Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Maya and Tucker join us, both dripping from the pool. “Where are you keeping the towels?” Tucker asks, shaking his head like a dog, so beads of water fly in all directions.
“Watch it!” Preston growls. “If you want to get somebody wet, your girlfriend is right there.” He jerks his chin at Maya, who scowls.
“You are such a poet.” She squeezes water out of her hair before she starts shaking out her curls. “I can totally see why Emma wants to spend time with you.”
“I already told him he should be a lawyer.” Giggling, I shrug. “But he could definitely write greeting cards, too.”
“That might not be a bad business idea,” Briggs muses, handing Easton a fresh beer before taking a gulp of his own.
“We could call them Fuck You Cards, Incorporated,” Preston muses with a grin. “Honest cards. None of this flowery bullshit that nobody actually means in the first place.”
“You could probably make some money off that,” Maya reluctantly agrees before Briggs directs them to the pool house where extra towels are kept. Tucker smacks Maya’s ass on the way there, and she swats his arm away while her laughter rings out over the noise filling the air.
It’s nice. Seeing the two of them so natural together, happy. I wonder if I’ll ever get to that point with the twins, just like I wonder whether or not anyone is going to say anything about me being with the two of them. I’m still waiting for a mean comment. It has to be coming eventually, right?
Then again… everybody’s been pretty cool so far tonight. I’m sitting between Preston and Easton, and neither of them is shy about rubbing the back of my neck or resting their hand on my thigh if they feel like it. Nobody seems to care either way. They just… accept it.
Could it be that easy? It’s hard to imagine when there’s been so much in my life that has gone poorly and been so challenging. I’m like an animal that’s been abused for too long. Hand-shy. Waiting for something bad to happen.
As it turns out, something does happen. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not positive, either.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Easton pops up from his chair, followed by Preston. They’re looking toward the door leading into the kitchen. A pretty girl with long, dark waves and familiar dark eyes is standing on the patio, her head swinging in all directions like she’s looking for somebody.
“Isn’t Sarah a little young to be hanging out here?” Carter asks.
This is Sarah? “Take it easy on her,” I urge, following them when they march in her direction. Poor thing. Nobody wants to be bitched out in front of a bunch of people. She’ll be so embarrassed.
Only she doesn’t act defensive when they approach. “There you are!” Close up, I see the trails of tears on her cheeks. “I remembered hearing you saying you were coming here tonight. Thank god I found you.” She’s breathing fast, hard, looking over her shoulder like she’s scared.
That’s all it takes for their anger to turn into something else. They move in close to her, one on either side. “What’s the matter?” Preston asks.
“What happened? What can we do?” Easton won’t take his eyes off her. I can feel the protective energy radiating from him.
And now I understand how they wound up beating Brody in that parking lot. They’re already prepared to kick somebody’s ass, and they don’t have the first idea what’s really happening.
Not for long, at least.
“I swear to God,” she wails. “I have been trying everything to stay away from him, but he must’ve been out looking for me tonight. I was with my friends, and he found me. I got in my car, and he followed me. He won’t leave me alone. That’s why I came here, because I knew you would be here—Mom and Dad aren’t home. I didn’t know where else to go.”
A fresh tear rolls down her cheek, and all I want to do is reach out and hug her, but the twins are blocking my way, almost swallowing her up with their presence. “Did he follow you here? Is he here right now?” Preston looks around, then points to Carter and waves him over. “Watch her. Don’t let her out of your sight!”
“Wait. Don’t do this!” I feel like I’m watching a train wreck unfold in front of me as I trot behind them, trying every way I can to get through the layers of rage they’re wrapped in.
“Oh my god, what’s happening?” Maya has a towel wrapped around her when she meets me in the kitchen, where I’m weaving through the crowd while the twins search for Brody. “What is Sarah doing here?”
“Brody has been following her, so she came here for help.”