Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 147136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
“You sayin’ you have to babysit me?” I asked, straightening then and facing him head-on.
Might be me throwing the first punch.
I was bigger than Jamie. A little thicker in the arms and shoulders, but he was quick like a fucking feral cat and the same height as me.
It’d be a good matchup.
Jamie didn’t waver when I changed my stance and kept my gaze as he spoke.
“I’m sayin’ something’s up with you and it’s different than what’s been up with you the past four months. Shit, you were getting better. And I wasn’t the only one noticing. Cole brought it up last week sayin’ you were acting like the old Brian and you might be ready to paddle out soon.”
“That’s not fuckin’ happening,” I bit out.
“Yeah, I figured,” he replied, arms crossing over his chest, still dripping water. “Not that I agree with that decision but I fuckin’ get it.”
“Great. Glad you get it.”
I took another pull of my beer while Jamie stared at me, saying nothing for a solid four seconds.
Probably a record for him.
“It’s a girl,” he stated, head cocked, still staring.
I stared right back, not uttering a word.
He smiled.
Shit.
Asshole and his fucking gut instinct. Never failed him in the water or on land.
I should’ve stayed inside and kept on hitting Redial.
“It’s a woman,” Jamie clarified, finger pointed at my face. “You’re fucked up over some pussy, that’s what this is. Who is it? One of the girls you’ve shot with? Jayden? I bet it’s Jayden. You’ve been seeing her?”
I glared at my idiot best friend.
“Do me a favor? Stay off the site my dick is visible on.”
“Whoa.” His brows drew together as he leaned back. “I’m strictly there for the lesbian love. Never seen your dick. Don’t plan on seeing it. Videos are labeled, so thank fuck for that. Knew you shot with Jayden a couple weeks ago and put two and two together. That’s all.”
“It ain’t Jayden. Ain’t none of the ones on the site,” I informed him, eyes narrowing to add, “You call my girl pussy again and I’ll beat the shit outta you.”
His face relaxed.
“Damn.” He blinked several times, a laugh crackling in his chest. “You’re hard up. Who is she?”
I exhaled slowly.
Didn’t see the point in keeping this shit to myself anymore. Not when I no longer had it.
“Think you know her,” I said, setting my bottle on the rail. “That girl you’re always going to see at Whitecaps …”
Jamie stepped closer, halting me.
“You’re fuckin’ seeing Legs?”
“I’m talking about her friend, jackass. Back up.”
He backed up, but he did it looking ready to tear my flesh off if I didn’t explain quick who I was specifically talking about, conclusively eliminating Legs as an option.
I wasn’t the only one pining for someone.
“Girl’s name is Sydney. She works with Tori. Lives with her, too.”
“Who?”
“Legs,” I grated impatiently.
“Not her,” Jamie snapped. “Christ, I know her fucking name. Just ’cause I don’t call her by it doesn’t mean I don’t hear it every time she shoves it down my throat. I’m talking about yours. Which one is she?”
“She just started a month ago. Red hair …”
“Oh …yeah, okay.” His mouth twitched. “I know who she is. Bit nicer than her friend, though she kinda sucks at waitressing. Woman is constantly messing up my order.” He lost the smile and studied me. “How’d you meet her? You never go to Whitecaps.”
I hesitated answering and turned back to the water, took another swig of beer, this time finishing it off, swallowing, then held it over the railing and dropped it into the trash can we kept below for such purpose.
I hesitated for one reason I wasn’t sure I wanted to disclose.
I was gone for a woman I’d never fucking met.
Pathetic?
Maybe.
Did I give a fuck when that shit was kept personal?
Not one damn bit.
But I was about to blow the lid off and air it out, confide in my friend, who could very easily bust my balls over this indefinitely.
I stayed silent for a minute, then decided to hell with it. Again, what the fuck did I have left to lose at this point?
Let him talk shit. Let everyone.
Like I said before, I no longer cared about consequences. So I told him everything about Syd. Every fucking thing. I didn’t leave nothing out.
And he listened, taking it all in while remaining silent and looking surprised at some of the shit I was saying, but also looking like he got some of it, too. He understood.
I knew that when I reached the end and Jamie finally spoke.
“This girl was healing you,” he offered quietly.
I shrugged.
She was. Didn’t know how it was possible coming from a girl I couldn’t even get to, but she was.
“Know what you need, man?”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
He gripped my shoulder, attracting my attention then, and once he got it, he grinned with self-satisfaction brightening in his eyes.