Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
A pop song is replaced by the sound of an acoustic guitar being strummed over the sound system. Nicole starts to sing in a voice both sweet and clear. There’re a lot of gossips in this town. But there’re a lot of talented people too.
“Wait.” I cock my head, all the better to hear. “Is that…Toxic by Britney Spears?”
Shanti is too busy holding back laughter to answer.
But Stuart grunts. “Nic was willing to take the money. But she doesn’t appreciate being used as a lure. Her choice of songs will likely reflect that.”
“Thought she and Ava were friends,” says Connor.
“Sure. They’re friendly.” His brother nods. “Up to a point.”
Connor just drinks his drink. There’s no visible sign he approves or disapproves of what his sister-in-law is doing. I am, however, picking up on a discreet vibe of displeasure. Which is interesting. Having people on his side seemed to be his sole desire. Maybe being the subject of so much attention is irritating him. I don’t know.
Loud applause erupts at the end of the first song. Nicole is a talented singer and guitarist with a cool folk music style. No wonder she’s popular. She launches straight into her next song We Are Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift.
I blow out a breath. “Savage.”
“I take it back.” Shanti selects an olive off her plate. “This was worth coming for.”
Stuart smiles happily. There’s such love in his eyes when he watches his wife. It’s bone-deep delight, warmth, and adoration all rolled into one. And when Nicole turns his way there’s a light in her eyes that owes nothing to electricity. Imagine being together for so long and still being happy.
My parents were only happy apart. Guess that’s why the idea of happily ever after seems so magical to me. It’s not something I saw a lot of in real life and my own heart has mostly been on ice. No one I’ve dated has gone the distance or made me feel like I had found the one. But there’s plenty of time. In the meantime, I will continue to go where my loins lead me.
Connor moves close enough that there’s barely a hair’s breadth between his front and my back. My skin prickles with awareness. He’s so solid and warm, and I sort of wish this was real. I mean one day, with someone else, of course. There’s no rush. Things are busy enough right now just figuring out where I belong, etcetera.
His breath warms my earlobe when he asks, “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You were frowning.”
“Just some random thought wandering through.”
“Such as?”
I shake my head. My burgeoning crush on him can stay buried forever. That would work best.
A moment later, he asks, “If the offer’s still open, can I crash at your place?”
“Of course.” It’s hard to ignore the swarm of butterflies taking flight in my belly. The thrill that goes through me at the thought of him spending the night. This is absolutely an only one bed situation. But I need to calm the heck down. Nothing is going to happen between us. “I haven’t had a sleepover since I was a teen. We can order food, watch some TV, do whatever.”
He still doesn’t smile. But there is the hint of one in his eyes. Like he isn’t exactly as unhappy as he was before. “Sounds good, Riley.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“How long do you think we should stay?” asks Connor.
“I don’t know. An hour?”
“Can’t wait to put all of this behind me. Then I can stop wasting your time with this bullshit,” he says in a bitter tone. “Guess I better introduce you to some people.”
I down some cider. My suddenly dry throat needs it. “Aren’t most of the people here either on her side or overly invested in the gossip?”
“Yeah.”
“Forty-five minutes to go, homie. We can do this.” I give him a nice bright fake smile. Yay for toxic positivity. “We’ve got your brother convinced, at least.”
He nods.
“Some of the people here have to be starting to rethink things. Like how you and the prom queen maybe don’t belong together forever and ever.”
“I fucking hope so.”
We stand in silence for a while. His grumpy face is my least favorite. The way he stands with hunched shoulders, viewing the world with guarded and hostile eyes. It is understandable that this situation sucks the happiness out of him. But life is short and I want to coax him out of his crappy mood. “What do you think Martha said when Ava tried to talk her into coming?”
“She would’ve pretended it was a bad connection and then hung up. It’s what she does anytime you try to tell her stuff she doesn’t want to hear.”
“I can imagine her doing that.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. So close.
What we need is a reset. Something to shake up the dour mood. “What did the French girl say to her best friend?”