Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 567(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 567(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
No, no, no, please don’t do it.
But she’s going to.
She’s about to reminisce about her perfect romance with my granddad.
And she’s going to compare it to me and this selfish snake I’m supposed to be fake engaged to.
If she mentions Liam, I’ll definitely scream.
“When your granddad and I were dating—after we got married even—he’d just walk into a room and I’d get all flustered.” Nana gives me a look that says finally.
That is not what’s going on here.
“I’m so glad you finally found someone else,” she says to me. “I know getting over Liam—”
“Nope. This conversation is over,” I say, throwing up a hand and trying to hold it without trembling. “Nana, hold on. I think I should probably clear the air before—”
“No need. I’m sorry for skipping out on you last night, princess. Had to work late,” Dexter says. Princess? I glare at him, but he just shoves an envelope into my hand. “That’s why I dropped by. I hope these concert tickets will make up for the change of plans.”
My hand is shaking.
My entire body is on vibrate.
This man is so shameless it’s actually scary. That goes double for how relentless he is when he lies.
Worse, I can’t just tell Nana the truth.
Not when she keeps looking at us like that.
“I’ve got a long night coming up. You know how the market gets third quarter,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and giving me another hug that feels too real. As if one wasn’t bad enough. “Sorry to interrupt, but it was great to meet you, Nana Winkley.”
“Call me Jo!” Nana says like the unwitting traitor she is. “Oh, don’t send him home empty-handed, Junie. Do you want something for the road, Dexter? She’s just boxing up today’s leftovers.”
My heart dives.
“Nana—”
“Now, you simply can’t send your boyfriend back to work hungry.” Without another word, she opens the bakery case and pulls out a couple muffins, a marshmallow brownie, and an apple turnover. “Will this be enough?”
My brain starts working again.
Finally, a chance for revenge.
Not much, but a girl’s got to work with what she’s got.
“Take more!” I urge sweetly, grabbing blindly for more leftover stuff in the display cases. It normally goes to a local homeless shelter at the end of the day, but how can I miss a chance to make him pay?
“The marshmallow brownies are fire today. Why don’t you have one now, sugar?” I snap, loving how startled he looks.
Something flickers in those deep blue eyes, but before I can revel in my win, he grabs a turnover and wolfs it down in three hulking bites.
Damn.
If eating something he hates to deceive a sweet old lady was a competition, he’d take first prize. For now, he’s winning plenty of new reasons to hate his guts.
“Thanks, ladies,” he says, accepting the box and keeping it at a distance like it’s full of uranium before he gives me a quick wave. “See you later, Junie.”
Nana waves him out of the store, practically jumping up and down, as I sink into a chair.
Well, crap.
I know exactly what’s coming next.
“So,” Nana says, drawing the word out and sitting opposite me. “Tell me all about him right this instant. Dexter.” She says his name like he’s some sort of prize.
If she only knew…
With my face half-covered with my hands, I say, “There’s nothing to tell, Nana. You met him.”
Her face pulls into a frown.
“Juniper Winkley, don’t you dare lie to me. Did you get a look at him? He said you were dating for months and this is the first time I’ve seen hide or hair of him!”
“Eh, he exaggerates,” I say like it’ll save me. But I’m telling her the truth when I’d rather chew raw cactus, thorns and all, than go on a single date with Dexter Rory. “He’s just persistent.”
“That means he worships you! Oh, Junie…”
Actually, Nana, I’m pretty sure the only thing he worships are dollar signs, but sure. It’s me he wants so his greedy ass can hoard more money.
“Well, when are we having dinner?” She bats her eyes. “We simply must introduce him to the whole family.”
“N-Nana!”
“I’m just saying. It’s high time everybody knows you’ve found someone new after that last little heartbreaking scoundrel—and what a yummy catch, indeed.”
This is it.
This is how I die.
Complete and utter humiliation at the hands of my loving grandmother who doesn’t have a clue she’s pinning her hopes on a human rattlesnake.
“Whatever. If you bring up Liam again—”
“Oh, honey, you know I don’t mean to. I just know how you wound up so hurt, especially when you thought he was so close to putting that ring on your finger. But moving on is the right thing to do. The only thing that’s natural, and bless you for doing it.”
Sigh.
“Nana, I told you before, I’ve been over Liam for a long time,” I say, waving a dismissive hand.