Page 30 of Now and Forever

He nodded before taking a lungful of air. “I’d greatly appreciate that, Gisele.”

“All right.” Pressing my lips together, I mustered a strained smile. “Well, I’ll go and thank our parents for sharing this day, and then I’m going for a nap.”

He nodded. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

After exiting the library, it took everything in me to seek Abigail and Papa, thanking them for being there, but I had to excuse myself due to a headache. Abigail reassured me that she’d be staying for a while, so I might catch her later this evening.

My tears only fell once I was safe in my closet.

Unbuckling the ankle straps one at a time, I shakily wiped each tear that fell, hating myself for being such a masochist. What prompted me to ask in the first place? I had an idea how Jared was in bed, so I didn’t need confirmation. But my feelings couldn’t be helped. I simply had to know, and the moment I did, I wished I could unhear it. Two hours. Two whole fucking hours?

Christ, that hurt more than anything.

My phone shrilled from the vanity, breaking my painful reflection. Abandoning my shoes on the black wooden floor, I strode to check my caller.

Wyatt Rinaldi.

Why would he call me? Did something happen to Blair? My stomach dropped. If something awful happened, I was going to scream the house down.

“Wyatt?” I rasped out. “Is Blair okay?”

“Blair’s been incessantly calling me. She wants me to make sure you’re fine. My little sister can literally terrorize anyone from a different continent, myself included. So here I am, calling on her behalf, and well, out of my concern for you, too. She also pointed out that I’m not going to breathe a word to anyone about Peter’s condition, so your secret is safe with me.” He chuckled before it died out. Then he reverted to a more serious tone. “I’m sorry about your father, Gi. You must be very devastated. You’ve barely recovered after your mother’s…and now this. I’m sorry life can’t be perfect for you, beautiful.”

His concerned touched me. Wyatt was always messing around, never serious. So, for him to sympathize with my ill-gotten luck, I was moved. He wasn’t one to go delving into emotions; it made him uncomfortable. Therefore, for him to reach out, even if Blair had demanded he did, it meant the world to me.

“Thank you, Wyatt,” I croaked out, somewhat uplifted. “I never thought you had it in you to be sincere, but here you are, proving me wrong.”

“I joke around because it’s the easiest way to deal with people. It doesn’t mean I don’t get affected when the people I care about are suffering.” His words enlightened me.

“Good to know you have a heart, after all.”

That earned a laugh from him. “Only for you, Gi…only for you,” he said in a teasing manner, but his voice held something more. “Well, I promised my sister I’d take you out for dinner to cheer you up. What do you say, Gi?”

Papa and Abigail would be expecting me to dine with them. But maybe if I could eat lightly, then that wouldn’t be a problem. “Is nine too late?” It was the best I could do given the circumstances. “I have this thing with my father, and I can’t get out until then.”

“Nine sounds perfect,” he said smoothly, “I’ll pick you up then?”

Uh, that’d be a massive negative. “No, I’ll drive to you, and then we can ride from your place.”

“Sounds great! Don’t flake on me, Gi.”

Wyatt had just offered a reprieve, so flaking on him was out of the question. “I won’t.” I snickered. “See you.”

“Can’t wait.”

That was nice of Blair to pester her brother to take me out. She knew how devastated I’d been, most especially after the two-hour fuck marathon Jared confirmed earlier. I could do with a night out with harmless Wyatt.

Jared was most likely going to see his Rose, so going out would save me from crying myself to sleep while imagining him having sex with his girlfriend. Somehow, I knew she was a brunette. He simply couldn’t resist them.

Like I said earlier, fuck him. He could have all the brunettes in the world. Someday, I’d get over him, and I would laugh for being such a stupid fool.

And since I already had my phone, why not call Jack and get it over with? Might as well.

Biting my bottom lip, I dialed his number. It took a good bit until the call connected. The ringing sound even seemed different.

“Gisele!” Jack’s familiar voice echoed from the other end of the line. “God, I’ve been trying to reach you, pretty sweets. I’ve missed you.”

I knew my friends wouldn’t dump him in Croatia; they weren’t cruel people. So, it made me wonder what he had been up to. “Where were you, anyway?”

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