Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Thank you,” Charlie said, closing her eyes. “I could really go for a drink.”
“What’s your poison?” I asked, trying to distract her as Molly did her thing. “Beer?”
“Hell no,” Charlie said, the hand by her face clenching into a fist. “Something harder.”
“That’s what she said,” Farrah said distractedly.
“Vodka,” Charlie said, ignoring her mom. “No, Jaeger. No… tequila. Shots, no mixer.”
“Oh, so we’re gettin’ fucked up, then.”
“Oh, yeah,” Charlie breathed. “Absolutely hammered.”
“I’ll watch,” I said, running my thumb along her cheek. “I’m designated driver tonight.”
Charlie’s eyes popped open. “Make Draco do it.”
“I’m bettin’ he’s already past the point of drivin’ home,” I said with a smile.
“Damn,” Charlie said jokingly, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “I was hoping to have drunk sex.”
“Sorry, honey,” I said, lowering my voice. “With me, you’re gonna wanna be sober so you can replay it later.”
“Ahem,” Farrah said loudly, making me choke on my own spit. “I’m still standing here.”
“Shh, mom,” Charlie said, grinning at me. “It was just getting good.”
“Let’s keep it PG, guys,” Molly said with a chuckle. “Okay, we’re good. I’ll close it and wrap it and then we’re done.”
Charlie let out a relieved sigh.
“You’re tough,” I said, letting out my own relieved breath.
Charlie laughed. “Like I was going to freak out with you here.”
“What?” I asked, jerking in surprise.
“Honey,” she said softly, throwing the word back at me with the force of an axe. “You were already about to lose it, I wasn’t going to make it worse.”
“I wasn’t gonna lose it.”
“You carried me in here.”
“You were bleeding.”
“It’s a scratch. I didn’t even need stitches.”
“You do need stitches,” I argued. “You’re just too stubborn to go get them.”
“You carried me in here,” Charlie said again, her lips twitching. “Like a damsel in distress.”
I opened my mouth to reply and then shut it again.
“It’s okay, kid,” Farrah said, slapping me on the back. “So, you’re a bit overprotective? You’re in good company with this bunch.”
“Yep,” Molly said. “Almost done. Then I’ll have you stand up while I wrap it. You’re going to be black and blue, Charlie.”
“Eh, no worries,” Charlie said, leaning up to look at her leg. “No one can see it through the window.”
“How’s that going?” Molly asked, gesturing for Charlie to stand.
I got to my feet and moved out of the way so she could get up.
“It’s good,” Charlie said, nodding. “I had to let a couple people go because they weren’t pulling their weight, so I’ve been covering their shifts.”
“She’s always working,” Farrah said. “Downside to being the boss.”
“There are no downsides,” Charlie countered, grinning as she braced her hand on Molly’s shoulder. “Being the boss is sweet.”
I stood there quietly, listening. Since me and Charlie hadn’t been hanging out, I hadn’t heard anything about how the coffee shop was doing. I knew the sale had gone through and it was hers, but beyond that it was kind of a mystery.
“We barely see her anymore,” Farrah complained. “I swear, if I didn’t know any better I’d think she was avoiding us.”
I met Charlie’s gaze and my stomach sank when she shrugged.
She hadn’t been avoiding me. Well, shit.
Chapter 9
Charlie
My leg hurt like hell, but I wasn’t about to let it show as I limped gingerly out of my parents’ room. I hadn’t been exaggerating. I’d been elbowed in the face during my short stint as a basketball player when I was a preteen. We’d thought my nose was broken—it hadn’t been—and I remembered that hurting much worse. This scratch or cut or whatever didn’t even come close to that, but it still smarted a bit and the bandages and tape pulled a bit every time I took a step.
I wasn’t going to let a little softball accident ruin my night, though. I had booze to drink—wait, maybe no booze—and songs to dance to and shit to talk. The coffee cart had been sucking up every waking minute and I was so overdue for a little fun that it was ridiculous. I’d set the schedule so that I had the entire next day off and I was going to make the most of my graduation party.
“What the hell did you do to yourself, little sister?” Cam asked, the moment I stepped into the main room. He came striding toward me, his eyebrows raised.
“Slid into third like a fucking boss,” I replied as he pulled me in for a hug. I loved Cam’s hugs. His arms were like tree trunks. When he wrapped those things around you they blocked out the entire world. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Had some shit to do today,” he replied, vague as always. “Looks like I missed the fun.”
“Fun’s just getting started,” Heather said gleefully as she danced by us.
“Shit,” Cam mumbled, laughing. “She’ll be pregnant by the end of the night.”
“I heard that,” Heather called, flipping him off over her shoulder.