Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
“Nope, I’m not falling into that trap,” I replied, and Nuala glanced at me, eyebrows raised.
“Do you like one of my brothers’ friends?” she asked, her gaze full of curiosity.
I bit my lip. “I mean, none of them are what I’d call ugly, but Rhys is—”
“Rhys?! You like Rhys?” She looked almost as surprised as Derek had. “Oh em gee, I knew it. I thought I was imagining things, the way you look at each other, but now, it makes so much sense.”
“Okay, who is this Rhys?” Gwyn interjected. “And please tell me there are pictures.”
“Hold up. Both of you are getting way ahead of yourselves. I only meant that if I had to pick one of the guys, Rhys would be my choice, but that doesn’t mean I’m mentally planning a wedding or anything.”
“I know, but Rhys is such a sweetheart, and you’re gorgeous. I think you two would make the most amazing couple,” Nuala said, clearly still getting way ahead of herself despite my call for reason.
“No one’s becoming a couple. I’m only here until the end of summer, and besides, Derek already told me not to defile his friend.”
“Wait, you told Derek?” Nuala looked crestfallen I hadn’t told her first.
“It wasn’t like that. Derek and I were talking, and he made a guess. He basically insinuated I was some kind of harlot who’d make his best friend fall in love with me then stomp all over his heart when I left to go back home.”
“He insinuated what? Ugh, my brother is such a dick.”
“Well, maybe I’ve exaggerated a little, but that was the general gist. He said Rhys has never had a girlfriend and that I shouldn’t let him develop feelings for me since I’ll be gone in two months, and he’ll be heartbroken.”
“Hmm, you know, Derek can be quite emotionally intelligent when the mood takes him,” Nuala said. “But I disagree. Just because you and Rhys might have a fling, it doesn’t mean anyone’s going to get hurt. You both can have a little fun. Where’s the harm?”
“That’s what I thought at first, but now, I’m not so sure. I mean, he’s staying here at the house, and—”
“Okay, stop right there,” Gwyn interrupted. “I have to get ready for the breakfast shift at work, but I’m already invested in this story. You need to call me back later and tell me more.”
I laughed. “Sure. Go get ready. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” she replied, and we ended the call.
“She seems really nice,” Nuala said, a hint of melancholy in her tone. I wasn’t entirely sure of why she sounded so sad until I remembered her friendship situation.
“So, are you ever going to tell me the full story of what happened between you and those girls who turned up at the party the other night?”
Nuala blinked then shifted uncomfortably. Finally, she said, “I don’t really like to talk about it.”
“That’s fine. We don’t have to.”
A short silence elapsed before Nuala went on, “It’s just that I haven’t really told everyone the full story. I told Tristan part of it, but I couldn’t tell him everything.”
I frowned, my protective instincts kicking in. “Why not?”
“Because he’d go crazy, and I just want to move on from it. If they all want to follow Kiera, then that’s fine. I’d rather not be friends with people who can’t think for themselves.”
“Why exactly would Tristan go crazy?”
Nuala worried her lip. “Because a lot of it had to do with him, and I don’t want him feeling guilty my friends all abandoned me because of him.” She paused for a moment then said, “I told Tristan Kiera’s been excluding me because I discovered her bulimia, which is true. When I found her getting sick in the school bathroom I was kind to her, tried to offer help. She made me promise not to tell anyone, which I did. She wasn’t much bothered by me knowing so long as I kept it to myself. I even did some research on places that treat bulimia and found a bunch of resources online.
“Kiera was appreciative, and she actually got much better. She wasn’t binging and purging anymore. But then she got it into her head that she was in love with Tristan and that the two of them were meant to be. I wasn’t discouraging or anything. In fact, I wouldn’t have minded at all if they got together. She began trying to catch his interest, but it didn’t work. Tristan just didn’t seem to fancy her. Keira then decided I needed to help make her and Tristan a couple and began ordering me to talk her up to him, ask if he found her pretty, and suggest they go on a date. I didn’t feel comfortable doing that and told her as much. That’s when she completely flipped on me, started saying I was stuck up and thought she wasn’t good enough for my brother because she had an eating disorder. Before I knew it, all the other girls had turned against me, and I was sitting in the cafeteria every day eating lunch alone.”