Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
As Hayden slides into her BMW, I notice the big, boxy, matte black Mercedes-Benz AMG G-Class parked behind her car. “Wait, where’d that come from?”
Griff dangles a black key fob in front of my face. “Ours for the night.”
Remy chuckles.
“Really!?” My gaze darts between the Mercedes and my boyfriend’s satisfied grin.
“I’ll ride with you guys.” Kyla’s gaze swings between Hayden’s car and ours.
Hayden doesn’t seem to care—she’s in too much of a hurry to leave. “Figure it out, ladies,” she shouts through the open passenger-side window.
Darcy and Kyla end up in our back seat. I don’t want to ask how Griff managed to procure such an expensive vehicle in front of them. Renting a tux was bad enough. I didn’t want him to drop a fortune taking me to my prom.
He drives the unfamiliar SUV with the same mesmerizing ease he handles every vehicle. Thankfully, it’s a short ride to Hayden’s. Griff has barely stopped the car when the girls jump out and race over Hayden’s front lawn.
“What’s wrong, Muffin?” Griff places his hand on my leg.
“You didn’t have to go out of your way to find a different vehicle.” I flap my hands at the fancy dashboard. “I love the Chevelle.”
“You said you didn’t want to do the limo thing.” The corner of his mouth tips up, and he lifts one shoulder. “I still wanted to upgrade my princess to a nicer carriage for her big night.”
“But…”
He leans closer. “Do you like it?”
“Yes. But I didn’t want you to spend a lot of—”
“I borrowed it.” He tilts his head, and a cocky smile plays over his lips. “Well, I won it for the night.”
“What? How?”
“At Zips. This guy who’s been showing up to race a lot lately. I knew I could smoke him easily. Instead of racing for money, I asked him to race for the keys so I could take my girl to prom.”
My jaw drops, and I stare at him. “Seriously?”
“Yup.” He chuckles softly. “I think he was amused by my plight.”
“I’m impressed by your resourcefulness.” I frown, reconsidering his explanation. “Wait a second. What did you put up?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He glances away. “I wasn’t in danger of losing.”
“Griff!”
“I won.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “I do have to return it Monday morning, though.”
We get out and talk to Hayden’s mom for a few minutes. After we’ve taken dozens of pictures, Wade’s white Lexus rolls to a stop at the curb. He hurries out of the passenger side and Wesley slowly peels himself out of the driver’s seat.
My stomach churns. I squeeze Griff’s hand tighter, so happy he’s here tonight to keep Wesley away from me. My eyes stray toward Kyla. Should I have warned her better? No. She seems to like Wesley and she’s excited about tonight.
“I’m sorry.” Wade apologizes to Hayden. “We had to run to the—”
“It’s fine.” Hayden forces a smile. “You’re here. Let’s take some pictures.”
Kyla lifts the hem of her dress and hurries over to Wesley. “I told you my dress was pale orange.”
It’s only then I take in his dark green bow tie and cummerbund. Yikes. I enjoy some odd color combos myself but that green clashes with Kyla’s pretty dress something awful.
Wesley holds the sides of his jacket open. “Yeah, but that’s a girly color. My college’s colors are green and white.”
“What a skunk fucker,” I say under my breath.
Griff chokes and laughs. “What’d you say?”
“Nothing.” I press my lips tight.
Kyla’s eyes are wide and shiny when she joins all of us for pictures. I slip my arm over her shoulders. “It’s okay,” I say against her ear. “You guys’ll look like a freshly picked peach together. He’s the leafy stem and you’re the fruit.” I add a silly grin to my ridiculous lemons-into-lemonade observation, and she finally smiles.
“Thanks, Molly.”
The sun’s almost set by the time we leave for the country club that’s hosting our prom. Thankfully, this time, Griff and I ride together alone. Hayden’s so eager to get to prom, you’d think she was head of the committee. We end up falling in behind her BMW.
“Isn’t Wesley that douche canoe who bothered you at work?” Griff gestures to the white Lexus behind us. “How’d he end up with Kyla?”
I shrug and relay what Kyla shared earlier, leaving out the part where Kyla thought I ever liked Wesley.
We finally make the turnoff for the country club and travel slowly over the wide, gravel road.
Reluctantly, Griff hands the keys to the valet and accepts the slip. Music’s already pouring out of the ballroom designated for our school. I spot Hayden at the top of the wide staircase leading into the building and wave.
“Aw, look! She and Wade are holding hands,” I whisper to Griff.
A faint smile ghosts Griff’s lips, and he curls his hand around mine.
“Darcy and Jenn went in to get us a table,” Hayden explains when we reach her.