Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Sarah instead of Star. Sarah Whitman is a strong name. And of course you’ll need to drop the middle name entirely.”
“Oh God yes,” Pamela agreed.
As I listened to Pippa and my boss prattle on about my name change, I envisioned myself as Cartoon Star, transforming from a cute ray of sunshine into a storm cloud, until eventually my cloud filled with so much water, it didn’t rain . . . it just exploded until there was nothing left of Star Shine Meadows.
* * *
• • •
“Do you want to talk about it?” Rafe asked abruptly as we rode in the back of the taxi that was taking us to Brooklyn.
Rain pelted down outside as we made the journey to the engagement party we’d been invited to. It was hosted by Rafe’s friend from college, Nick, and Nick was getting married to his best friend Josh. Rafe told me they were childhood friends who’d only recently realized they were so much more, and usually I’d be excited to talk to them and find out about their romantic story. However, I felt a strange kind of numb as we sat in our nice party clothes, approaching our destination.
“About what?” I watched the rain-slicked streets pass by.
“You’ve been quiet all night. In fact, you’ve been quiet for weeks.”
I looked at him. Pot meet kettle. “You’re one to talk.”
Rafe frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Just that you’ve been quiet too. Distant.”
He scowled. “I’ve been distant?”
“We’re here,” the cabdriver announced as he slowed to a stop outside the building.
Thankfully, we didn’t have time to pick up our conversation because we bumped into Owen and his date, Nadine, inside the building’s foyer. Owen had been dating Nadine for three weeks, and I’d bumped into her once at the clinic.
Rafe and Owen made small talk about work while I complimented Nadine on her earrings and she complimented me on the crippling stilettos I wore. Pippa had picked out a few new dresses for me to wear at fall events, and I’d donned one of them for this party. It was a green silk dress with a 1940s silhouette that was actually kinda cute. I didn’t mind it as much as some of the other crap I wore lately.
It was October now, so I wore a light coat that I wore to the office most days.
Wow, just hearing myself say that sentence in my head was weird.
The next twenty minutes passed in no time as Rafe introduced me to Nick and Josh and about a million other people whose names I couldn’t remember. They were a fun group, though, and I relaxed enough to enjoy myself. The couple lived in a large apartment, but it was traditional, with a separate living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Soon, all the social spaces filled up with guests.
Including Rafe’s ex-girlfriend Camille Westmoreland.
She hadn’t approached us yet, but she’d lifted a glass of champagne in Rafe’s direction.
“What is she doing here?” I frowned.
Rafe shrugged. “She became good friends with Nick when she and I were together.”
Great.
A little while later, I excused myself to use the bathroom. There was a small line, so I had to wait. By the time I returned to where I’d left Rafe in the living room, maybe only ten minutes had passed.
Yet that was enough time for Camille to make her move.
I hadn’t forgotten her catty comment the last time we’d met. How she would wait for Rafe to get serious about his life. Like I wasn’t serious.
Apparently I still wasn’t. I’d tried a new job, dressing the part, but Pippa still wanted me to change my name. It was actually unbelievable.
I reminded myself I was doing this for Rafe, for the Whitmans, and for me. I’d never felt about anyone the way I felt about Rafe, and I also longed to be a part of a family like his. It was a secret longing, one I didn’t even know existed inside me until I met them and fell in love with the idea.
I’d twisted myself up like a pretzel to keep the dream going.
My so-called boyfriend, who was part of that dream, was standing laughing with his ex-girlfriend while she played with the lapel on his suit jacket. What happened to his disdain for her? Last time we met her he could barely utter two words because wasn’t this the woman who cheated on him?
My pulse raced as I studied the way Rafe tilted his head toward her in a familiar way. It was to hear her better. She got close to speak into his ear, her hand flattening on his chest (my chest!), and Rafe smiled at whatever she said.
The last time we bumped into Camille, he had no time for her, and now that things were dicey between him and me, he was flirting with her?
Had he moved Camille into his life as quickly as he’d moved me? Would I be the next woman he dated for years without really being in love with and then dump me to move on to the next to see if she sparked that elusive feeling in him?