Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
I crossed my legs and looked up at him through my lashes. “How’s that?”
His gaze dropped to my legs. “Fucking distracting.”
If he kept looking at me like that, I was gonna have a hard time visiting with his friends.
“Jesus Christ, get a room,” Jars muttered.
Nina slapped his arm. “Shut up, you! I’m loving this.”
Jars raised his beer and put the bottle to his mouth with a roll of his eyes.
“Micah?” a female voice said.
Before I could even turn to see who it was, I felt his entire body tense up. His hand tightened on my leg for a moment, then released me. I glanced at him, then swung my eyes to whoever had gotten this reaction out of him.
She was blonde. Of course she was. She was also tall and willowy. Long, dark lashes, red lips, and a body that made other women feel inferior.
Please, God, let this be some long-lost relative I don’t know about.
“Calista,” he replied. His voice was casual, but the way his body was rigid told me something else entirely.
She glanced at me only briefly, and then her eyes swung back to him. “I thought you might be here tonight.”
He nodded once. “Pep is my sister,” he replied tightly.
“Thought you’d moved to California,” Nina said. “You back, visiting your momma?”
She smiled at Nina, and my stomach sank further. She belonged on magazine covers or television. How did she know them? I needed someone to tell me she was related to Micah.
Please, oh please, let that be the case.
“I had some things happen that sent me back home. I’ve been hoping to run into you actually,” she said, and I realized she was looking at Micah, not Nina.
“Yeah, well, you did,” he replied.
She was silent for a moment. “I see,” she finally said. “It was good seeing you, everyone.” Her gaze dropped back to me again. “I’m Calista.”
She seemed nice enough. I wanted to think she was nice. I also wanted to think she was a lesbian or a relative of Micah’s, but my gut was telling me neither was the case.
“Dolly,” I replied.
Calista’s catlike green eyes went back to Micah. “She’s your…”
“Friend,” he replied a touch too sharply.
The relief on her face was obvious. I just hoped the pain in my chest wasn’t. He’d called me a friend. Was that what he thought of me? We hadn’t labeled what we were doing, but it was definitely not friendly. Not by a long shot.
“I see,” she said. “My number is the same,” she told him. “I’d love to catch up when you have time.”
Micah only nodded once, his jaw clenched tightly.
Calista looked back at the others and said one last goodbye, then turned in her short black dress and strutted on her mile-long legs back into the crowd. Men turned to watch her as she walked by. A few let out whistles. I felt like I was torn between throwing up and bursting into tears.
“She hasn’t changed much,” Nina said loudly, then held up her hand. “I think this calls for a round of shots. What about some Cuervo?”
Micah’s hands were on my waist, and he moved me off him to stand up. “Stay here. I’ll be back,” he said, not making eye contact with me.
I watched as he walked off and had to force my legs to bend so I could sit down in his vacated seat. He wasn’t walking in the direction she had, but why was he acting like this? Who was she? My chest was hurting so bad at the moment that I was struggling to breathe.
“He just needs a minute, sugar,” Jars said from across the table.
I looked at him, and I saw the concern in his eyes. They all knew her. Who she was and why Micah was acting so strange. I wanted to ask, but I was scared to know. Terrified actually.
“That boy can’t be that stupid!” Nina snapped, glaring after him.
Jars looked at her and shook his head, as if to warn her from saying more. I had to get out of here. I needed some air. I felt like I was going to suffocate, and if I was about to have a complete breakdown, I’d prefer it not to be where folks could see me. I wanted to do that alone.
A tray of shots was set down on the table in front of me.
“Did I hear someone say y’all needed some tequila?” Pepper asked.
My eyes shot up to meet hers.
“Thank you, Pep!” Nina said, forgetting her moment of anger.
“No problem. You all drink up. I’m taking my girl here for a bit,” Pepper informed them.
Pepper held out her hand to me, and I took it, standing up. She pulled me through the crowd, past the bar, and to the door in the back that led to her office. I’d been here a few times, and that was the first room she had finished. Once we were inside with the door shut and the sound of the bar muffled, I walked over and sank into the plush tan chair that sat in the corner.