Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“I don’t think I should be going out with any guy while I’m still trying to get over another one,” Harlow said.
“Don’t think of it as a date then, think of it as a possibility for the future,” Hailey said. “You can’t get over someone if you keep thinking about what might have been.”
Harlow wasn’t even thinking about what might be. She wasn’t thinking about anything at all. There was no “might have been.” There was nothing.
Hunter had ended it and that night, a great deal had ended, including a child she didn’t even realize she was carrying. She felt that stab of guilt in her chest. She hadn’t even known she was pregnant. Her cycle had always been all over the place.
Tears filled her eyes, and she grabbed the fries. “I’m going to eat these outside.”
Hailey didn’t stop her. She needed some fresh air and seeing as she worked through her lunch break, she could take a little time for herself.
Stepping out of the shop, she made her way toward the church. She hadn’t seen Larissa in a while, and seeing the church made her think of the other sweet woman. She didn’t go inside the church grounds to eat, but on the bench outside. Tucking her legs beneath her, she unwrapped her lunch and started to eat.
Food was food, and she was trying to stay focused and take care of herself, but it was still hard to do. The last thing she wanted to do most days was eat.
“I didn’t think I would find you here,” Big Dick said, taking a seat beside her.
She hadn’t even heard him approach and she glanced over at him. She didn’t say a word and just continued to eat. The food didn’t taste like anything.
“I miss you, Squirt,” he said.
“Don’t.”
“Harlow, I don’t like this.”
She took a deep breath. The food was horrible and she just couldn’t bring herself to eat anymore.
“Don’t,” he said.
“You don’t tell me what to do.”
“You’ve lost a lot of weight, Harlow. You’ve got to eat something.”
“You’re not my dad.” With that, she wrapped the food up and tossed it into the trash can.
Getting to her feet, she started to make her way back to work.
“Do you really want it to be this way between us?” Big Dick asked.
She looked up at him and glared. “You made your choice.”
“Damn it, Harlow. You never could let things go.”
She clenched her hands into fists, but then she shoved them into her pockets. “So, because you’ve had enough of the silent treatment and you’re ready to move on, I should just get onboard and accept what happened?”
“I didn’t ask you to be with Hunter.”
Harlow shook her head. “Leave him out of this. I’m not even talking about him, but I’m talking about how you handled it. I didn’t bring this between us, you did.” She sunk her nails into the flesh of her palms. “You knew what I went through in that hospital. I lost something I didn’t even know I had and I know everyone is saying that I can’t mourn something I didn’t even know about, but guess what, I do. I loved Hunter, and I would have loved our baby. When you found out the truth, you didn’t even care about my thoughts or feelings. You didn’t for a second wonder why I would go with Hunter. You didn’t even consider that I might be in love with him.”
She took a deep breath.
“So, no, Big Dick, I am not going to fall in line with your timetable because it suits you and this distance between us. You broke this, not me. I don’t even know why I’m surprised. For you and all of your club, it is the club. That is who and what you care about. Not me, not family, nothing but the club. So be grateful, because I promise you, I won’t cause you any waves again.”
****
“You have a dress waiting in your office?” Harlow asked.
“Yeah, I do. You never know when a woman might need a change of clothes. If it makes you feel any better, I also have a pair of pants and a blouse. I might have a small wardrobe in my office for all occasions. Don’t knock it as it’s coming in tight now.”
The dress Hailey had given her was a little big, but the straps were the kind that could be tied. It had taken some fixing, but the dress did fit well. They had tied them at her shoulders to bring in the neckline. Even though she had lost quite a bit of weight, she still had a large bust. At the waist, there was also a set of ties, and they had drawn that in as well.
Hailey had also offered to do her makeup. Harlow hadn’t wanted anything too obvious, to which she had been promised a makeup-no-makeup look. She had no idea what that meant, but glancing in the mirror, Harlow was impressed. Her hair, which had a natural curl to it, hung free, and she was ready for the date. She was a little nervous about her arm ink, and she tried not to nibble on her lip, in case she ruined the lipstick.