Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Hey! Montana!” Pearl called from the bakery counter. She was holding two loaves of bread that she’d been comparing. “You running away from me won't change facts. Which one?”
I sighed. “The one on the left.”
“Mine or yours?”
“Yours.”
I headed off on my own and went over to the candy aisle to pick up some sweets. Before now, I wasn’t a big fan of sweets, but lately, it was all I could think about. Life had become quite bitter and I was turning to sweets to make me feel better. Kelly said I was being dramatic and I should stop it before I got too fat, but what did she know? I remember quite a few times when she had turned to ice cream and alcohol to make her feel better.
“Dad, look at that!” I heard the familiar voice from a few isles away, and instantly, before I could even realize what I was doing, I had dropped the box of milk chocolates I was holding and hurried after the voice. I didn’t need to speak to him; I just needed a safe glimpse from a distance.
I peeked out from the corner of the aisle, my gaze going around the store in search. It was easy to see everyone at a glance, even though the store was large. All I had to do was look for the tallest head. He was one of the tallest people in town. Before I could zero in on anyone, a sudden smack on my ass startled me.
“Ow,” I complained, turning around to see Pearl looking at me with a curious expression on her face.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Ditching you.”
“Because I was trying to talk some sense into you?”
“Yes,” I replied, turning back to continue my search. “Now go away.”
I saw him then, at the check-in counter. He was waiting in line. I couldn’t see Anya, but I’d heard her voice so I knew she was with him. I didn’t want to feel hurt, but I couldn’t help it. If Anya had seen me, she would have run to me. But this was for the best. He was keeping to what we had agreed, so why did I feel this way? Furious with myself, I turned around and began to storm off.
“Montana!” Pearl called.
“I’ll be waiting in the car,” I said.
I waited in the car with my oversized hood over my head and buried my eyes behind her huge sunglasses. Not long after, Pearl returned. She got in, and instantly I started the car. She held her hand against mine as I turned the ignition and stopped me.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“We don’t need to talk,” I told her. “I know I’m acting out, but I still feel he took things to the extreme. We parted amicably. This avoidance, or whatever the hell this is, is completely unnecessary and fucking aggravating. I’m allowed to feel this way.”
She nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
I was startled since I wasn’t expecting her to agree with me, but to tell me to grow up and snap out of it. Suddenly, I felt so incredibly sad I couldn’t drive, so I got out of the car and went out to the other side. Even though I was too choked to speak she understood. She scooted over and took the keys from me. I managed to hold back the tears until I got home, but the moment I was in, I ran straight to the stables, got into Lola’s box, and tried my best to muffle the truly pathetic sounds coming out of my mouth. Poor Lola, she gazed at me with distressed, mournful eyes.
Why, oh why, hadn’t I just held onto the scraps he was willing to offer?
Chapter 47
Cole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXVO_vF2Io
-when you’re in love with a beautiful woman-
“Dad, look,” Anya shouted excitedly above the noise of all the festival-goers, “that’s the stand for our school. We are raising money so Mr. Moore can bring underprivileged kids from the city slums and ghettos to come and spend a week learning survival skills.”
Even from a distance, I could see Anya’s gold head. My heart longed for her, but I steeled myself. My inability to control my emotions could get her killed. That was the right line of reasoning to take because it stopped the longing in its tracks. “We can visit your school stand later and make a donation. How about some candy floss, first?”
“No, Dad. The auction is now. All the teachers are lining up for it.”
“What auction?”
“People have to bid to kiss the teachers. The teacher who gets the most money for the cause gets a prize. Come on, let’s go bid for Miss Moore.”
“No, honey. Let’s just make a big donation later, okay?”
“No, Dad,” she insisted. “We have to support Miss Moore. All the other kids are supporting their teachers too. I want Miss Moore to win.”