Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
"The appointments are there if you want them."
Travis nods at the realtor, who puffs out his chest with a long inhale and then breezes to the door. We all follow Travis out of the building. When we're outside, he glances up, taking everything in before we leave. "You can follow me to the next place," the realtor says. "Are your friends coming to all the viewings?"
"Yes." Travis presses his key fob, and the car opens, and we all jump into our same seats.
The rest of the viewings don't live up to the first. I guess the realtor ordered them that way to showcase the best upfront. By the end, Celine can list a million reasons Travis should only consider apartment number one.
"I can see you there," she says.
"I can see myself there," he agrees.
"So, what's the plan now? I'm as hungry as a bear," I say.
"Me, too." Elias stretches his arms over his head, and as his shirt lifts, exposing his abs, Celine's eyes drift and focus hungrily. The way she looks at him is purely sexual, and it sends a shooting stab of jealousy through me. She looked at me like that the other night, but I haven't seen the same craving in her eyes since. I thread my hand through my hair and stare up the road, hoping the distraction will diminish the stab to my gut.
"You can come back to my place. My mom cooked yesterday, and we have enough food to feed five thousand."
"Sounds good." Celine looks at her watch. "I did have a study group, but I can miss it."
"We have practice later," Elias reminds me.
"We have time." I shrug like I'm not bothered either way, but I am. Getting to spend more of the day with Celine might help my confusion, and there is no way I'd leave her in the company of these two horny men and miss out on what might happen between them all.
If anyone is going to get with Celine, I will be there to share.
I haven't been to Gabriella and Travis's family home before. It's a nice house on a nice street, and their mom keeps it spotless and homey, with traditional touches like flowers in vases and enough throw pillows to sink a small ship.
In the kitchen, there is a large wooden table that looks like it has been the site of generations of amazing meals.
Elias looks around like he's never seen the inside of a house before. Celine helps Travis empty the fridge of trays and trays of food.
"How come your mom cooked so much?"
Travis shrugs, passing me a plate. "She loves cooking. So does my sister. I've been spoiled by amazing food my whole life."
"Some people have all the luck." Elias reaches out for a plate, his comment landing flat. Seems I'm not the only one to experience jealousy, although the target of his is something unexpected.
"I know. I reckon I'm destined to marry someone who can't even make toast. That'll even it out."
"I burn toast." Celine pops a delicious-looking piece of chicken into her mouth.
Elias scoops out a considerable portion of lasagna, dropping it onto his plate with less consideration than he should. "Sounds like Celine might be your destiny."
Celine sneaks a peek in Travis's direction, but he stays focused on the food. Is that a snub? I'm not sure. Travis isn't the easiest man to read. "What about you, Elias? Can you cook?"
"I get by." He chews on a big mouthful of the lasagna, and his eyes light up. "My mom burns toast, too. If I wanted to get in decent shape to play ball, I had to get accustomed to making my own chicken, broccoli, and rice."
"You seriously eat that?" Celine wrinkles her nose. "Broccoli smells like…"
Elias puts his hand up to stop her. "I don't want to hear what you're going to say. I love all green vegetables, and I don't want you to make them ick."
She shakes her head, smiling. "Maybe I should get you to cook for me."
"In addition to tutoring you and fucking you? You're starting to sound like a lot of work."
"Jesus, Elias."
He turns his attention to me, focusing like he didn't realize I'd been standing there the whole time. "What? It's true."
"Tutoring and cooking seem like a small price to pay for the fucking!"
"This isn't a labor exchange, and if it was, I'd have to be compensated for the fucking, too, as Celine has twice as many orgasms as I do every time we fuck."
"Every time?" How many times have there been?
Celine's cheeks turn a deep shade of tomato, and the floor is suddenly the most exciting feature in the room. Have they been solo fucking? Leaving me and Travis out feels like a betrayal, even though it isn't. We haven't made any rules for this. I keep having to remind myself that I shouldn't have any expectations.