Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Jackass,” I mutter, and Celeste echoes me. I would laugh, but by the looks on her parents’ faces, they aren’t happy. “Sorry.”
She echoes that too, and I have to fight my lips not to grin. “But, no. I haven’t.”
“You should. It’s been, what, a couple months now?”
I swallow hard. Eleven weeks. It’s been eleven fucking long-ass weeks.
I shrug. “She ghosted me. It’s cool.”
“Wow, you aren’t a very good liar,” Kirby says, and I set him with a glower. “Just saying.”
“Who are we talking about?” Sawyer asks.
“No one,” I say quickly.
Thankfully, the front door opens, and the girls squeal in delight as Jean, their nanny, enters. Celeste climbs off me and runs to her as Raine rolls to her stomach to get off me. I set her on the floor, and she army crawls to Jean as I’m left alone without my girls.
“I’m wounded, girls!” I call to them, but they ignore me as Jean picks them up and kisses them all over.
Man, I remember a time when I’d look at Jean and want to eat her whole. She is thick in all the right spots, a round face, thin lips, and a wide nose. Her cheekbones are high and beautiful. She has long dark hair and even darker eyes. She’s beautiful, stunning, but she has never had any interest in me at all. After Tennessee, I find that I no longer have any interest either.
Which is tragic, really.
“You’ll be fine,” she calls to me as she walks into the living room, carrying the girls before throwing her stuff down on the floor. “Are we having a party?”
“No, they just show up and don’t leave,” Kirby says, and I laugh at that.
“I told you two to stop buying all that food. That’s why they come,” she reminds him, and I set her with a pointed look.
“Excuse you. I come for the girls.”
She smiles at me, and I return it. “I apologize. You usually do.”
I gaze into her eyes, and then my grin widens. “What’re you doing tonight?”
“Sleeping?” she answers and then laughs as Raine kisses her cheek. “I have to be up early to go see my family.”
“Wanna go out with Sawyer and me tonight?”
Sawyer nods. “Yeah. I’ll take you out all night, Jean.”
She laughs at that. “Hard pass, Sawyer,” she says, and then she looks to me. “And I won’t be your second string to who you’re really pining over.”
I glare at Jaylin then, and she holds up her hands. “She was here when Angie told me.”
“You women talk too much.”
Kirby scoffs in agreement. “You have no clue.”
I glance back at Jean, hoping I’m knocking down some walls with my intense gaze and quick grin. “But Jean, baby, you’ve always been my first string.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not interested, Dart.”
“Come on now. We both feel this heat.”
It’s really more like Antarctica between us, but some heat moves through her eyes. Which is great, because I refuse to let my friends think I’m weak and shit, still pining over some girl who doesn’t fucking want me. I could kill Owen. But whatever. It is what it is.
Jean drags her gaze from mine and exhales. “Fine, but I’m not sleeping with you.”
“We’ll see about that,” I say with a wink.
I feel Jaylin watching me, and even she knows the truth.
There is nothing about it to see. I won’t be losing myself in Jean.
She reminds me way too much of Tennessee.
I get up. “I’ll swing through at nine to grab you.”
She makes a face. “Nine? That’s late.”
“Jean, baby—” I pause then, shaking my head when I can’t say what I wanted. I clear my throat. “Be ready to stay out well past your bedtime.”
I kiss the girls and then head to the door. I’ve gotta get out of here. I don’t like that Jaylin knows. Because if she knows, then Kirby knows, and that means everyone thinks I’m ridiculous. It was bad enough I knew; I didn’t need anyone else to know. I’m known for my love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation, but now that I was loved and left, it fucking hurts.
I reach my truck, getting in and then turning it on. Music blasts through the speakers. It’s a slow song, something country, and I look to see who it is.
“Tennessee Orange,” by Megan Moroney.
Within seconds, it all comes crashing back into me.
I lay my head back on the headrest, closing my eyes, knowing good and well I’d wear Tennessee Orange for that gorgeous girl with eyes as unique as her soul.
Chapter Twelve
Tennessee
Until now, Momma hasn’t been to visit me.
“What do you mean, you don’t have sweet tea?” she asks, confused, as she looks up at the waiter. I fight back my grin as I push the little packets of sugar toward her. “I don’t want that. It does nothing. You have to boil the sugar in the tea. What the hell are y’all drinking unsweet for? Are y’all even alive inside?”