Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“There she is,” she mutters, kissing my cheek.
She goes to ask something, but Sadie grabs me next, looking me over like I just got home from war. Which, I guess, in a way, I have—battling for myself in the trenches.
Sadie’s hazel eyes are lighter today, more blue than green, but I know when she gets mad, they’ll be darker. Her wild mane of curly brown hair is up in a crazy topknot, and like Missy, she has the perfect brows. They went to Knoxville to get them microbladed without me. Assholes. Sadie’s cheeks are rosy, and her eyes are misty with tears that haven’t fallen. She used to have really bad acne, so she has deep scarring along her face. When we were younger, you wouldn’t catch her without makeup. But ever since Matt came into her life, she owns who she is, which, to me, is the most beautiful person in the world.
Though, I can’t help but see Dean when I look at her.
They have the same eyes, long lashes, and thick, dark hair.
I wonder how he is.
Sadie squeezes my face, her eyes searching mine. A tear spills over her cheek as her voice breaks a bit. “I am so proud of you.”
Another sob bubbles out of me as I nod. “Me too.”
She kisses me smack-dab on the lips, and I laugh as she hugs me tightly. Missy wraps herself around my side, and once more, our hands join like they did when we were younger. We hug for another few moments before Missy hands over the bottle of champagne to me, and I take a long sip. Cars pass by as I take off my shirt and squeeze into my old SI tee. It’s tight along my boobs and every bit of my stretch marks is showing, but I don’t care.
I’m home.
Missy pulls out a pair of scissors before cutting my jeans to give me cutoffs like theirs. I only laugh as I continue to swig my champagne. We sing along loudly as cars pass and probably wonder what the hell we’re doing. Thankfully, Missy doesn’t cut my jeans too high, and I’m glad I shaved before I came. When she’s happy with her work, she throws everything into the front seat of my car, then takes my hand.
“How did Stratfuck react when you handed him the papers?” Sadie asks as we head to their car. Sadie has a habit of turning people’s names into a joke when she doesn’t like them. I don’t know how she keeps up, but each one makes me chuckle.
I laugh, shaking my head. “Like a total jackass. He had the audacity to ask me to wait a year.”
Sadie’s eyes widen. “He didn’t.”
“He did,” I say and tell them the whole story. They listen intently as Sadie grabs a bag, then locks the door. It isn’t until we’re on the trail that I finish, “He said I made him feel like he was suffocating ’cause I took all the air out of the room. I don’t even understand. I feel like I always made myself small for him.”
Missy shakes her head. “No, he just wanted an excuse to justify his wrongdoing. It’s easier to blame you than take ownership.”
“And so what if you did? That’s the whole point. He liked you because you were wild.” Sadie kicks a rock. “That’s why I love Matt so much. He’s never tried to change me or tell me I’m too much. He loves me for who I am.”
I smile sweetly at her, squeezing her hand. “Matt is goals.”
“Totally,” Missy agrees. “Nyle is great and he does like that I’m a little wild, but I do think his biggest hang-up is Dean and Skyye.”
Sadie’s eyes narrow. “I’ll kill him dead.”
Missy waves her off, but even I’m about to promise the same. “No, he loves Skyye—he does—but I think he’s intimidated by Dean.”
“As he should be,” Sadie says simply. “Dean’s the best dude ever.”
Missy doesn’t disagree. “Absolutely, but Nyle always asks me if I have feelings for Dean, and I don’t get it.”
“You had a kid with him,” I remind her. “It’s pretty easy to see why someone would assume y’all have something.”
Missy snorts. “Yeah, we had too many shots and a faulty condom.”
I bark out a laugh as Sadie grimaces. “Out of all the guys in town, you had to get knocked up by my brother.”
I mean, at least she said it.
Missy gives her a look. “Excuse you. I gave you Skyye—you’re fucking welcome.”
True.
Sadie grins. “You’re right, my bad.”
We all giggle as the warm Tennessee air heats my skin. I have missed this place—the sun, the smells of the forest, and the sounds of nature. Wisconsin is stunning, but there is something about the mountains of Tennessee. I tip my face to the sky, loving how the sun peeks through the limbs of trees and the rays warm my face.