Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Jax laughs again.
"Why are you calling me?" I narrow my eyes, suspicious. "If you want me to help convince Bastian of anything, you're shit outta luck until I get back next week."
Bastian Grayson, our cousin, was probably a Chihuahua in a different life. The man is a terrorist. He has no chill, especially when it comes to our family's vineyard. He stresses everyone out, all day, every day. But he is not my problem for the next week. It's someone else's turn to play mediator.
"Nah, he's actually been decent lately." There's a smile in Jax's voice. "Constance is good for him."
"Yeah, she is." I jog up the steps to the front door, whistling for Thanos. He lifts his head, looks at me, grunts, and then flops back down. Guess he's staying out here for a while, then.
I sigh and head inside, leaving him to sunbathe.
"I actually called to see if you'd seen Chloe."
As soon as he says Chloe's name, I feel it echoing in my fucking soul. Wyatt's sister is the bane of my existence, the love of my life, and my favorite fantasy all rolled into one. I've been wild about her for as long as I can remember. It's the kind of love that takes root and never lets go. My feelings grow a little wilder and a little deeper every year.
Unfortunately for me, I'm pretty sure she's hated me for just about as long as I've loved her.
Believe me, that's a long fucking time.
She spent every summer at my family's vineyard, slowly driving me out of my mind when we were kids. For a while, we were joined at the hip. I taught her how to fight. She taught me patience.
And then she grew boobs, and everything changed.
I'm not sure exactly when I realized that what I felt for her wasn't friendship, or when she began hating me. But it's been that way for a long fucking time now.
Everything I say pisses her off. If I say right, she goes left. If I say the sky is blue, she'll argue just to argue.
There isn't a damn thing I can do about it, either. Even if she didn't hate me, Wyatt is my best friend…and my uncle Carter is her uncle, too. We aren't related, at least not by blood, but we might as well be.
I think about what it'd be like if shit like that didn't matter a lot more than I should. I think about her more than I should.
"Why would I have seen her?" I growl at my brother.
"You mean aside from the obvious?" Jax snorts. "You're at Wyatt's, you idiot. Jade mentioned that they hadn't heard from her. I told her that I'd check with you in case she decided to come there."
"Why are you talking to Jade?" That's the other problem. Not that he'll ever admit it, but Jax is in love with Chloe's older sister. It makes shit even more complicated than it was to begin with.
"I wasn't talking to her," he grumbles like he's pissed about it. "Haven was talking to her. I just overheard and told her that I'd check with you. Jesus. Is that a crime?"
"Whatever. I haven't seen Chloe."
"Fine."
"Fine."
I flop down on the couch as silence stretches between us.
Eventually, Jax mutters a curse. "We're going to have to talk about this shit sooner or later, you know."
"So talk."
"You first."
"You're the one who said we needed to talk."
"Yeah, well, I've got nothing to say."
"Then neither do I." I kick my feet up on the ottoman.
"Jesus Christ." A loud bark of laughter echoes down the line. "We're so fucking stupid, you know that, right? Uncle Colton will kill us both."
"Yep," I agree, closing my eyes. He's right on both counts. We're idiots for thinking we've got a chance with Chloe and Jade, and Colton will absolutely murder me if he finds out what I fantasize about doing to his baby girl. And when he's done, Uncle Carter and my dad will finish off whatever is left of my miserable corpse.
Chloe would be worth it, though.
We never discuss it, but I know Jax feels the same way about Jade.
"If you hear from her, let me know, will you? Jade is worried."
"Why?" I sit upright, frowning. "What's going on?"
"Not entirely sure," Jax admits. "Jade just told Haven that she quit her job yesterday morning. Said she was supposed to come to dinner with their parents, but she didn't show. She stopped by her place to check on her, but the neighbor said she didn't come home last night."
"Jesus Christ. She quit and then didn't come home?" I ask, my knuckles white around the phone.
"She sent Aunt Cadence a text to say that she was fine and that she'd be back soon, but she needed some time." Jax sighs. "I'm sure it's fine, and she's just processing. You know how Chloe is."