Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“That is not what it looks like,” I told Court.
“It looks like you were hugging.”
“We… were,” I said. “I told him about Taylor, and I just lost it. I started sobbing, and he consoled me.”
“Okay,” he said. “That seems… reasonable. I suppose.”
“You know I told you not to believe everything you see in tabloids. They’re all lies.”
“I did tell Katherine that when she showed me the pictures. But you know… just in case.”
I looked at him in confusion. “In case what?”
“You really were reconciling, English. I couldn’t have that.” He reached out and took my hand. “There was no way I was going to stand back and let Josh weasel his way back in. I had to come out here even though your dad told me to give you more time. There was no more time. There was just now.”
“Court…”
“I didn’t know if you were going to talk to him again. But it was a good enough reason to come see you and bring you home.”
I swallowed. “I’m not home now?”
“Nope.”
“And where is home if not LA?”
“With me.”
I laughed at his utter confidence. “That’s pretty presumptuous, considering how we last left off.”
“I know,” he said smoothly. “I know that you’re probably still mad at me. That you want to throat-punch me for ruining everything. But I want to bring you home with me anyway.”
“You think I’ll just come back to New York with you?” I asked, humoring him at this point.
He laughed. “Hardly. I think you’ll kick and scream the whole way.”
“Well, at least you know me.”
He stepped forward, cupping my face in his strong hands. He tilted my head up until I was looking into his eyes. He was so sincere. So sure of himself.
“Anna English, you can kick and scream as much as you want. You can call me names and fight me on every little thing. I don’t care about any of that,” he told me. “I still want you with me because I love you.”
I gasped at the words. They rang with truth. “You… do?”
“Yes, I do. And that’s the real reason that I went to see Jane,” he admitted. “I didn’t realize that at first. I was just having… I don’t know… all of these confusing feelings. I’d never felt this way before. I’d thought that I loved Jane. I’d thought that she was the one for me. I’d dated her for two years. And then you happened.”
I swallowed. “Me?”
“Yes, you, Anna. You changed it all. Made me see that I hadn’t loved Jane. Not really. And it wasn’t until I saw her and talked to her that I realized the truth.”
“And what’s that?” I whispered hoarsely.
“I never even knew what love was before you.”
A tear trickled down my cheek. “Court.”
“I’m sorry that I lied,” he said. “It was wrong and stupid. And it won’t happen again. I’m a hundred percent yours, Anna. I want to be with you and only you. If you’ll have me?”
I stared up into his baby-blue eyes reflecting the bright California sun. I’d been dreaming about him since I got here. Wishing that Josh were actually Court when I had seen him. Thinking about how I could go on without New York in my life. Without Court Kensington.
I’d thought just today that I needed to give my dad some more slack for the slights I’d imagined as a kid. It seemed maybe… I needed to offer Court that same slack. He’d flown all the way out here. And… he loved me.
“Anna?” he asked cautiously.
I nodded once then. “I love you, too.”
“Right answer,” he said, making me laugh.
He dipped down low and captured my lips against his own.
40
English
I felt guilty for leaving Taylor behind. But my dad had already told me it was past time for me to go back to my life, and I found he was right. Taylor didn’t even mind. We just promised we’d be better sisters, even from thousands of miles away.
We’d hugged until neither of us could breathe. Then, I’d done the same with Ashley and my dad before departing with Court to the airport.
Winnie had been the most put out. She’d been looking forward to opening the agency in LA and having me around all the time. But I’d promised her that the agency was still on. We would just have two offices, like we’d had the last six months. It had worked out pretty well. I had a feeling it would work out long-term, too.
Court and I stepped out of LaGuardia the next day to his car service waiting to pick us up and take us back to his apartment.
“I haven’t slept since Halloween,” I said, snuggling against his side as we drove through the darkened city.
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not sleeping tonight either.”
I tilted my head up to look at him. “Is that so?”