Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 34206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
“I got a text from your mother,” Jaxson said. “She arrived in England.”
“I heard. She’s already with my father. They’re going to work through their issues.”
“What’s in England?” he asked. “Why did she go there?”
“Dad has a client in England, so that’s why he’s there. Also, it’s where he was born, so that’s where he sometimes goes to collect his thoughts and stuff like that.”
“Oh, have you lived in England?”
“Yep. We spent five years, maybe more when I was around ten.”
“Ah, okay.”
Teal smiled. “Yeah, I think that’s why I struggle to connect and make friends.”
“Did you make friends in England?”
“Not so much. I guess I’m a loner, or someone like that. I usually like my own company.” She shrugged. None of this was making her sound cool.
She looked at Jaxson, and as she did, she couldn’t help but think about what some of the girls said about him. They were attracted to him, and it wasn’t hard to see why, seeing as she was just as attracted to him.
“So, er, do you think you’re going to stick around?” Teal asked.
Jaxson sighed. “I have no idea, to be honest. My old school wants me back, and this place is great, and I’m enjoying it, but it’s not…”
“Home?”
“Yeah, you get that?”
“Yep. It’s lovely, and the neighborhood is nice and all of that, but, er, don’t you think, like, I don’t know, it’s … strange?”
“Strange, how?” he asked.
“Well, I was talking to the guy that owned this place before. Hector something or other, and he was telling my mom at the time that this place has seen a lot of people selling.” Teal shrugged. “I told my mom it was clearly a bad idea, but she bought it anyway.”
Jaxson laughed. “Some places do that, Teal. Some feel like home. Others don’t.”
“Do you think it’s haunted?” Teal glanced around his kitchen.
“Nah, it’s not haunted. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
She gasped. “You don’t like pesto, and now you’re telling me you don’t believe in ghosts? Next, are you going to tell me you think Halloween is boring?”
Jaxson’s brow rose.
She cried out. “No. Okay. Hell no. There is no way you and I can ever be friends.”
“I do happen to like Halloween. All laughing and joking aside.” He chuckled. “You’re a goofball. Do you enjoy Halloween?”
“That I do. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. When we lived in England, we had Bonfire Night as well. Good times.” She looked at the abundant vegetables he was preparing. “What are you cooking?”
“My signature dish, a good old stir fry.” He held a wok up in his hands.
“Your signature dish?”
“This is where I started to practice. Where I got it all right.” He winked at her. “You should feel honored.”
She placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, I do. I cannot wait to try it.”
He continued to chop. Jaxson had rolled up his sleeves, showing his impressive tattoos.
“Did you ever get told off for all the ink you have?” Teal asked.
“No. My ability to teach isn’t compromised by what I enjoy.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Teal, relax, you ask about the ink, and it’s a natural response I have. Trust me, I get asked it all the time. I’ve also had parents question my ability to teach.”
“That must be awful.”
“It is what it is. Personally, I’ve found that it has intrigued the kids more.” He shrugged. “But what do I know? I got the ink before I became focused on being a teacher and I’m not going to get them removed because I enjoyed getting them.”
“I think one day I’d love to get a tattoo,” she said.
“You would?”
“Yeah, nothing daring or scary, or anything like that. Just something fun. Maybe a rose, or a dolphin, or a heart.” She wrinkled her nose. “Nah, not that. Ugh, I don’t know. Besides, I’d have to be living on my own by then.”
“You would?”
“My parents’ rules. While ever I’m under their roof, I will follow their rules.”
“The standard, old parental ways.”
“You got it.”
“You should do as your parents say,” Jaxson said. “They do have your best interests at heart.”
She stared at him as he got the wok on the heat, and he added a little oil, which instantly started to smoke.
“You’re not going to convince me to go on my own path? To follow my own dreams?”
“I’m going to make sure you do the right thing. Your parents want what is best for you.”
She couldn’t help but wonder about that.
Her precious parents were in another country. They were more focused on their own problems than concerning themselves with their daughter.
“I’m not going to get a tattoo.”
Jaxson added some sliced carrots, followed by the onions. He gave them a stir and immediately added some peppers. He used his knife to add the chopped garlic, but he did use some ginger from a jar, which he spooned into the mix.