Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
I was so stunned by her response in the bar that I had, in fact, fucked off. Without another word. Zac lingered behind, saying something to Lily and her friends, but he caught up with me and Harry outside.
“I thought you were going to apologize?” Harry asked as he and Zac hurried to keep up with me. I strode quickly down the Cowgate and turned through the dark cluster of buildings, climbing my way up toward South Bridge, a straight shot to our apartment on the Royal Mile.
“Are you going to speak ever again?” Zac queried.
I glanced at them, not quite sure what to say.
The truth was, as soon as I saw Lily enter the bar, I’d known it was fate. All summer the woman had plagued me, because I genuinely liked her and wanted to be friends. And I didn’t like that I’d hurt a friend. I’d told the guys I was going to apologize, smooth things over.
That had been my intention.
Instead, I’d stupidly spoken to Lily like nothing had ever happened.
The first words out of my mouth should have been sorry.
And when she told me to fuck off, I should have said sorry before I did.
Moron.
I startled in my computer chair at the sudden ring of my phone. With a groan, I got up and crossed the room, swiping the phone off my bedside table.
Juno calling.
With a sigh, I answered and flopped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. “What?”
“Well, that’s a charming way to answer the phone, brother.” My sister’s familiar voice was nice to hear, contrary to what my greeting might have suggested.
“Sorry. Shit day.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Why?”
I huffed at her interrogative tone. Juno was two years older than me and still treated me like a younger brother she had to protect. “Why are you calling?”
“Have you heard from Mumsy? Or Pa?”
I lifted my phone to tap on the screen. There were two unread messages. One from each of our parents. “Yes, but I haven’t looked at what they want yet.”
The thought of finding out filled my gut with dread.
“They’re already arguing over Christmas. They’re both demanding we spend Christmas Day with them. I think we might need to split up. Each take one of them.”
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “Bloody hell.” It was impossible that we’d gotten to this place as a family. Ever since my parents announced at the beginning of the summer that they were divorcing, I’d lived in a state of disbelief.
My entire life, my parents had been sickeningly in love. They used to joke how they couldn’t quite fathom they’d raised two children who were so commitment-phobic, considering how happily married they were.
I’d honestly thought they were taking the utter piss when they’d sat Juno and me down and announced their separation. Neither would tell us what had caused this sudden devastation between them.
Whatever it was, they were angry. Bitter. And my sister and I were caught between them like Ping-Pong balls.
“I’m sick of this excrement,” Juno huffed. “I swear I’m going to divorce both of them.”
“You’re an adult. You can’t divorce them,” I muttered tiredly.
“I can symbolically divorce them. It starts with blocking both their numbers and taking back their copy of my flat key.”
“The flat they bought, you mean?”
“Oh right. Fuck. Does that mean I’m stuck with them?”
“Yes. Because you love them,” I reminded her. “Even though you don’t like them very much.”
“Ha! Diplomatically said. When, in fact, I’d quite like to shove both their heads up their respective arseholes, but I can’t because their heads are already currently shoved thoroughly up their rectums.”
My lips twitched. “It’s always a delight talking to you, Junebug.”
Her tone softened at the use of her childhood nickname. “You sound … off. What’s going on? Why didn’t you sleep last night?”
Sitting up with a groan, I considered telling Juno about the situation. My sister was a straight talker and sometimes even gave good advice. “I … I hurt a friend. And she won’t let me near her to apologize.”
“She?”
At her puerile tone, I growled, “Hanging up now.”
“No, no. I’m sorry. Okay. Details. I need details.”
So I told her. How I’d “infiltrated” Lily’s life. Misled her. How it was all a stupid mistake that got out of control.
“Hmm,” Juno mused after I finished speaking. “There is much I’d like to dissect about why you’re so invested in this girl, but in fear of you hanging up on me, I will just say, find a way to apologize.”
“Excellent advice. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it.”
I could practically feel her rolling her eyes at my sarcasm. “I mean, bump into her somewhere she can’t tell you to fuck off or run away from you. And lead with the apology this time, little brother. Your face can’t get you out of this one, apparently. For that, I already like her a lot.”