Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Me: Nah, it’s okay. I need to get a few things for my class tomorrow and stuff like that.
Lies, lies, lies. I had absolutely nothing to do, but I was in Las Vegas. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t keep myself busy.
They all replied to call them if I changed my mind, which I absolutely wasn’t going to do.
I finished getting ready and headed out to find somewhere to eat breakfast. I found a restaurant I could walk to, which gave me plenty of time to read Elliott’s message again, still expecting it to magically be different.
I really shouldn’t respond, but that was rude, and I wasn’t a rude kind of guy. Something about him tended to bring that out in me, but I was stronger than my Elliott-induced urges.
Why are you apologizing for asking me out? That’s weird.
His answer came through quickly.
Elliott: Because you said you hate me?
Oh. Well, that was a good reason. Not that I really hated him, he just…wasn’t my type. We wanted different things, and I didn’t see any reason to pretend otherwise. I’d seen him with numerous guys since the night we met, and he’d also told me he wasn’t looking for more.
I’ve said that before, I replied, because I had. What was it about Elliott that turned me into a giant asshole?
Elliott: Are you saying you want me to keep flirting with you? Because I have to admit, you’re throwing me some mixed signals here.
No. I’m not. I don’t know… Just don’t apologize for it. Like seriously, Elliott, WTF?
Elliott: Holy shit. You’re offended. You think I don’t want you anymore…which means you want me to want you…but you also keep wanting to turn me down.
When he said it like that, it sounded really fucking bad. Like I was the kind of guy who would go out with me and treat me like shit. That clearly wasn’t what I was going for.
No.
Elliott: Then what are you saying?
“Argh!” I grumbled too loudly, and the woman walking beside me gave me the evil eye. The truth was, I had no fucking clue what I was saying. “Sorry. Man trouble.”
She grinned and said, “I hear ya,” and kept walking.
The thing was, it shouldn’t be man trouble at all. No part of me should care about what Elliott said.
I don’t know what I’m saying. Call it temporary insanity. I’m going to have breakfast now.
I turned my phone off so I couldn’t torture myself wondering if Elliott messaged back. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about guys at all. I wasn’t supposed to give a crap, so that’s what I was going to do.
I had breakfast, which was delicious. Then I did some exploring around Vegas and didn’t make it back to the hotel until early evening. The day hadn’t been too bad except the times when I’d wanted to share something with Declan, show something to Corbin, or listen to Marcus explain how something worked, which he was known to do.
The guys had messaged while my phone was off, so we talked and made plans for dinner.
What would it hurt to log on to my Instagram page and see if Elliott had messaged back? I had left him hanging earlier.
Elliott: How much longer are you here for?
Why?
Elliott: Because I’m going to kidnap you and wanted to see how much time I had to prepare.
Ha-ha. Before I thought about it too much, I added, You?
Elliott: Three days. I was just making conversation.
A knock came from my door, so I closed the app and shoved my cell into my pocket.
Corbin stood there looking sexy and bright-eyed, the way he always did, his black hair styled nicely, his blue eyes a lighter, icier shade than mine. “Wanna head down with me early?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “Did the guy wear you out?” I grabbed my key card and followed him.
“Do guys ever wear me out?”
“You know there’s more to you than how gorgeous you are, Corb. That’s not where your worth lies.”
He stumbled, not having expected that. Corbin had been teased really badly as a kid. He’d been heavy, had acne problems, and was clumsy. Eventually he grew into his looks, and became obsessed with working out. He’d gotten some work done too. Corbin had always been beautiful to me, and now everyone saw it. But ever since, he acted…superficial, which I knew he wasn’t.
“Yeah, that and my cock,” he teased. When I quirked a brow at him, he sighed. “Not all of us can be completely comfortable in who we are and what we want like you, Park.”
I frowned. “I’m not—like, at all.”
Were any of us, really? I didn’t just mean the four of us, but everyone. We were all fucking messes.
Corbin’s brows pinched together. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Jesus, was something wrong? I was a little weird about my whole back-and-forth with Elliott today, but that was it.