Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I nodded.
“You remember when Rose brought us all down to the river?” Draco said after a couple minutes of silence. “We brought so much crap, coolers and towels and chairs and God knows what else, that whenever she’d hit the brakes, all of us would have to put our arms up so the shit in the back wouldn’t slide forward onto us?”
“No,” I said, looking out my window.
“You remember,” he insisted, laughing. “Me and Curt had to share a seatbelt in the middle because we had Reb with us and there weren’t enough to go around.”
I didn’t respond even though the scent of sunblock and the feel of the armrest on the door digging into my hip came back to me like a sledgehammer.
“And Charlie called dibs on the front seat and we were all pissed because she was by far the smallest of all of us and she had the most room?”
In my memory, I could see the back of Charlie’s blonde head, bouncing along to the music.
I didn’t engage.
“Curt swung out on that old rope swing and it busted halfway to the river and we thought he broke his arm?” he continued. “Remember?”
“I don’t want to remember,” I finally snapped. “Okay?”
“Ah, the truth. Finally,” Draco said, glancing at me. “Maybe we should have this out. You finally ready to do that?”
“There’s nothing to have out,” I replied. “I don’t want to go skipping down memory lane with you.”
“You got a problem with me, Kara?” he asked, pushing. He was always pushing.
“Just because I don’t want to remember some idyllic summer memory with you doesn’t mean I have a problem.”
“Seems like you do.”
“I’m not doing this,” I breathed, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared out the windshield.
It was quiet for a few minutes, the entire car filled with tension so thick it almost had a smell.
“At some point,” Draco finally said, his voice calm and low, “you’re gonna have to talk to me.”
“No, I won’t,” I replied flatly.
“You will,” he said, his voice still calm. “Because at some point, I’m gonna be done with this shit and I’m not gonna let you keep dodging it.”
“Cool threat, bro,” I muttered.
“Just a promise,” he said, reaching over to lightly run his hand down my thigh.
I held my breath as I broke out in goosebumps.
“If you think I don’t notice that shit,” he said, putting both hands on the wheel, “you’re an idiot.”
Chapter 4
Draco
The rest of the drive was silent. It wasn’t really surprising.
Kara had been dodging me for almost a year, skittering away like a scared cat anytime I was near her. It was both infuriating and seriously fucking confusing. After the way she’d greeted me when I got out—holding onto me like she was never going to let go—she went in the complete opposite direction. All of a sudden, she didn’t want to see me, didn’t want to hear from me, wanted to act like she was completely indifferent.
And it was an act. I’d known her my entire life and been best friends with her for over half of it. She was dealing with some shit—that much was certain—but pretending that she didn’t want to be around me was garbage. She couldn’t stay away.
Kara had no idea how well I could read her. She had no clue that I could feel the way her eyes tracked me across a room or the fact that she did so, often. She watched me. If we were in the same place, it was a guarantee that Kara had her eyes on me. She never approached or tried to get my attention, but I sure as hell had hers.
I’d been playing the game by the rules she’d set. I didn’t approach her, either, not more than I’d approach anyone else. But the minute we were within five feet of each other, the air went fucking electric.
“My parents aren’t even here,” she said with a sigh as we pulled up in front of Mack and Rose’s house. “Rose’s car’s gone.”
“Maybe she ran to the store,” I said, following her as she climbed out of the car. “Wanna check if your dad’s here?”
“Yeah, come on,” she huffed, pulling on her mask. I pulled my bandana up and over my nose as we walked toward the house, smiling and waving at the camera that was hung on one of the porch posts. I probably looked like I was about to rob the place.
It only took seconds before Kara was letting us into the locked house. Just as I closed the door behind me, her phone rang.
“Where are you guys?” she asked as she put the phone to her ear. She paused. “Okay, it’s creepy that you’re watching us on the cameras.”
I laughed and looked around the room, trying to find a camera inside the house.