Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Alright. Maybe it’s going to be hard. But challenges are all part of the adventure, or something. I’ll just have to start buying scratch-off tickets. I’m pretty sure if I read stuff about financial responsibility, I’d find that suggested all over.
Jesse left without me this morning to head into town. It’s not like him, but I figure this is him making some kind of symbolic statement about our relationship. People who aren’t dating don’t always ride into town together. Kinda makes sense.
I end up asking Jake if he minds giving me a ride once he and the guys finish their morning workout. I’m not sure how they manage to exert themselves after eating all that food Nolan cooked. The only activity I feel up for right now with the food baby in my stomach is lounging on couches and groaning dramatically.
Jake eyes me in the kitchen. “Don’t you normally ride with Jesse?”
The question feels like a test. Don’t panic. Act normal. “Sometimes,” I squeak. My voice goes so high it hurts my own ears. I clear my throat. “Sometimes,” I say way too deeply.
Jake sighs. He scoops his keys from the counter and yells toward the garage. “I’m gonna give Andi a ride. Are you assholes good on your own?”
“Drive all by myself?” Carter calls back in a mock-feminine voice. “I never!”
Liam sticks his head inside. The man really is almost too pretty. He smiles at me. “Oh, hey Andi.”
“Hey,” I say.
“I’ll drive them,” he says. “Are you going to that gingerbread thing in town?”
“Later,” Jake says.
“I’m going to go help Caroline get it set up.”
Liam nods. “See you guys there.”
Jake jerks his head toward the driveway. “Come on.”
When we get in the car, I realize either I’ve been avoiding Jake or he has been avoiding me. One way or another, we have barely spent any time alone together since I got here. In the brief silence as he starts the car, I feel the overwhelming need to say something.
“I’m sorry,” I say, voice confusingly thick with emotion. “I know I’m probably ruining your holiday.”
He scowls. “What? No, stop that.”
“I’m trying,” I blubber. “I just feel so bad. I–the wedding, and–” I suck in a noisy noseful of boogers.
Jake fumbles around in the center console for tissues and finds an old Dunkin Donuts napkin that is dusted with brown sugar. “Uh, here.”
I blow my nose. “I just–”
“Andi,” he says firmly. “I’m not upset. You’re my little sister. I’m happy you’re here. Okay? Stop crying. Jesus.”
“You’re happy?” I sniff. “You’ve seemed so mad.”
“I’m just…” he relaxes his grip on the wheel and shakes his head. “I’m trying to stop worrying so much. I know my teammates. None of them are exactly long term prospects. When I picture what would happen if you dated one of them, I have a hard time seeing it going different than it always does with those guys. They’d get what they wanted, and then they’d move on. And my little sister would have a broken heart.”
I nod, thoughts going straight to the cracks already forming in my already fragile heart. Jesse just wants sex. He doesn’t even want to be friends. Another wave of emotion threatens to take me over, but I push it back. “I can take care of myself. You don’t always have to protect me.”
“Yes, I do. You’re my little sister and I’m your big brother. I’m always going to look out for you. Sometimes a little too much,” he adds, almost reluctantly.
I smile. “I do appreciate it. Even if it is too much sometimes.”
He gives my hand a quick squeeze, then grimaces. “It’s all wet,” he says.
“Sorry,” I sniff again. “Got any more of these?”
My first Frostival event in Frosty Harbor is a blast. Sure, Jesse avoids me like I have the plague for most of the morning and afternoon, but otherwise, it’s great.
Tourists and locals are all welcome to participate, and I spend most of the day in front of Caroline’s bed and breakfast at the station we set up for people to build their gingerbread houses. I have to run and pick up more supplies a few times, but otherwise I’m mostly helping cute little kids build and decorate their houses or making small talk with adults who stop by for some fun.
When Meemee shows up with Mikey and Cade, she rushes up and gives me a big hug. She tries to build a ginger-dragon in honor of Jesse, but she eats too much of her portion of decorations and winds up with more of a crumb pile.
All the guys on the team stop by eventually and I give them the appropriate amount of shit for their poor attempts at gingerbread houses. Carter’s looks like it’s about to collapse. Maddox pulls Meemee’s move and just stands there eating everything while he talks with me about astrology. Liam’s is decent, but he seems distracted by a pretty girl at another table the whole time. Jake is overly competitive in everything, so he barely speaks while he builds his admittedly pretty good house. Nolan comes by last, and he’s with Mia.