Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 164459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 822(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 822(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
He shrugged, but said nothing more.
“Hey… listen.” I stepped forward, gripping the edges of the towel that was draped around the back of my neck. “Um… my friend—Kylie—is throwing a party at her place tonight. I mean, I know you told me parties aren’t really your thing, but she asked me to invite you since you gave me a ride the other night.” He stepped back, smashing his lips together. His reaction made me uncertain, but I continued anyway. “You don’t have to,” I added quickly. “If parties aren’t your thing then they aren’t your thing.” I shrugged, my shoulders dropping in a defeated slump.
“Thought you said you weren’t big on them either…” He quirked a brow.
“I’m not, but she’s my best friend, so it’s pretty much mandatory for me to go.”
“Hmm.” He took off the gloves and adjusted the bandaging around his wrists, picking at the ripped edges. “Got something to do tonight.”
“Yeah,” I breathed. “I figured. It’s cool. No biggie.” I dropped my head and started to turn. Why I felt so let down, I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t know him anymore. He didn’t owe me anything.
Why did I want him to come so badly? So badly that I lied about him being invited? Was I that absorbed—that invested— in getting to discover all of Drake’s secrets and truths?
Before I could get too far, Drake’s deep voice rose, and I stopped my walk. “My plans aren’t happening until midnight. I guess I can come for about an hour.”
“Seriously?” Spinning around, I walked as calmly but as quickly as possible back in his direction, doing my best to fight a smile.
He got a kick out of that, watching as my entire attitude shifted from disappointed to delighted. I knew because his mouth twitched in the same way it always did when he didn’t want to reveal those pearly white teeth.
I would never understand why he hated smiling so much. Yes, he still carried traces of that broody ten-year-old kid that hated questions and interacting with the people in our class, but he had a kind smile.
That smile alone would make anyone that was afraid of him suddenly feel at ease when they saw it. Perhaps that was the reason he rarely smiled—because he wanted others that didn’t really know him to remain unsettled while he was around.
“You’re really going to come?” I asked.
“Yeah… unless you don’t want me to.”
“I do want you to—” I cut my quick response off and he smirked again. “I just mean… come. Just come. Okay?” I sighed, realizing how foolish I sounded.
Fumbling over my words, repeating things, making myself look like a complete dummy. This had never happened to me before, not even when I sang in front of hundreds of people, on stage.
I’d done beauty pageants and even cheerleading, and never missed a beat at any of it. But when it came to talking to Drake Davenport, I was a total goof. I couldn’t stop the racing of my heart, how my pulse thundered in my ears and life felt almost in slow motion as he neared me.
“I will look for you,” I murmured.
“Okay. Good.”
A loud grunt along with a shrill clank of metal filled the gym, and Drake looked over his shoulder. I looked with him. One of the boys his dad was training had obviously accomplished his benching goal, because he was now celebrating, hooting and hollering with the other boy.
The other boy looked just like him… wait…
Oh wow! They were twins? Clearly fraternal, but their trimmed, curly red hair, and blue eyes gave them away. Same height. Similar smiles. Identical arrogances.
“Are you close to them?” I asked.
“My cousins,” he informed me.
“Oh.” I studied his cousins, how arrogant they were as they slapped hands and chanted, still hollering with their deep voices. Everyone was looking their way, everyone except Drake’s dad. He was now looking at us. I snatched my gaze away from his cold, dark glare. “You should bring them with you.”
It took Drake a while to return his attention to me. I started to speak again, but realized he was having a private stare-down with his father… again.
Both of their nostrils were flared, Drake’s jaw locking before he snatched his eyes away and focused on me. “Sure. We’ll be there.” His father said something to the twins and then he started to come in our direction. Drake wasn’t having it. “Go. Now.” His face was serious, his look urgent.
I decided not to be nosy (this time) and nodded as I took off, turning around and hurrying towards the treadmills. Kylie was there, gossiping with Brandy who was on the yearbook committee.
Before I could get too far, I heard his Dad gruffly ask, “Who the hell is she?”
It took everything in me not to look back as he asked that question.