Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
He started along the sidewalk and then immediately regretted it. Fraser, Eloise’s ex, came toward him. There was no mistaking it was him, and there was no way Fraser hadn’t seen Kiel. If he dodged Fraser now, Kiel surely wouldn’t be able to show his face with Eloise’s friends.
Kiel decided to play it cool. “Hey, Fraser, right?” He didn’t bother holding out his hand to shake Fraser’s. After the mean-mugging he’d done the other night, Kiel was certain they’d never be friends. He was fine with it. There was fat chance Kiel would ever run into him again after this summer. Unless Eloise stayed. She and Kiel would have to be a couple though.
What had she said about manifesting? He was going to have to look it up when he got back to the house or ask Ciara, she’d know.
“Ken, right?” Fraser said. It wasn’t the first time someone messed up Kiel’s name. It happened often. It wasn’t common and many people didn’t know Kiel was a city in northern Germany, and also Wisconsin. His parents had named him Kiel after they visited there during one of his father’s deployments in Europe.
“Kiel,” he corrected Fraser. He wanted to add, “but you already knew that.”
“Right.”
He’d already had enough. “It was good seeing you.” Kiel sidestepped and started on his way.
“Hey.”
Kiel stopped and turned to find Fraser closing the distance between them.
“Do me a favor and stay away from Eloise.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Fraser said.
“I don’t follow.” Kiel’s brows furrowed and held back a laugh at Fraser’s unsolicited advice.
“Look, you’re visiting so you don’t get it, but she’s just using you. I’m trying to save you the heartache of what comes next.”
Is this dude for real?
“And what’s that?” Kiel chuckled.
“You seeing her out with someone else next week or going home thinking she’s going to wait for you.”
Kiel scoffed. “I didn’t know you spoke for Eloise.”
“We look out for our own.”
Kiel nodded and looked down at the ground, trying to hold his temper in check. “Here’s the thing, Fraser. Eloise is a big girl. If she doesn’t want to be with me, all she has to do is say so. I’m a man. I can take it. What I can’t take is a sour ex-boyfriend who thought they were going to rekindle their high school make-out days with the hot chick that dumped them. That’s you, Fraser. Eloise filled me in. So, next time you want to tell someone to stay away from Eloise, look in the mirror and say the words.”
If Kiel had a microphone, he would’ve dropped it. Instead, he gave Fraser one last look and turned away. He didn’t need some guy telling him to stay away from the woman he’d fallen for. It didn’t matter that Eloise put the brakes on their relationship, Fraser was out of line.
When he finally made it home, everyone was in the kitchen, talking animatedly. As soon as he walked in, all eyes were on him.
“Fun night?” his mother asked, barely able to keep a straight face.
“Yep,” Kiel said as he bent and kissed her on the cheek. “I told Eloise all about the time you showed up at school and caught me in my dorm room.”
Leona’s cheeks flushed and Emmett muttered, “Shit.”
“What?” Skyla said as her eyes widened. “You did what?”
“Nothing,” Leona said. She picked up her mug and drank. She set it down and said, “Would you like me to heat up some breakfast for you?”
“No thanks. I can do it,” Kiel said as he went into the kitchen. He couldn’t help but smile, dropping that little tidbit in front of his sisters. They should be horrified and prepared for their mother to show up on campus at any time. Leona could be ruthless.
“Okay, we can’t just leave this out in the open!” Skyla threw her hands up. “Did you really go to his dorm and—”
“She did,” Kiel said as he walked over to his mom and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll tell you later. I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“Thanks,” Leona muttered. “I still have nightmares.”
Emmett spit his coffee out and began choking. Kiel patted him on the back for a moment. The microwave beeped. He went and got his food and brought it back to the table.
“Where’s Eloise?” Leona asked. “And how come you don’t bring her over when you grace us with your presence? And what about dinner?”
“That’s three,” Kiel stated.
“Three what?” Leona asked.
“Three out of twenty-one. Do you have any more questions before I eat?”
“Smart ass,” she mumbled.
“Eloise is painting. Where? I don’t know. I don’t bring her over because I don’t want things to be awkward for her,” he said. “Lord knows what might come out of your mouth.”
“He has a point, Mom,” Ciara said.
“Thanks, Ciara,” Kiel said, grateful his sister had his back. “About dinner, I’m not sure, but when I talk to her, I’ll ask her.”