Page 64 of Tempting Frankie
I miss you, little one. My world feels off-kilter without you in it.
Chapter 24
Francesca
THREE DAYS LEFT
It's been days since I last saw Alexander's face, and I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind. I'm marinating in my own misery and probably a fair amount of sweat.
“That's it,” Kat announces, storming into the living room like a pissed-off hurricane. “I've had e-fucking-nough of this bullshit.”
She yanks the blanket off me, and I yelp as the cool air hits my skin. “What the fuck, Kat?”
“No, what the fuck you,” she snaps, hands on her hips. “You've been lying here for like five days, stinking up my apartment and ghosting the best fucking thing to happen to you. It's time to get your shit together.”
I try to burrow back into the couch cushions, but Kat's having none of it. She grabs my arm and hauls me to my feet with surprising strength.
“You're going to get your ass in the shower, wash that rats' nest you call hair, and then you're going to make a fucking decision,” she says, her voice brooking no argument. “Either yougo tell Alexander what happened and that you love him, or you let him go. Because this? This is cruel, Frankie.”
I open my mouth to protest, but the words die in my throat as I catch sight of myself in the hallway mirror. Jesus Christ, I look like something the cat dragged in, ran over, then dragged back out again. My hair is a greasy, tangled mess, and there are dark circles under my eyes that look like they've been painted on with charcoal.
“Three days,” Kat continues, practically frog-marching me to the bathroom. “You've got three fucking days until your three-month exclusivity thing is up. So get your shit together and make a decision.”
She shoves me into the bathroom and slams the door behind me. I stand there, staring at my reflection in the mirror, feeling like I'm seeing myself clearly for the first time in days.
The shower feels like heaven, the hot water washing away layers of grime and self-pity. As I work shampoo through my hair, my mind wanders to Alexander. I can almost feel his strong hands massaging my scalp and hear his deep voice murmuring praise in my ear.
God, I miss him. I miss his touch, his smell, the way he looks at me like I'm the most precious thing in the world. But every time I think about going back, I see Cameron's smug face, hear his cutting words.
How am I going to be with him when his son is always going to throw insult after insult at me?
Kat is right outside the curtain now, probably to make sure I actually wash my ass.
Kat sighs. “Look, I get it. Cameron's a grade-A asshole for showing up at that event and saying literally all the fuck shit he said to you. But Alexander? He's been nothing but amazing. He deserves better than this radio silence bullshit.”
I close my eyes, remembering the look on Alexander's face when I told him I needed space. The hurt he tried so hard to hide, the way his fingers twitched like he wanted to reach for me.
“What if...” I swallow hard, forcing the words out. “What if I'm not good enough for him? What if Cameron was right?”
“Oh, for fuck's sake,” Kat groans. “Cameron wouldn't know his ass from a hole in the ground if you drew him a map. Alexander looks at you like you're fucking platinum in a sea of gold, silver, and bronze. Like you're the rarest, most precious thing he's ever laid eyes on. And you're gonna throw that away because your ex said some bullshit to make him feel better about his small dick?”
“You don't understand,” I mumble, but even to my own ears, it sounds weak.
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Kat snaps. “Did you know that he called me the other day? Asked if you were eating, if you needed anything.”
I turn off the water, the sudden silence deafening. Kat hands me a towel, and I wrap it around myself, feeling exposed in more ways than one.
“What if I mess it up?” I whisper, voicing the fear that's been gnawing at me since that night at the charity event. “What if I'm just not enough?”
Kat grabs my shoulders, forcing me to meet her eyes. “Listen to me, you beautiful idiot. You are more than enough. You're smart, funny, and sexy as hell. Alexander sees that. It's time you saw it, too.”
I stare at my reflection in the foggy mirror, trying to see what Alexander sees. The woman looking back at me is a far cry from the put-together person I usually try to be. My hair is dripping wet, plastered to my skin. My skin is flushed from the hot water, and without makeup, I look younger, more vulnerable.
But maybe…maybe that's okay. Maybe I don't always have to be perfect to make up for what society considers flaws.
Chapter 25
Alexander
