Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
They all look at me for a moment and then nod. “Okay,” Dad says, and then he takes Mom’s hand. “We’re gonna go talk about you for a bit and see if we find a way to agree with what you’ve said. You two enjoy your time.”
I chuckle as they walk away, and Owen says, “At least they’re honest.”
“Yeah,” I say, shaking my head. “This is all fucking stupid. I hate feeling like this.”
“I know, dude. I’m sorry. If I could, your brain would catch these hands.”
We share a laugh as he leans on his hand and bats his eyes at me. “So, you’re overthinking a girl? Tell me everything.”
“Of course you didn’t miss that part,” I accuse, and he grins.
“Hey, I am a very good listener,” he says, all proud of himself. But we both know he’s full of it. He hears “girl,” and he’s like a dog that hears his treat bag opening. I fill him in on everything that happened, how it played out, and why I’m worried. He listens intently, but when I’m done, he gives me a look.
“You could have told Mom that you just got done banging and you’d see the new baby later.”
I almost choke on my soda. “Never.”
“Was the girl mad? Wait. Can I get a name so I can stop calling her ‘she’ or ‘girl’?”
“No. I want to fix it first and make sure we’re good. I don’t want to jinx it.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Shut up. And no, she didn’t seem mad. She has a sister and a nephew and shit, so I think she was understanding, but we didn’t even exchange numbers.”
“And you want to call her?”
“Yes, Owen,” I say sarcastically.
“Okay, Evan,” he says, mocking my tone. “Did you slide into her DMs?”
“I can’t find her Instagram, and I searched the damn team’s Instagram too. I don’t want her to feel like I blew her off.”
He nods. “Yeah, you’re gonna need to do some damage control and figure out how honest you want to be with her.”
“Fully,” I say almost immediately. “I have no reason to hide who I am.”
“Jesus, Evan. First pussy and you’re ready to give her a ring?”
“For one, fuck you,” I say playfully, glaring at him. “And for two, it’s called respect. You don’t sleep with someone unless you want to be honest with them.”
He scoffs. “I swear you’re stuck in the twenties or something. Listen, I’ve slept with so many girls using your name, and I sure as hell don’t remember their names.”
I gawk at him. “Wow, that’s disgusting. And thanks, asshole. Over here ruining the good Evan Michael name.”
“Oh, totally,” he says, laughing. “And then Dart would say he’s Michael Evan. It was a damn good time.”
“I hate you both,” I declare, glaring, but the truth is, I love and miss them. “I bet Dart is suffering without his wingman.”
He shakes his head. “Nah, his mom moved in with him and his baby sister.”
“Baby sister?”
“Yeah, she’s like five or something. His stepdad passed away, so he took them in.”
“Oh man, that sucks.”
“Yeah, apparently his stepdad was abusive, so Dart is glad he’s gone,” he says with a shrug. “Angie is just glad he’s got his own place and she has more room for her plants. My house is a jungle now.”
I grin widely. “You love it.”
“I do. She misses you, and she loves you,” he reminds me, and I feel the same. “But not as much as me. I love you the most.”
I laugh. “I know, Owen.”
“Like, more than Mom and Dad, too.”
I laugh harder, shaking my head. “I know.” He leans into me, and I rest my head on his.
“When do you have to leave?”
When I lift my head from his, he leans back in the chair, clearing his throat. “Tomorrow afternoon. I’m actually going to use Mom’s plane and take Nico, Aviva, and baby Vance back with me.”
I bring in my brows. “Why are they in town?”
“Aviva’s sister is a gymnast at Bellevue. She has a meet.”
Still confused, I ask, “I didn’t know that. Who is it?”
“Calliope? I think. I can’t remember. I met her once in passing, and then Nico told me to erase her from my memory and move away or die, or something like that.”
I chuckle. Sounds like Nico. “So, you can remember a name like Calliope but not how many girls you’ve slept with?”
He grins. “I wasn’t threatened with death, castration, or an endless number of pucks to my cock if I messed with them. If I messed with Calliope, though, all that and more was coming from Nico.”
He isn’t wrong. I remember how overprotective Nico was. I didn’t pay it any mind, though, because I never really saw the girl. I have no clue who Owen is talking about, and I can’t place a Calliope in the Bullies’ lineup. I go through the lineup twice in my head. “I don’t know a Calliope. Are you sure she does gymnastics?”