Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
After laughing off the shock that I admitted I love Jess to a man as fucked in the head as me, I yank open Jack’s office door and sprint for the elevator. Even though my head feels the clearest it’s ever been, none of the words I speak after diving into the passenger seat of Tivy’s car make any sense. “I need to go. We need to go. I need…” Octavia’s eyes stop bouncing between mine when I settle her confusion with a handful of God-honest words, “… Jessie. I need Jessie.”
She flattens her foot to the gas pedal before careening into traffic so clogged there’s no way we could be involved in a high-impact accident. Traffic is at a snail’s pace.
“It will be faster if you take the metro,” Octavia says through a groan.
“The subway doesn’t go to JFK.”
“Take the subway to Jamaica, then the air train from there.” She pulls into a loading zone before grabbing her purse from the back of the car to fish out some notes. We don’t have a lot of money, but what she thrusts in my hand will get me to the airport. The credit card I paid off after a month of stripping will get me the rest of the way. “Ask for your drinks without ice, that way, you may be able to hold until you get to Jess. Then let her guide you past your fears, Caleb. She’s done it in the past, so she can do it again.”
I don’t have the chance to get over my shock she knows of my neurosis. I’m too choked up by Jake placing a ping-pong ball on top of the crumbled notes in my hand to let an emotion as weak as shock stun me. I get him to pack one in his backpack any time we’re going out so he has something to focus on instead of his fear if he needs to go to the toilet.
“Are you sure you want me to take this, Jake? It’ll be a long drive home in this traffic.”
When he nods, I lean into the back of the cab so I can ruffle his hair. My decision to open up feels right when he mistakes my lean across my chair as me swooping in for a hug. He curls his tiny arms around my neck before tucking his face under my chin. “Memember, five de record. Six is better.”
“I don’t know if I can do six, Jake, but I’ll try.”
He inches back before saying, “Then I’ll share my wego with you.”
“I guess I’ll have to do six then.” I ruffle his hair again before promising, “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”
I wait for him to nod before shifting my eyes to Octavia. She smiles. It is her first genuine smile in an incredibly long time. “Go. We will be fine. I have everything handled.”
Since I truly believe her, I press my lips to her cheek, toss open my door, then sprint for the closest subway station.
CHAPTER 53
JESS
“Don’t even think about it.”
My eyes lift from the screen of my phone to Heidi, who is looking remarkably sexy for a mother of two. “What? I was just checking my Insta page.”
“Insta my ass. You were about to message Caleb for the tenth time today.”
I pfft her before checking to see if my phone suddenly became see-through. How does she know I’m in the Messenger app instead of Instagram?
I drop my phone onto my childhood bed when she nudges her head to the mirror behind me. “Well-placed mirrors are how I have Lachlan convinced I have eyes in the back of my head.”
“Moms don’t have them?”
She smacks me up the head with her purse before smoothing out the crinkle her whack caused. “I’m glad you kept the hairpiece out today. This new style really suits you. I bet Matt will be impressed.”
I gag. Matthew is a friend of Daniel’s. A close friend of Daniel’s. They attend the same bible study lessons. Heidi has been trying to hook us up for weeks, but my heart isn’t into dating. It hasn’t been for years, but it worsened after my ‘fling’ with Caleb.
I haven’t been on an official date in almost five years. Heidi just won’t let me announce that to Caleb. She thinks activating his jealousy button is as important as accepting his nurturing traits. They’re two points that show he cares even with him not knowing how to respond to them.
“I thought he would have called this morning,” I admit, shocked Heidi’s ploy to force his jealous side out of hiding by pretending I’d be out all night last night on a date didn’t work as planned.
Forever looking for the positive, Heidi says, “Maybe he is having internet issues. Octavia usually would have FaceTimed you three times by now, and you haven’t heard from her today either.” I won’t lie. I love the little snip of jealousy in her tone. She knows Octavia isn’t her competition and that I have enough love for all my friends, but it is nice to be wanted—even if it is platonic.