Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Ah.” Things definitely got heated with them last weekend at her place. “Did you ever talk to Nora about it?”
She shakes her head and sighs. “I meant to, but everything sort of went to hell, and I... I forgot.”
“Understandable.” I loop my arm around her shoulders, pulling her body into mine. “You know she's got your back.” I lean down and press a kiss to her temple. “And I do, too.”
“God, I don't feel like I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me... Everything you're still doing.” She averts her eyes as her dark irises go glassy.
But I don’t let her retreat, skimming my fingers down her jaw to her chin, I direct her gaze back up to mine. “Good thing repayment's not on the table, huh?”
“I guess.” She shrugs. “How did we even get here?”
“What do you mean?” I tug her into my lap, and she immediately curls into me, resting her cheek on my shoulder.
She loops her arms around my neck, her fingers finding the hair at my nape. “I don’t know. It’s just... everything’s changed, and I’m having a hard time with it all.”
“There’s a lot going on in your life, Scar. No one expects you to have all of the answers, least of all me.”
“No, forget all of that.” She keeps on playing with my hair—though I’m not sure if she’s trying to distract me or herself. “I’m confused about... us.”
“Us?”
“Is there even an us?” she asks, her voice small.
I roll her question around in my head, clearing my throat to buy myself a little time. “Do you want there to be?”
She shrugs. “I mean, I like this thing we’re doing. But I don’t know how serious it is or—”
“You pretty much live with me, Scarlet.”
“Temporarily.” Her protest is weak, and we both know it.
“You sleep in my bed every night. And sure, it hasn’t been all that long, but I...” I suck in a deep breath wondering if I’m really about to drop this particular truth bomb on her right now. After a minute or two of deliberating, I decide to go for it. Fuck knows keeping it to myself for so long certainly didn’t do my any favors. “I wanted you long before I hated you.”
She gasps. “You wanted me?”
I nod. “The night we first met you, I was so fucking into you. Then you chose Atlas.”
“I did not!” she practically shrieks. “It was you I was interested in. I was asking him about you when you walked in with a whole new personality.”
“Well, damn, Princess.”
“Damn is right.” She nuzzles into the crook of my neck. “You really hated me?”
“No.” I wrap my arms around her. “Not really. More like hated you were always around when I couldn’t have you.”
“Well, shit.” She snorts out a laugh. “Talk about time wasted.”
“Nah, everything’s working out the way it’s meant to.”
“Hmm.” She sits up straight. “You think so?”
“I hope so.” I press her hips forward, silently urging her to stand. “Only time will tell.”
“Enough sappy shit.” She pops to her feet. “We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
“In a rush to face Atlas?” I’m mostly joking, but damn if tonight hasn’t already been an emotional roller coaster.
“In a rush to get it over with. And excited for some steak.”
“Amen to that. Let’s roll, Princess.”
“Wanna take my car or yours?” Scarlet asks, and then her face crumples. “Ha. Never mind.”
“Even if yours wasn’t in the shop, I’d say mine,” I say playfully, trying to bring her back from the brink. I know she’ll be furious if she cries and ruins her makeup.
“Is there something wrong with my car, Ellis—you know, other than obvious?”
“No.” I rock back on my heels. “Other than the fact that it’s fun-sized, nothing at all.”
Her eyes brighten as she laughs at me. “Let me put Fefe up, and we can go.”
“I’ve got her.” I stride past her, into my room. Unsurprisingly, the little fur noodle is conked out right in the center of my pillow. “You’re a menace,” I tell her as I scoop her up, cradling her to my chest. “But a really cute one, so I’ll let it slide.”
“You’re really good with her,” Scarlet gushes.
“Loving her is easy.” Something about those fours words causes me to stumble. Am I talking about Fefe or Scarlet?
I shake off the weird feeling and quickly add, “It doesn't hurt that she's obsessed with me.”
Scarlet's lips twitch as if she's trying not to laugh.
“You know it's true.”
“Yeah,” she says, pressing her lips to the top of Fefe's head before I put her away for the night. “She really is.”
“I have it on good authority her mama is, too.” I wink, and she scoffs. “Oh, Princess, you wound me.”
“Puh-lease, Sunshine. Your ego is bigger than the Grand Canyon.”
“Oh, you are saucy tonight, huh?”
“Must be getting hangry.” She pats her stomach. “Let's go.”