Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
“Oh, shit, you look sad suddenly,” says TJ, coming to a stop. “Did I say something wrong? Look, ignore all of that, ignore all of that crap I just rambled on about. I’m taking psychology courses. I keep spouting off. My friends at school get annoyed with me, too.”
“No, it’s okay,” I assure him distractedly.
“You don’t look okay.”
“Really, I’m fine.” Why isn’t Cole here yet? “I was just … I think I was just sitting by the pool for too long in the sun, listening to Jimmy talk about how Bobby’s big proposal might have secretly gotten spoiled by Nadine, and then how the Evanses don’t accept Robby as Vanessa’s boyfriend no matter what he does to prove himself, and how Hoyt keeps looking over his shoulder, likely wondering if people don’t truly approve of his relationship with Harrison, even after they’ve been together for a year … and it … it really makes me wonder … whether anything … is actually as good as it seems … or if there’s always a dark underbelly of doom …”
TJ grips my arms and centers my focus onto his face. “Please, Noah, don’t spiral. Today’s a good day. A fun day, right? The sun’s out. Fireworks later. Tons of yummy food. Hey, let’s change the subject, okay? Yeah, alright, we’re changing the subject. Did you get my invite? To the thing at my place?”
“Yes,” I answer automatically. “The thing in, um … in a couple weeks. I’m pretty sure Cole RSVP’d for us.”
“It’ll be the week before the Spruce Ball, so we’ve gotta keep out of my mother’s way while they are setting up. I heard it’s the first year Jimmy won’t do a big dance number, since he and Bobby apparently have a big trip planned together or something.”
“Nice,” I say, still distracted by my thoughts.
“You look like you’re about to pass out. Are you overheated?”
“Maybe.” I bring a hand to my head. Am I dizzy? Is that what’s happening? “I work indoors so much, I think I’m just … not used to being out in the heat …”
“And this summer is especially punishing,” agrees TJ, worried. “You want to get out of the sun? Maybe head to the house for, I don’t know, a refreshing beverage or something?”
I think the only person who can center me right now is Cole. He’d know exactly how to break me out of my mind loops. We’d be laughing in no time. He would easily put into proportion all of the complicated relationships I’m seeing all around me, helping me focus on the one and only one that matters: ours.
That is, if he wasn’t still at the gym right now. Doing his gym things. On a holiday. Because he was promoted.
“Okay, a drink,” I decide, shutting up my thoughts.
“Yeah, let’s go get you cooled off. I don’t like that flushed look on your face,” he says as we continue on. “Not to mention …”
The second TJ and I are about to round the back corner of the house toward the patio, he shuts up, comes to an abrupt stop, then turns to face me and stretches out his arms to block my way.
I nearly crash into him, then zero in on his widened eyes. “Is something wrong?” I ask, alarmed.
“Nope!” he squeaks in clear and obvious distress.
“Then why’d we stop?”
“Because I—I had a better idea!”
“You’re acting really weird.”
“What if you hang out here, chill on this pretty bench next to this, uh, garden thing I think Mr. Strong planted at some point and forgot about, and …” TJ glances over his shoulder, then faces me again. “And how about I go and fetch you that drink?”
My eyes catch a glint of something shiny.
A balloon—among a vast amount of colorful others—that are being packed underneath some kind of net by a bunch of guys.
Most of the balloons are orange.
Among them: large dragon-shaped ones, too.
TJ corrects his position at once, blocking my view. “So how’s that sound? I go get you a drink? You sit here like a good boy and stay out of the sun? There’s such nice shade here by this tree …”
“What are those balloons for?”
My breathing has changed. My mind is working too fast. I saw what I saw, and I cannot unsee it.
“What balloons?” asks TJ, nearly out of breath himself.
“TJ …”
His face collapses at once. He looks like he might cry. “I just ruined everything. I can’t believe it. Cole is going to kill me. I was supposed to keep you back here, away. Why didn’t I just—?”
“You mean you took me away from the pool for a reason? You took me on this walk to … to keep me from seeing those balloons?”
TJ locks eyes with me. “Oh, that’s all you saw?”
My mind goes blank. That’s all you saw …