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)
He’d gotten in trouble? Because his agent was trying to get him on a new team or something and he hadn’t been answering his calls? Or what?
He kept on going, showing more and more pieces of the boy-man who had earned my loyalty and love so long ago. “Will you forgive your old Snack Pack?” he asked in that Zac way that was all sugar and earnestness and that smile that could slay a dragon as he glanced up at me from beneath his eyelashes.
My old Snack Pack.
Ah, shit.
He wasn’t done either. “Next time, you can listen to me gettin’ reamed, if you want. My agent’s a pro, and Trev’s real good at it too. He could teach some classes on rippin’ folks new ones when they’re already down.”
I blinked again.
I’d never been the type of person who held crazy grudges. Even Connie let go of things pretty quick. It was probably our parents’ fault, honestly. Their soft hearts were the reason why they were good doctors. Our grandma, on the other hand, had remembered everything and didn’t let you forget it.
But everything about that long body here at my apartment, because he was so tall and all of his muscles were as endless and ripped as his bones were, seemed apologetic and honest. Sincere. Those eyes of his were kind and real.
I never listened to what those TV anchors said about him, about how he was immature and unreliable, about how he’d never reached his max potential.
The thing was, my cousin wouldn’t still be best friends with an asshole.
And Zac wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t given a shit about leaving me hanging.
All that said something to me.
This was my choice—to forgive or not. I hadn’t lived my life waiting around for him to remember me. And whatever reasons he’d had… well, he’d had them.
So, it was up to me, and I knew what my heart was telling me. A heart that could hear my grandma’s quiet whisper in it. A heart that recognized what my eyes could see.
“Yeah, I forgive you,” I breathed out, meaning it completely, down to the bottoms of my bare feet. “Thank you for explaining.”
It was the truth, and it made me feel so much better; it was kind of annoying how much better. I glanced at him over my shoulder again and saw that he’d dropped his hands and was sitting upright in the stool, his features serious.
His gaze was slowly roaming my face too.
I turned back to the counter. I could do my part too. “Hey, speaking of things to apologize for, I’m sorry I wasn’t being very nice when we went out to eat. I was just... surprised to see you.” And being petty. Mostly that. That didn’t come out of my mouth though. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothin’ in the world for you to apologize for, kiddo.”
That made me feel more like shit. But since I didn’t want to talk about it any longer than we needed to, I’d take it and run. So I changed the subject, because I was trying, damn it. “So… did you work things out with your agent at least?”
“Kinda,” he answered. “He’s still pissed, but we’re gettin’ it sorted. I just can’t be leavin’ unexpectedly anymore.”
Before I could stop myself, before the rest of my body could catch up with the distance—no, the expectation to not expect anything—my mouth went for it like it always did around people I knew, or at least felt comfortable with. “You gotta tell Paw-Paw to quit BSing and make sure he doesn’t fall again, huh? So you don’t have to leave randomly?” I asked, peeking at him over my shoulder.
That got him cracking a smile that had his elbows coming back up to the island counter. His square-shaped chin landed in the cradle of his broad palm too. But it was those sneaky, subtle, calming eyes that lit up. Familiar and old and natural. Like it hadn’t gone anywhere in forever.
Lord, how was I supposed to hold a grudge when he was looking at me like that? I wasn’t. So it was a good thing that hadn’t been the plan.
Then he nailed me with another smile that might have made someone else weak-kneed. “I know, darlin’. He needs to stop actin’ like he’s a fragile old man.”
I smiled, and Zac gave me a huge grin—a full grin that made the rest of his face light up even more when he laughed.
Yeah, there was a reason why I had missed him. He had always been so nice, and we’d always gotten along so well.
And if that had been the case because he’d felt like he’d owed me for something I couldn’t remember doing… whatever. I wasn’t going to overthink it too much. I was forgiving, and I felt… right about it. Good about it. For however long this lasted, right? I turned toward the food I’d prepped and said, “Boogie told me he’s home now and doing fine.”