AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I know it started out as an agreement but ... as I told you before, it feels different now. I mean, he’s so sweet to me, even when nobody is around. And when he kissed me in the cabin, there was no audience—it wasn’t for show. And it felt magnetic, like we couldn’t keep ourselves apart even if we tried. I don’t know how else to explain it but, I’m really starting to think there might be something real between us.”
“I hear you, and I hope for your sake that’s true. But also, Wade Lewis is famous, Callie. He’s probably used to having his way with women, and I would imagine, based on his reputation, he’s probably quite the charmer. I just don’t want you to end up as another notch on his belt or something."
“I won’t, sis. I can promise you that,” I assure her confidently. “And you know as well as I do that I’ve been super guarded since my divorce. I won’t get involved with someone who isn’t right for me.”
“I know, I just can’t help but feel a little protective over you, that’s all.” She sighs. “It’s all fun and games until it isn’t, ya know?”
“I know. And I appreciate it sis. I do. But hey, I really need to get back to the family. I’ll talk to ya later, okay? I love you.”
“Love you too.”
As I end the call, a notification grabs my attention on the screen—a new email from Amazon.
Great.
I already know what this email is going to be about. It’s a summary of this month’s royalties. Dread washes over me, knowing my sales have tanked the last few months. I’m certain this email is not going to be good.
If I continue on this downward trend for much longer, I’m not even sure how I’m going to pay my mortgage.
I cringe at the thought, until the realization hits me like a freight train—Wade did say he’d pay me generously for my time here...
Except, I don’t want Wade’s money.
Because that would mean that everything we’ve experienced here was, in fact, fake—nothing more than a contractual agreement.
Ugh.
I open the email—might as well get it over with.
What the…?
That is not the amount I was expecting. In fact, that is way more money than I anticipated. I click into the email and open up the report to see which book is bringing in that amount of royalties.
“What?” Surprise and confusion fill my chest as I shuffle across the room, flipping open my laptop to take a closer look on Amazon. As soon as the book opens up on the screen, I can see that the reviews have gone up significantly, jumping from two stars to nearly four.
What the heck?
Sure enough, I see the featured review underneath...
Wade Lewis.
I quickly read through his positive in-depth review, my heart squeezing at the kind words he wrote.
“Callie Stevens is a brilliant writer, and this work was undervalued and underappreciated. This novel deserves so much more than a two-star rating. It gets all five from me.”
I read the end of the review aloud, a lump growing in my throat. “I can’t believe he did this.”
Does he really feel that way about me—I mean, the book?
No, not just the book, me.
I stare at the computer screen in disbelief, refreshing the webpage over and over to make sure this is actually real. My book has jumped in ranking, ratings ... everything.
Wade is really something…
You see, my ex-husband never once read a single book that I wrote. I used to practically beg him to read my manuscripts but he never had any interest in it—said he “didn’t like to read.”
Yet, Wade Lewis, a man who’s only been in my life for two weeks, has read my entire novel ... and appreciated what I had to say...
