Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
She rattles it off without hesitation.
I pull up her messages and take in each one.
Where the fuck are you?
You better come back now.
I’ll make you regret this.
You know I didn’t mean it. Let’s talk. We can fix this.
Answer me, Lara. Now.
I’m going back to Torquay in the morning. You better be home to sort this out.
Bloody hell, he’s off his rocker. “I’m going to block him, okay?”
“No, don’t,” she says quickly. “I don’t want to cut off his communications.”
I frown at her, wondering why she would ever want to talk to him again, but she gives me an accommodating smile. “I only mean… I want those messages as evidence. I don’t know how far he’ll go, Reid, but I’m afraid this isn’t going to end easily.”
That actually makes good sense.
“Well,” I say, standing and handing her the phone, “that settles that.”
She looks up at me with a frown marring her pretty face.
“You’re definitely not going back to Torquay anytime soon,” I say firmly. “You’re staying here. Through the weekend. At least until the race is over.”
“I can’t just hide out—”
“You’re not hiding. You’re resting. Processing. You’ve been through hell, Lara. Let someone help carry the load for a while.”
“He’ll wonder where I am,” she says with no small amount of fear on her face. “And eventually, he’ll find out, because I can’t keep this secret from Mum and Dad.”
I rub at my chin, considering her point. “Then we’ll have to let the parents know what’s happening. You handle telling Colin and Margot, and I’ll call my parents. I’m going to ask them not to reveal that you’re here with me. They won’t, of course. They’ll protect you, and I imagine my brother’s going to get it, especially from our dad.”
She opens her mouth like she’s about to argue, but instead just exhales and nods. “I hate this. I don’t want it to tear us all apart.”
I move over to where she’s sitting and reach out a hand. She puts hers in mine without hesitation. “Lara… I’m sorry, but this is going to change things in our family dynamics. Now, I know my parents will always love Lance, no matter what he did to you. But they are going to be so very disappointed, and I know it will hurt their relationship. I also know they will continue to love you as much as they always have. You were like a daughter to them long before you got engaged to Lance.”
“I know. I trust that about Graham and Leanne. But Reid… my parents aren’t going to be as forgiving toward Lance. I don’t want that to cause friction between your parents, especially since our dads are business partners.”
“I doubt that will happen, but here’s the thing… that’s not your problem. You didn’t cause this mess. Lance did.”
She watches me for a few seconds and finally nods. She looks utterly defeated and exhausted.
I gesture toward the hallway. “Second bedroom’s yours. Clean towels in the en suite. There’s a robe if you want one.”
She stands, still gripping the water bottle. As she walks past, she pauses beside me.
“Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for being my friend. I knew you’d be there for me. Never even questioned it.”
“That’s because you’re an incredibly smart woman,” I tease and I’m happy with the small smile I get.
I watch her disappear into the bedroom, the soft click of the door the only sound.
I stop and stand there, noting the anger I felt in the lobby hasn’t dissipated.
If anything, it’s getting sharper.
Lara was right about one thing though. This is going to change things between the families.
I close my eyes, trying to settle the fury still crawling beneath my skin, and instead of the city skyline outside the window, I see sunlight bouncing off the water. The memory comes fast and full, like a wave breaking just before you’re ready.
We were fifteen, Lance seventeen, and it was one of those summer mornings where the air smelled like salt and coconut sunscreen. The three of us were out past the break at Jan Juc Beach—known for its stronger surf and steeper cliffs—stretched across our boards, waiting for the next good set to roll in.
The sea was glassy out beyond the break, the horizon lazy and golden under the morning sun. The waves weren’t spectacular, but we were happy just hanging.
“Bet you two are glad I let you tag along,” Lance said, pushing his damp hair back with both hands like he was posing for a magazine shoot. His voice carried across the water, smug and teasing.
Lara rolled her eyes from her board beside me. “Let us? I distinctly remember inviting you, Hemsworth.”
“You were fifteen minutes behind me getting out here,” he shot back. “Clearly chasing greatness.”
“You’re not great,” she said flatly. “You’re just tall.”
“I am very tall,” Lance said, as if she’d proven his point.