Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“There’s no way in heaven or hell I wouldn’t be at the game,” Holly expressed, and dammit, I liked her. I liked her so much that my chest tightened after hearing that she would support my little brother. My heart beat faster and faster as I stared at her, her face, and her lips…those lips…
I couldn’t believe Matthew could kiss those lips whenever he wanted to, the lucky bastard.
Mano grinned brightly. “Really?”
“Yeah, of course,” Holly said.
“Oh wow! Okay. It’s jersey night that night, and since it’s a home game, we are supposed to ask someone to wear our away jerseys in the crowd. I’d love for you to wear mine.”
Holly’s eyes were packed with emotion as she held her hands to her chest. “Oh my gosh, Mano! I would be honored.” She pulled him into a hug and held on tight. That was the second time I’d been jealous of Mano. First, he got Holly’s cookies, and now he received her hugs.
“Great. We’ll let you get back to your night. I’ll drop the jersey off tomorrow, so you have it,” Mano told her.
Holly wiped the few tears from her face. She was so easily emotional, but I liked that about her. I liked everything about her.
She looked at my brother one last time. “I’m proud of you, Mano.”
I always said those words to him, but I could tell it was nice for him to hear them from someone other than me.
“Thanks, Holly. Have a good night,” he told her.
Holly then turned to me and smiled. Her smile was filled with a warmth I wished I could tuck myself in. It wasn’t until that moment that I knew people could feel like sunbeams.
I nodded once and cleared my throat. “Good night, Holly.”
“Good night,” she replied. “By the way, Kai. I like your shirt. Forest green looks good on you.”
I glanced down at my T-shirt and shook my head slightly, trying to hide my pleasure from her compliment. It would take everything in me not to wear forest green for the rest of the week in hopes that Holly would approve.
Crap.
I was officially smitten with a woman I’d set up with another man.
“I’ll see you at the game,” I hurriedly said as I dashed for the elevator before Holly could see how her words affected me.
Mano met me at the elevator, and we silently waited for it to arrive. When it did, we climbed onto the elevator, and Mano hit number twenty-four.
“So that’s Matthew?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“He’s good looking.”
I snarled. “I don’t see the appeal.”
He patted me on the back. “My condolences, Kai.”
“Your condolences? What for? No one died.”
“Your shot at getting Holly just did. I know how much you like her, but dang, he’s pretty.”
I grumbled and dragged my feet to our apartment, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
KAI
“Number eleven looks good on you,” I told Holly as she met me in the hallway of our apartment building. She came down with a big grin on her face and spun around. It was getting a bit cold lately, so she had a sweatshirt under the jersey to keep her extra warm.
“I’m pretty excited about this.”
“Me too. I’ve never seen Mano play on the field. I know he’s probably nervous, but he’s a talented kid. I’m glad he’s getting the chance to showcase that tonight.”
“You sure love him, huh?”
“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to my life.” I held the door out of the building for her. “Let me grab a taxi quick.”
She agreed.
We both greeted Curtis outside of the building, and he smiled big at us. “Well, will you look at that? If it isn’t the two sworn enemies befriending one another,” he joked.
I chuckled a little. “A lot can change in a few weeks.”
Holly stood on her tiptoes and wrapped an arm around me. “Yeah, we’re pretty much besties now.”
Stop friend-zoning me, Holly.
“Well, friendship looks good on you both.” Curtis winked at me when Holly wasn’t looking. As if he knew something that I hadn’t expressed to him, i.e., my feelings for Holly. I grimaced in return and shrugged Holly’s arm from my shoulder to throw Curtis off my scent.
It didn’t work. Curtis kept giving me his goofy grin. I tried my best not to overthink it as I hailed a taxi. We climbed into the car and were on our way to cheer on the Wolverines. Though, mostly we were cheering on Mano.
Holly was bursting at the seams as we approached the stadium bleachers with popcorn and nachos in our hands.
“I’m so excited! I’ve never been to a football game,” Holly exclaimed, enthusiastically clapping her hands together. That woman was so easily amused, and I loved that fact about her. I loved a lot of facts about her.
“Seriously? Not even when you were in high school?”
“No. My younger brother and I were more of the artist kids in high school. My dad would’ve loved it if we were into sports, but it wasn’t our path outside of taekwondo. We ended up starting our businesses, though, so the parents were pretty stoked about that.”