but even if you already listened to it, I want to say it again in person. I’d like to spend time with you and your dad.”