Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Why are you in your contacts?”
“Because I lost my glasses, can’t see, and have to write an entire rap section, and that’s not the point, stop trying to distract me. Who the hell were you with?”
I shrug him away. “Get off, like you should talk.”
He crosses his arms again and stares me down.
“Ah, so the youngest of the team has officially lost his mind.”
“If you say so,” I return curtly.
Lucas eyes me up and down, eyes narrowed, like he’s seeing me for the first time. Maybe he is.
“Look at you, suddenly all grown up.”
“And what do you want to do about it?”
I’m surprised to see Lucas smiling at me like he’s pleased.
“I like this Sookie,” he says confirming my suspicion. “And listen, I am in no position to judge. But you need to be careful with whatever it is you have going on. And you know you can confide in me, but you just need to be smarter because if Rae—“
And then I just fucking go for it, because why not?
“It’s his sister.”
“…Finds out then—“ he stops talking.
We lock eyes. The surprise in Lucas’ is almost laughable. Almost.
“I’m sorry, do you mean you were with Ari for a meeting?” Lucas tries to clarify.
I stare down at the sink then back up at my reflection in the mirror, and grab some tissue to wipe my mouth, then get it wet and continue wiping. My lips are stained with her color. It won’t rub off, like it’s trying to stay on my face the way I tried to keep her kissing me forever.
Ironic.
“Bro? Talk to me.”
I feel the sudden wave of emotion sweep over me again and it’s consuming. It makes me feel weak. What is it with these feelings? It must be all the pressure I’m under. I realize I’m going to have to figure out a way to control myself. I can’t lose it every five minutes.
Get it together Sookie.
“Never mind.” My voice is unintentionally sharp as I turn to move past him.
“Nope.” He blocks the door to the bathroom and I try shoving him away but he doesn’t budge. Has he been lifting more?
I sidestep him.
He matches me move for move.
I throw up my hands in his face. “Seriously?”
“Talk.”
“If you weren’t my Senior…” I grumble.
“I’m more than that. I’m your friend.” His voice is solemn. “Now just tell me, and I’ll see how I can help.”
Not at all what I expected, but the fact that he’s willing to hear me out isn’t a bad thing. Maybe I finally do need to talk about it.
I lean against the wall on the opposite side of him and cross my arms defensively again, ready for whatever pushback he’s going to give.
“It wasn’t a meeting.”
“Kind of figured. So, her mouth just… fell on yours?”
“Not exactly.”
Lucas takes a second before responding.
“You know you can sue for any sort of sexual advances,” he tells me as he jumps to all sorts of conclusions. “Are you okay? Seriously, that’s not cool of her to come on to you—“
I burst out laughing.
He looks concerned. “Are you going crazy or something? You have felt off for a while now. I mean, more off than usual. You’re always morose and in your head, but always just took that for the whole brooding persona you’re supposed to give off.”
“Yeah, I am going crazy.” I exhale. “I am completely fucking crazy.”
His eyes widen.
“Tell me why? Did she hurt you? Explain to me what she did—“
“She didn’t do anything,” I reply quickly.
“Then what—”
“I’m in love with her.” I don’t know why I blurt it out like that, but it does feel good to kind of release it into the air. Come what may.
“I’m sorry, you’re what?” Lucas is shocked.
“I’ve been in love with her for two years.”
“Two years? How?”
“When I met her, I didn’t know who she was, it was at my graduation, we were both having a bad day, I walked into an empty classroom, she was crying, one thing led to another.”
I’ve never seen Lucas’s jaw drop the way it’s dropping right now. I imagine if it could reach the floor, it would be down there, with drool coming out, tongue rolled out, followed by him, passing out.
“Another… as in sex?”
“In a classroom?” I roll my eyes, even though that’s exactly where we were heading that day. “No and I’m not giving you details. It was just…”
I search for the words.
“Just?” Lucas prods.
Fucking incredible? Unbelievable. Addicting? I can’t tell him this.
“We had chemistry,” is all I say. “Within minutes I found out it was Rae’s sister which… I mean technically you’re related a bit too.”
I wait for the backlash.
“We might be related, but I barely know her. I do know she grew up in the states, went to Harvard, and my dad cheated on my mom to be with her mom, so that’s as far as that goes, anyway…” He shakes his head. “So today? What happened today?”