Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“Really?” someone sasses behind me, but I ignore them too, aware it likely sounds like a throuple thing going on here.
Ari puts a hand over her face, but Noah only chuckles, kissing her hair in that cute little way. It’s such a lovers’ thing to do.
“Wait, you’re not in the truck. Is he on his way?” She yawns.
“Right. Back on track.” I scoot a few spaces forward, finally inside the building now. “Who is going where and when, and why did you think I would be tagging along?”
A small frown builds on Ari’s brow. “Mase said Brady was headed home for the weekend since it’s their first bye week.”
My head yanks back. “Home? Like to the beach house in Oceanside home, or home home, like to his parents’?”
“Parents’.”
My mouth drops open. “What the hell? He didn’t even tell me. I was just with him last night at the ice cream thing. He walked me back to my dorm and didn’t say a word.”
She glances at Noah before turning back to me. “I’m not sure, Cam. I called Mase to ask him something about Thanksgiving, and he mentioned it.”
“When?”
“About an hour ago maybe?”
I lift my head. There are only two people in front of me now. I can practically taste the Caramel Cookie Crumble latte.
I groan, stepping out of line. “Love you, bye.” I hang up, pulling up Brady’s number.
It goes straight to his voicemail, so I hang up and try texting him instead.
Me: Where are you?
I start walking toward the gym, aware that it would have been his first stop this morning. I halt, looking in that direction.
But if he was going out of town, maybe he wouldn’t make time for the gym. Knowing him, he got up super early and hit the road so there was “no wasted time.”
OMG, he hasn’t answered my text. Is he already on the road?
I call Mason, but it’s Payton who answers.
“Hi. Love you, but where’s your man?”
“In the shower. Everything okay?”
“Brady isn’t there too, is he?”
“No, it’s just Mason. Want me to ask him something?”
“No, it’s all good. Thanks.” I hang up and try the other.
Chase answers on the first ring. “Who died?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? I have woken up early before, you know!”
Chase laughs in my ear, and I glare at the wet grass as I take a shortcut around the English Lit building. “What’s up?” he asks.
“Are you home?”
“I am, but I’m about to head out for a meeting in the business office.”
I stop, brows drawing in. “For what?”
“Just some…you know, I don’t really know. What’s up, though? I’m walking out the door right now, but I can call you when I’m done if you need something.”
“No, no.” I shake my head. “But is Brady home?”
Chase is quiet for a few moments, and I have to look to the screen to see if he hung up in his rush to leave, but we’re still connected.
“Chaser.”
“Uh…” There’s some mumbling in the background, and then he says, “Nah, he’s not here.”
My eyes narrow, and I pick up the pace. “Who was that?”
“No one, just a teammate. I should be done in about an hour or so. I’ll call you then, okay?”
I nod even though he can’t see me and hang up the phone. I hold it in my hand in case it rings and make my way toward the football house because something tells me Brady is, in fact, there.
I’m just passing my dorm when a familiar voice calls out.
I look over to see Alister sitting on the benches not thirty yards from the entrance.
My stomach muscles clench with unease, and I’m tempted to tell him I can’t talk right now, but he’s already jogging this way. I don’t want to be an ass, so I quickly text Brady one more time, telling him to call me, and look up just as Alister comes to stop in front of me.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” he whispers, glancing from my phone to me. “I, uh… You’re up early.”
A light laugh leaves me, and I nod. “Yeah. Junie needed someone there with her for the early morning drop-offs. The other girls bailed on her.”
He nods, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Did you have coffee yet? We could go get one?”
“No, I—” I cut myself off, not wanting to mention the last twenty minutes to him. “Were you waiting out here for me or…?”
He nods, looking anywhere but at me. “Yeah, I, uh…” He meets my gaze. “I didn’t expect you to be out this early.”
“So were you just going to wait until I popped out?” I tease.
“Yes.”
His instant response has my arms lowering to my sides, and I clutch my phone tighter. “But I don’t have classes on Friday,” I point out. He knows this, since he memorized my schedule at the start of the year.