Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“Because it’s rude,” she says with the sweet outrage only a teenager can express. “He and I were chilling and having fun. And she kept making it weird by pushing her boobs in his face and talking in this fake baby voice.”
I bite back my laughter. “That sucks.” Sounds like Caroline takes after her dad. I keep that to myself, though. I don’t like to talk trash about her friends’ parents if I can help it. “Did you hang out with any of the other kids?”
She rattles more names than I can keep track of. At least it sounds like overall she had fun.
“Is Dex coming over?” Libby asks.
“Uh, maybe. He said he might swing by for dinner.” Damn, I shouldn’t keep making my sister hang out with my boyfriend. “Why? Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. I have something I want to give him.”
She what? I glance over. “You do?”
“Uh-huh.” She twists in her seat. “It’s in my backpack somewhere.”
“That was nice.” I’m not sure what else to say. A warm, fuzzy sensation slides through my chest.
“Can we please have pizza?” she pleads “Everyone told me New York City is supposed to have the best pizza in the world. But the place they took us to was trash.” From the corner of my eye I catch her exaggerated yuck face. “Too much sauce. Not enough cheese. And I’m pretty sure one of the olives on Caroline’s slice was actually a roach.”
“Ewww.” I gag and laugh at the same time. “I’ve had amazing pizza there, so it’s not all bad.”
“If you say so.”
“Besides the lackluster pizza and Caroline horning in on your friendship with Troy, did you have fun?”
“Yeah,” she answers slowly. “But I wasn’t all ‘oh my gosh,’” She waves her hands in the air wildly. “‘Greatest place in the world!’ It was loud, smelly, dirty, and rats were just chillin’ in the subway like no big deal. When have you ever seen a rat around here?”
“Uh, never. Mice, yes. But no rats.”
“And people were just acting like rats are normal. I mean, has no one read about the bubonic plague?”
I sputter with laughter. “So you’re telling me you want to stay a country girl?”
She slants a look my way. “We don’t exactly live out in the country. Johnsonville is sucky, though. And Empire is kinda boring.”
“You have plenty of time to figure things out, Libby.” I’m happy but also almost jealous of all the opportunities ahead of her. I want to make sure she’s able to go anywhere and do anything she wants.
Even though that was really never an option for me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Dex
Why does it always feel so good to park my bike in Emily’s driveway?
An engine rumbles behind me. I get off the bike and take off my helmet. A tiny white sedan stops at the curb and a tall, gangly guy jumps out of the driver’s side. A little triangle on top of the car advertises the local pizza place. I hurry over the lawn to meet him, hoping Emily didn’t use a credit card when she ordered.
“Is that for Walker?” I ask.
He must not have heard me coming. The guy jumps, jostling the boxes in his hands.
“Jesus, dude. Warn a guy, would ya?”
He’s just a kid. Can’t be more than twenty-one, twenty-two. Don’t punch him.
I lift my chin at the stack of boxes in his hand and shoot an impatient glare. “Walker?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s for Emily.” He glances at the house, then takes a longer look at me. His gaze slides over my cut, then skips to my bike. He swallows hard, like a cartoon character. “Y-you live here? With Emily?”
Poor kid sounds heartbroken.
Ignoring his question, I take out my wallet. “What’s the total?”
He glances at the tag stuck to the box on top of the stack. “Fifty-seven fifty.”
I hand him enough to cover it, then add an extra twenty to cover the pants he probably just shit and take the boxes from him. “Thank you.”
When I turn around, Emily’s waiting on the porch with her arms folded over her chest and a smile teasing her lips.
She lifts one hand and waves. “Thanks, Sam!” she calls out.
I can’t tell if he returns the gesture or not. The engine starts, though. A few seconds later, tires screech away from the curb.
“Did you have to scare our regular delivery boy?” she asks.
“Seems the delivery boy has a crush on you.” I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Just wanted to warn him that the Walker sisters have someone looking out for them.”
She lets out a low chuckle and leans up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “You didn’t have to pay for that. I invited you.”
“Guess you’ll have to time it better in the future.” I kiss her cheek again. “Missed you,” I whisper in her ear.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” she says.