Total pages in book: 191
Estimated words: 182070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Trevor wasn’t smiling when we made eye contact, but it was pretty damn close. “Good job.”
He didn’t even complain on the drive back to his house while I went over all the details again like he hadn’t been there to witness them in person. He even nodded and kept the eye rolling to a zero. And when we got to the house and I saw Zac’s car in the driveway that couldn’t dampen my good mood either while we got out of Trevor’s car, and I practically skipped up to the front door, relieved and honestly feeling about fifty pounds lighter. I was free! Free!
“Thank you so much, Trev,” I told him again as he walked behind me into the main living area of the house. “That was one of the best moments of my life.”
He didn’t snicker or chuff or anything, but I could tell there was pleasure in his voice as he said, “No need to thank me. If you tell anybody I like seeing birds spread their wings, I’ll deny it until I die.”
I started laughing just as I spotted Zac standing beside the kitchen island. He was watching us.
That took a little bit of the wind out of my sails, but I still managed to say, “Hi.”
“Hi.” He frowned for about a split second. “Did you eat already?” he asked, his voice slightly funny. “I was just textin’ you to find out.” He looked at Trevor again as the older man went around to grab his computer from where he’d left it on the island. “Hi, Trev.”
“Zac. I’ll be in the office. I have a call I need to make.” Then he was heading down the hall, leaving us alone.
And those blue eyes that were mixed with milk moved back to me.
Right. “I ate earlier,” I admitted. “Thank you though, but I’m not hungry.” That was a lie; I was always hungry, but I’d blurted out the words before reminding myself that this wasn’t how I wanted to be with him.
It wasn’t what he deserved.
And he knew I’d screwed up, or regretted it, from the frown that carefully formed over his features again.
Shit.
“Bibi,” Zac said slowly, maybe even carefully, his gaze roaming my face while he kept on leaning against the island. He looked tired. “What’s goin’ on?”
He deserved better than this. Better than me, I told myself. So I had to try for him. “Nothing. Why?”
“Because you sure have been actin’ weird, darlin’,” he replied, still speaking slowly.
I shrugged both my shoulders, but it didn’t work.
He kept going, his frown getting deeper and deeper by the second. “You barely talked yesterday. Then you ran up to your room the second we got back after dinner.”
He’d noticed that?
“You didn’t text me this mornin’ either,” he told me. “If I did somethin’, tell me.”
Was I supposed to tell him that I had fallen back in love with him like a moron? No. That wasn’t what he wanted. And that was fine. Great.
“You didn’t do anything,” I told him, exhaling, telling myself I might as well do this now before I lost my confidence. “I didn’t mean to give you that impression, Zac.”
He took a step closer, his jaw tight, looking intent and worried and focused. He knew I was full of it. “I can’t fix it if I don’t know what happened.”
“Nothing. You didn’t do anything. All you’ve done is be a good friend, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
He was the one wrinkling his nose then. Those eyebrows knitting together even more.
So I barreled on. “Please don’t think I’m not grateful for everything.”
“What are you doin’?” he asked, standing up straight.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I think since you’re not going to be here for Thanksgiving, I’m going to leave early to head to see my sister and the kids. I’m going to take a look around at some apartments in Killeen, some in Austin—”
His “What?” sounded breathless, and there were so many lines crossing his forehead, it would have taken me too long to count them.
“I don’t want to impose on you and Trev anymore, and it makes sense. I might as well take advantage of going up there.” It didn’t make sense. At least not total sense. I didn’t love Killeen. I really didn’t. And Boogie was about to get married and have his first baby, and I wanted to be there for him, but how much could I really intrude on his brand-new family? I guess if I was going to be anywhere, it might as well be closer to my sister. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’m going to stay with Connie.”
“Stay with me. If you don’t wanna be alone for Thanksgiving, fly up to New York. I’ll get your ticket. We can get room service.”