Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
The witch even had four women from God knows where swear that I’d tried to force myself on them, or that I’d tried to use my status as a doctor to have my way with them. Jen claimed that it was my indiscretions that had forced her to “protect herself” with secret birth control, and “forced” her to find intimacy with other men. My own lawyer had made sure that her completely fabricated bullshit about the other women never made it out of the courtroom to damage my reputation, but he hadn’t been able to keep it out of “the clause.”
And it was that that’d hung over my head for the last couple of years.
The clause stated that I ever married again, or fathered children, it would be proof that I’d meant to string Jen along and leave her all along. Utterly preposterous, I know, and so fucking thin it was a joke. But the judge had incredulously agreed with the whole thing, despite my legal team’s protests.
So, that was that. It wasn’t the only reason I’d been alone and walled off from women and most people for the last few years — I’d also just been uninterested in anyone after going through that. But, it was certainly a reason. But then I’d met Ada, and my whole world had tilted on its axis. I’d found her, and the rest of the bullshit that was in my past had faded away in a second, until all I could see was her and me and our future together.
The voice in the parking lot shattered that.
I turned slowly, my face hardening as I glared at her.
“What do you want, Jen?”
She smiled this bullshit, fake smile at me, waving her hand like we were “old friends.” My gaze landed on the rock on her hand, and I rolled my eyes. That’s right, I’d heard through the grapevine that she’d found some poor sucker to cozy up to. She couldn’t get married herself without voiding the clause, so I’m sure she was just leading the guy along on a leash for as long as it took.
“You look good, Jackson.”
“Go fuck yourself, Jen.”
She laughed, the sound piercing and harsh. “Now Jackson, let’s be nice.”
“Let’s not.”
She glared at me.
“What do you fucking want, Jen?”
“Nothing, Jackson, I was just visiting Petey here at Mercy, and when I saw your car I thought I’d wait and say hi.”
Petey? I rolled my eyes. Of course her new guy was a doc. Poor bastard. The thing is, looking at Jen then, I had no idea how I’d ever felt a thing for her. There was nothing there — just cold, calculating fakeness. And honestly, seeing her like that, I almost wanted to smile at the life of imprisonment and coldness I’d dodged. And I wanted to smile wider at the promise of real life, and a real love I’d found with Ada.
“You being good, Jackson?”
I ignored her, turning to unlock my car. “I have to go, Jen.”
“Seeing anyone, Jackson?”
I growled, my jaw tightening dangerously as I whirled back on her.
“Fuck off, you witch,” I spat.
Jen laughed. “Now, now, let’s be nice, Jackson. I mean, Petey has all sorts of money, but you’re my lottery ticket just waiting to pay out! A girl has to check on her retirement plan from time to time, right?”
“Stay the fuck away from me,” I hissed, my eyes narrowing. “And don’t test me, Jen.”
She bristled, but then she tried to hide it with a sarcastic eye roll.
“Jackson—”
“Goodnight Jen.”
I got into my car, slammed the door shut, revved the engine, and peeled out of the parking lot.
I hated that she had this power over me, and I hated that whatever I might have with Ada was going to be under this fucking shadow. At a red light, I stopped and took a breath, counting to five and letting my head simmer down.
Fuck Jen. Fuck letting her shit pull me down, when I had more happiness than I’d ever known waiting for me. The thought of Ada blew the storm clouds away, until all I could think of was her sweet smile, her eyes, and the soft, honeyed cries she’d make when I made her mine. I didn’t even realize I was just sitting there grinning like an idiot and imagining Ada all round with pregnancy until the car behind me laid on the horn, reminding me that I was sitting still at a green light.
I floored it, the engine roaring as I peeled through the streets of New York, back to the girl I loved.
Chapter Seven
Ada
I sighed, my mouth falling open and my eyes closing in ecstasy as I slowly sank into the hot, bubbling water.
God yes.
The whirlpool tub in Jackson’s private bathroom off his office in the clinic had been entirely too tempting to pass up. I melted into the water, sinking in up to my chin as I let the steam swirl around me.