Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Yep, fabulous.”
“Liar.” She shakes her head as she takes a seat next to me. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”
“You want to talk? Let’s talk about why it looked like you know Wesley,” I say, raising a brow and she looks away from me.
“You’re right, we don’t need to talk.”
“I give up.” I shake my head at her while I stand.
“Where are you going?” she questions, watching me attach Muffin’s leash to her collar.
“I’m taking Muffin out for a walk. Can you and Libby take the desserts over to my apartment and tell everyone I’ll be back in a bit?”
“Sure,” Mac agrees softly. I look to Libby, who has a fork in her hand and is digging into one of the pies.
“Yeah,” Libby says, chewing and swallowing. “But do you think Levi’s going to be happy about you just taking off?”
“Levi’s not going to care,” I say, then realize I don’t have a coat and I’m sure it’s cold out. Determined to leave, I head for Levi’s hall closet and grab his hoodie, putting it on along with his down vest.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Mac asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I just need a few minutes alone.”
“All right,” she agrees as I head for the door. Leaving them at Levi’s apartment, I take the stairs with Muffin leading the way. As soon as I push through the front door, I come face-to-face with Lucas, who is standing on the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette.
“You taking off?” he asks me, and I try to smile but know it doesn’t quite meet my eyes.
“No, just taking Muffin for a walk. She’s been locked up most of the day,” I explain, wanting to hurry away from him, but I know that would be rude, so I stay put.
“Look, I’m sorry about Eva . . .” He pauses, running his hand through his hair, and I realize just how much he looks like his brother when he’s agitated. “She doesn’t always know when to stop.” One could say that. One could also say she’s just a bitch, but what the hell do I know.
“It’s fine,” I say, shrugging it off. “I’ll be—” I start to tell him I’ll be back and step away, but he cuts me off, stopping me in my tracks.
“Heather and Levi were never meant to be together, so please know that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to her.”
“I’m not worried,” I lie, and his lips twitch into a smile.
“He cares for you, more than I’ve ever seen him care about anyone, so don’t let Eva put shit in your head. She and Heather were friends, and she’s got it in her head that Heather is meant to be with Levi. But I promise you, that is not the case. They don’t belong together. They—”
“Please stop,” I say softly, cutting him off before he can say more. “Levi and I haven’t had a chance to talk about her or them, and I’d rather wait until he’s ready to tell me . . . No offense.”
“None taken.” Lucas smiles at me, then takes a drag from his cigarette before tossing it into the street. I want to tell him he should quit smoking and not litter, but I keep quiet, knowing that he probably doesn’t want to hear me nag him about his bad habits—one of them being his wife. “Do you want me to go with you?” he asks, giving Muffin a head rub when she moves close to sniff his hand.
“No, I’m sure you want to get back inside. I’ll be back in a few.” I like Lucas—or what I know of him—but the idea of spending more time with anyone right now is about as appealing as getting my nails pulled out one at a time.
“You sure?”
“Yes, thank you for the offer. That’s very nice of you.” He nods, then looks at the door, and I can tell he doesn’t want to go back inside. God, why can’t I be one of those women who is a bitch and just doesn’t care about how people feel? “Actually, I think I could use the company, and Levi doesn’t really like me walking Muffin alone since she has a tendency to take off. And with her size and mine, it’s hard for me to control her.”
“You sure?” he asks, studying me, and I put on another fake smile.
“Yep.” I nod, then start across the street to the park, making sure to look for traffic as I cross the road. Seeing him walking alongside me out of the corner of my eye, I head down the tree-lined path. “Madeline is very sweet,” I say, trying to fill the awkward silence that has settled between us as I keep my pace slow, in no rush to get back to the drama at my place.