Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I don’t know why.” He smirks at me, and his chestnut-brown hair is brushed to the side from his fingers, those green eyes of his shine bright. I could never forget those eyes. They change from green to gray to yellow depending on the moment. “I’m usually always here.” He is not lying. He and Joshua are almost joined at the hip. My whole childhood has stories with him in it. When someone was teasing me in ninth grade, it was Joshua and Nate who made sure the guy stopped. When I got drunk at a party and needed a ride home, I would call him before I would call Joshua. He’s also the only man I think I’ve ever sort of loved...until he fucking ghosted me and now shall remain public enemy number one.
“Yeah,” I respond, and then my mother calls my name.
“Elizabeth.” She comes to me, with a plate in her hand. “Here, eat something.”
“Mom,” I say, looking at the plate of pasta, “I would love to, but I’m exhausted. I’ve been up for twenty-eight hours. I just want a shower and a bed.” I get up. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to my room.”
“Um…” She hesitates, looking at me with wide eyes as she looks over to my father. “About that.” I tilt my head to the side.
“About that what?” I ask, not sure I want to know, but somehow thinking I’m going to be sleeping on the couch tonight.
“You see there was a water pipe valve that exploded at the hotel,” my mother starts.
“Okay,” I say, not sure why this has to be part of the story.
“And, well, the guests have to be—”
I hold up my hand. “Are you saying you gave away my bedroom?” I point to myself. “Like my bedroom with my stuff in it?”
I can hear Nate snickering from beside Joshua. “Snap,” he says under his breath.
“It’s okay. I think you can, maybe, stay with one of your uncles, but with the hotel being shut down, everyone is trying to get situated and accounted for.”
“Did you not think that I needed to be accounted for?” I ask her but she doesn’t say anything, just wrings her hands nervously. “So I have nowhere to stay?” I look at her, then at my father. My mother’s mouth hangs open as she tries to find the words and she looks at my father, who looks at her, both of them with eyes that look like they are about to explode from their heads.
“I mean,” Nate now starts, “if you want, you could stay with me.” My eyes look over at him. “I have a spare bedroom, and it’s not claimed, so it’s all yours.”
CHAPTER 4
Nate
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
“So I have nowhere to stay?” My eyes train on Elizabeth, who stands there looking like her head is about to explode. You know, like in the cartoons when the character’s eyes widen and then they start glancing side to side, only for their eyes to pop out of their sockets and then steam comes out of their ears. I have to roll my lips together to stop from bursting out laughing as she looks at her mother, who has her mouth hanging open. Her mom looks over at Zack, who I think looks like he’s about to have a stroke.
“Oh my God,” she shrieks and throws her hands up in the air and then back down again.
“I mean,” I speak up before her voice rises louder and all of Macy’s family looks over here and the person who actually took her room starts to feel uncomfortable, “if you want, you could stay with me.” Her head turns toward me so slowly, it’s as if she’s the evil doll from a scary movie. They look all innocent and beautiful, then they feast their eyes on you and, boom, you’re dead. “I have a spare bedroom and it’s not claimed, so it’s all yours.” I want to tell myself to shut the fuck up, but my head and my mouth seem to be off course with each other.
I look over at Denise and Zack, who both take a sigh of relief. “Oh my goodness,” Denise says coming over to me, her hands extending as she points at me. “Nate,” she says with glee, “Nate has a room for you.”
“No.” She immediately shakes her head, and I raise my eyebrows and smile at her, waiting to see if she is going to tell them why she refuses to stay with me. Has the day finally come when she acknowledges that we had one night together? Who knows? She sure as fuck forgot about it the day after when I came over to see her and she pretended I didn’t exist.
“What?” Zack asks. “Why not?”