Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Clearly,” he replied. “Now that you’re there, you gonna let us come visit?”
I opened my mouth, then paused. Was I? Much to my chagrin, I’d grown lax at keeping my distance from Trevor. He was just so…likeable. I tried to tell myself that it was good that I was forming a relationship with Etta’s uncle, but I knew, deep down, that Etta wasn’t the only reason why his texts were the highlight of my day.
“I know you just got there,” he continued. “But I’m having some serious withdrawals here.”
I felt my cheeks heat at his tone, then shook my head to clear it. He meant Etta. He missed Etta. Jesus, I needed to get my head on straight.
“We can plan for something soon,” I finally replied, clearing my throat. “I know you’re anxious to see Etta again.”
“I’m—” He stopped short, then dropped the bomb that would change everything. “It’s both of you.”
Sometimes a million things can run through your head in the space of just a few seconds, reasons for something, reasons against something, recriminations and memories, pros and cons, denial and acceptance. It happened to me then, the barrage of thoughts that raced past almost too fast for me to fully comprehend them.
Before I could open my mouth I was startled by loud knocking on my bedroom door.
“Look at you,” Olly teased. “Pretty sure I found you talking to your boyfriend when you were seventeen in that exact same spot, all dreamy eyed and blushing.”
“I have to go,” I mumbled into the phone, my eyes widening in horror as Olly came closer. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”
I didn’t wait for a reply before ending the call and sticking my phone down my shirt where I knew Olly wouldn’t reach for it. When he and his brothers had decided that Miranda and I were family, they’d really decided it, and that came with every annoying-older-brother trait imaginable, including but not limited to embarrassing the hell out of us as often as possible.
“Oh, come on,” Olly complained.
“You know, when you knock you’re supposed to wait for the person to answer before you open the door,” I snapped, climbing off the bed.
“Who was that? Thought your dad said you were single?”
“It was Etta’s uncle,” I replied, pushing past him.
“Whoa,” he replied, frowning as he grabbed my arm. “Etta’s dad ran like his ass was on fire and now you’re going for the brother?”
“I’m not going for anyone.”
“Girl, I just saw you,” he argued. “You’re definitely doing something.”
“No, I’m not.” I shook my head. “That would be weird, right?” I tried to laugh, but the noise got stuck in my throat. Oh, crap.
Olly tilted his head as he looked at me like he was reading my mind. “No, I guess not,” he finally said, giving my arm a squeeze. “From what I’ve heard, you weren’t ever serious with Etta’s dad. And it’s not like it’s gonna cause trouble with the brothers, since one of them’s dead.”
“Still,” I muttered, wincing at the abrupt way he’d spelled it out. I glanced quickly down the hall to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “If something did happen, then I’d be screwed when we stopped. I don’t want to mess anything up for Etta.”
Why was I even thinking about that shit? If something did happen? I needed my freaking head examined. Nothing was going to happen. Nothing could happen. Even if it was technically acceptable, it was still wrong in a lot of ways. I’d been burned in the past and I’d brushed myself off and kept moving, but this was Etta’s family we were talking about. There would be no escaping that aftermath.
“Aw, come on,” he said consolingly, throwing an arm around my shoulder so he could lead me back toward the kitchen. “If the guy stopped wanting to see Etta just because you broke up, he wouldn’t be worth the trouble anyway. Plus, you need to get laid. Your shoulders are all tense.”
I elbowed him hard in the side as we reached our parents, and ignored the surprised oomph as I sat back down in my chair. He was a jackass, and he made a little bit of sense, but I wasn’t going there. Besides, I could barely focus on his words when a deeper voice was saying both of you over and over in my mind.
Chapter 9
Trevor
I was such an idiot. The minute Morgan hung up on me, I threw my phone across the room like it was a poisonous snake and watched it bounce across the carpet and slide under my recliner. Good. It could stay there until I figured out what the hell I was going to do now.
I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. I knew that making any kind of mention about how much I wanted to see her again would backfire. I knew it, and yet I still opened my big mouth and let it slip out.