Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
I slowed down and frowned when I saw the light was on in Natalie’s studio.
If she was sick, shouldn’t she be home resting?
I crossed the street and peered into one of the shop windows—and what the actual fuck. I could hear her. Because she’d left the damn door ajar. What was wrong with her? This may not be New York, but we had crime here too. Anyone could walk right in and hurt her or rob her blind.
The lights were on in the studio behind the shop section, though I couldn’t see her past the open doorway on the other side of the counters.
With a shake of my head, I gripped the door handle and—
“Is there a way to break up Gray and Darius?” I heard Natalie say from inside. I reeled back in confusion. “I feel like our families merging isn’t really working for me anymore.”
What the fuck?
At the sound of laughter, I figured she wasn’t alone, except the voice that spoke next was distorted. She had to be on the phone.
“That’d be something! Darling nephew, please end things with the love of your life so that I don’t have to see your brother-in-law at family dinners.”
I scowled at nothing. That was her sister, wasn’t it? Natalie was actually joking about breaking up Gray and Darius so she wouldn’t have to see me?
Well, that fucking hurt.
“Perfectly reasonable,” Natalie chuckled. “Kidding aside, I should invite Gray out for coffee so he can give me the ins and outs of what it’s like to be too hooked on a Quinn.”
Okay, hold the fuck on.
CHAPTER 10
Natalie Nolan
“Idon’t think so,” I replied, putting my sister on speaker instead. I was too tired to even hold my phone. My head was killing me, so I sat down in the reading chair in the corner. My one piece of comfort furniture in the studio so far. My workstation was finally ready, and I’d stocked the kitchenette too. I was itching to lose track of time here. I just had to install the last spotlights and maybe buy a nice rug. I definitely had enough blankets and fuzzy slippers for cold days.
“Then maybe it’s time to do something?” Chloe pressed gently. “You said it yourself, the situation’s getting out of hand.”
That was my fault. I was so fucking stupid. Who the hell started falling for their damn PT? It was pathetic!
“I don’t know how to act, Chloe,” I repeated, frustrated. “Whenever I try to be normal around him, he does or says something that throws me off, and I become a fumbling idiot. It’s gotten so bad.”
I’d lost my banter with Ethan, and I missed it every day. It was because of what Chloe had come to call Swipe Night. I’d broken down the day after and told her everything, about how I’d started liking Ethan a little too much, and I could no longer control it.
Enter Natalie Nolan on three glasses of wine. In a desperate attempt to regain some control, she created an account on Tinder, and a certain Ethan Quinn popped up almost right away. Stupidly, stupidly, stupidly, she accidentally swiped right on him.
It’d been an accident!
The same night, I’d gone down to the gym to get a sense of his behavior. Like, if he’d possibly seen my profile, or…I didn’t even know. Truth be told, Swipe Night wasn’t a huge problem, because the only reason he’d ever see that I’d “matched” with him was if he matched with me too, and that wasn’t happening. The real problem was my own behavior. I’d stammered and been all flustered, and I’d come up with some bullshit about wanting to ask him if we could try boxing sometime. And then Darius had shown up, and I’d fled the scene.
I groaned and palmed my face, having replayed that night so many times in the past two weeks that I was exhausted from the worry of Ethan finding out.
“And you’re absolutely sure this problem can’t be fixed by you actually asking him out?” Chloe prodded further. Not for the first time. “I know I’ve asked you before, but I worry you’re too blind to see what a catch you are. You assumed you wouldn’t be his type based on the fact that he runs a gym, and I’m not sure that’s fair. For God’s sake, you’ve made me warm up to him, and I haven’t seen him since Jayden’s birthday party.”
I know, I know, I know.
“I’m kind of sure,” I said, not sure one bit. “He’s charming to everyone at the gym, Chlo. Men, women, teenagers, senior citizens, regardless of fitness level. It’s super easy to mistake that for flirting when you’re pining like a schoolgirl with NSYNC posters on the wall.”
“Will you stop bringing up my damn posters?” she griped. “I was young, and JC will forever have a piece of my heart.”