Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“Stop!” I shout, but they don’t listen. Mrs. Rosenthal bangs on the wall again, and I glare at the white surface like she’ll see me through it and realize that I’m doing my best here.
I jump onto Dominic piggyback style, yanking on his shoulders as I try to pull him away from Griffin. “Leave him alone.”
But I might as well be a fly on a donkey because Dominic easily shakes me off. Griffin notices me sprawled on the wood floor and rears back, punching my brother for what seems like the first time, landing a massive blow to Dom’s stomach that has my brother reeling. “Don’t fucking hurt her.”
“I’m not hurting her! You’re hurting her,” Dom gasps painfully from his doubled-over position, his hands cradling his gut.
Woo-hoo! My man can pack a punch, I think to myself proudly.
What? Is Griffin my man?
That’s a question for another time. What I do know is that he’s not going to not be my man just because Dominic says so. The only people who can decide that are Griffin and me. And let’s be real . . . the only one who can truly decide that is me, because if I put my back into it, I could seduce Griffin like that, although that’s not the sort of woman I am. If he wants to commit, then I’m going to make sure he’s committed, no influence allowed.
And I’m about to say as much, using my cheerleader projection voice to break through their melee, when Dominic surges up, landing a solid uppercut to Griffin’s chin. So instead of shouting, I decide it’s high time for me to get a little farther away from this battle. Neither of them would intentionally hurt me, but with the way my luck runs, I’m likely to accidentally catch hands from one or both of them. And they’re tougher than me and will be fine after all this hitting. Meanwhile, I’d probably end up needing a nose job, and I happen to like my cute, swoopy nose and don’t want it changed.
But they have to stop. And shut up before Mrs. Rosenthal calls the police. I have no doubt they’d show up for something like this. Hell, they’d probably arrest Dom and Griffin just to say they took down two famous hockey stars, asking for autographs and photos while simultaneously booking them in and taking mug shots.
An idea strikes me. It’s crazy, but I think it’ll work.
I dash for the kitchen, grabbing the sprayer hose from the sink. Turning the cold water on full throttle, I whisper a quick prayer of thanks for excellent water pressure and thumb the trigger. The spray arcs across the room, dousing them. I play firefighter, swooping the sprayer back and forth to drench them both.
“No, bad boys!” I call out, chastising them like wayward dogs.
“What the fuck?” they both sputter as they stop fighting and their anger-filled eyes find me.
I release the trigger but keep the sprayer locked on Dominic, silently threatening another spray as I inform him, “This is happening.” I swing a finger from myself to Griffin to make it clear what I’m talking about because my brother likes to play stupid when it suits him. “This.”
Dominic immediately starts shaking his head. “No, it’s not.”
“Quit with the bossy big brother act and be a better friend,” I tell him, ignoring his refutation. “Now.”
“It’s not an act,” Dominic answers flatly. “And I have been the best friend. You don’t know this guy like I do.” Sneering, he lifts his chin toward Griffin.
Dom’s talking about Griffin like he’s not standing right here. No, he’s talking like he wants to make Griffin feel like shit, and he’s using me to do it.
Well, he can fuck off if that’s his grand plan.
I press the trigger, squirting him again, and he sputters in enraged shock.
“I know enough!” I declare. “You and Griffin are best friends. He’s the one you want at your side and at your back, and who you love like a brother. And he’s done the same for you. Respecting you so much that he squashed down his feelings for me in some misguided bro-code bullshit.”
“Bro-code bullshit? Is that what he told you?”
“He told me a lot. Enough that I’m willing to give him a chance.” I cut my eyes to Griffin, a soft smile stealing across my face. “Because he’s worth it.”
“You deserve better,” Dominic spits out.
I watch the light in Griffin’s eyes dim and his jaw clench hard. That hurt him. He said as much about himself today, but hearing it from Dominic cuts a lot deeper. I wonder how many times he’s heard that in his life. His parents told him he was worthless, and now, even as an adult, his best friend in the whole wide world is essentially doing the same. His dad, the man who was supposed to love him unconditionally, hit him so hard that he broke his nose. And now, his best friend has done that too.