Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Another shove, then another, until the thing skids across the floor like it personally ruined her life. By the time she’s done, the room looks like a bomb went off, and she’s left standing there on heaving breaths and shaking shoulders.
I stay planted just inside the door, blinking before I clear my throat. “Uh…you good?”
She whirls on me, tears already brimming. “No, Linc, I’m not fucking good, okay? And right now, I feel like I’m never going to be again.” Her voice cracks, the dam finally breaking free.
She drops onto the edge of the bed, and sobs into her hands, folding under the weight of it all.
It’s fucking devastating.
Without hesitation, I cross the room and drop down in front of her, my hands resting on her knees. “Hey, come on, Goldilocks. It’s going to be okay. You’re gonna be okay.”
She shakes her head. “I’m so stupid for coming here.”
The hurt in those words burn like an iron stake.
“They’re the stupid ones.” I brush the wet hair from her face, my hand lingering against the softness of her cheek. “This is their loss, not yours.”
Her glassy eyes meet mine in a storm of sadness. “I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.”
It wasn’t for nothing, not even close.
“Don’t worry about it.” I shrug, keeping it easy. “At least I got to drop Finchy Boy on his ass. That alone makes the trip worth it, right?”
That earns me a laugh. Small, watery, but real.
I’d break every bone in my hand for that sound.
“True.” She sniffles, wiping at her face. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Anytime.”
I mean that. If given the chance, I’d go back right now and drop him twice more. Hell, I’d slay every one of her fucking dragons if it meant never seeing her shed another tear.
She drags in a shaky breath, composing herself. “So…what do we do now?”
My gaze scans the room, catching on the neon pink sign flashing through the rain-streaked window.
A grin tugs at my mouth as an idea takes shape. “Wanna get shitfaced?”
The smallest smile touches her own lips. “Yeah. Actually, I do.”
It’s like music to my ears.
“Well, all right then.” I push off my knees, rising to my feet. “Let’s get this fucking party started.”
She lets out a laugh as I take her hand, leading her toward the door.
If the universe wants to keep throwing punches, then we’ll hit back. With a bottle of whiskey and a reckless night we won’t soon forget.
The bar is a total dive—sticky floors, chipped tables, and a karaoke machine that’s seen better days, and yet, it’s perfect.
The guy butchering a George Strait song is loud enough to drown out my heavy thoughts, and the locals are friendly in a way that reminds me of home.
Linc and I are tucked into a booth in the far corner, our rain-soaked hair now only damp, cheeks flushed from the open bottle of whiskey sweating between us. We’re deep into a game of truth-or-shot, my stomach aching from laughing so hard, the kind of laughter that eases the hurt I always pretend isn’t there.
“I knew it.” Linc chuckles, shaking his head. “I fucking knew you were the one who sabotaged my science project in fifth grade.”
He’s leaned back in the booth, one arm draped along the seat, looking relaxed, confident, and entirely too distracting.
“Sabotaged is such a strong word,” I say, feigning innocence. “Don’t you think?”
His jaw drops, expression outraged. “You poured rainbow glitter into my volcano and almost blew up the entire fucking school. What would you call it?”
My eyes roll at his dramatics. “It wasn’t glitter. It was stardust.”
He grunts like that makes no difference.
“Besides, how was I supposed to know it would cause such a bad reaction? I was just trying to enhance it.”
It’s a total lie. I fully intended to wreck it. I just didn’t intend to wreck the entire classroom in the process.
“Oh, you enhanced it, all right,” he shoots back. “By making it shit out rainbow lava all over the fucking place.”
A laugh tumbles out before I can stop it, the sound warming my chest right along with the whiskey.
“Yeah, laugh it up,” he mutters, but the twitch of his lips gives him away. “I lost first place because of that stunt.”
I lift a shoulder. “Served you right for pelting me with slime balls.”
His eyes flash with quiet amusement. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope,” I answer, popping the p. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to collect all those dandelions?”
He arches a brow, smugness written all over it. “I replaced them, didn’t I?”
My pulse jumps, heart dancing at the memory of all those dandelions scattered across my doorstep.
“So, that was you…”
I’d suspected as much after seeing him loitering outside that day, but I hadn’t been completely sure.
He nods.
“Why?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.