Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Life is weird.
She turns in my arms and looks up at me. “Was that, like, I mean… okay for you?”
I almost laugh then realize she’s dead serious and quickly sober and frown over at her in shock, because how could it not be amazing again? “What do you mean, was it okay? It was incredible, just like last time.”
Her face falls as if it wasn’t a compliment. “Oh, good.”
I cup her cheeks with my hands. “That’s your response, oh good?”
She grins up at me, suddenly changing her posture. “Sorry, apparently you exhausted me with your sexual prowess.”
“As one does.”
“As one does.” She agrees with a wider smile, giving me a toothy grin that has me wanting to kiss her all over again, shit she’s cute. I capture her lips and pull her on top of me. “I meant actually watch a movie, you know, not this… I’d be happy just to lie next to you.”
She rests her arms on my chest, folded against it, our skin is sticky from sweat, the smell of sex fills the air but I can’t find myself to move from this moment. Her eyes search mine. “Do you really mean that?”
“I’m easy to please.” I put my hands behind my head. “I mean, sex is great, but if you wanted to binge watch Lord of the Rings, I’d be okay with that too.”
“Maybe that’s why I like you.”
“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” I yell like a total nerd.
She smacks me on the chest. “Yeah, okay Gandalf.”
I grab her hand. “See? And that’s another reason I like you, you didn’t look at me like an idiot and actually know who Gandalf is.”
“People don’t know Lord of the Rings? That’s just sad.”
“Pathetic.” I nod. “A tragedy really.”
“Does that make you Sam Wise? And me Frodo?”
“Wait, why do you get to be Frodo?”
She grins and rests her chin on my chest. “Because I want to have the power of the ring, but also because Sam never leaves his side, I kind of like the idea of that kind of loyalty.”
I sigh. “I’ve never cheated, never will. Loyal to a fault.”
Her eyes flicker away from mine, like I somehow made her nervous. “Good.”
What did I say wrong?
She starts to move away from me, but I pull her back down then frown. Her face is super flushed across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. “Hey, you feeling okay?”
She nods.
“Okay, it’s just you have a small rash or swelling—“ I start to point when she scrambles away from me and basically dives off the bed in search of her clothes.
“I actually…” She quickly puts on her clothes. “Forgot about something I have to do really quick.” She stumbles toward the door and pauses like she needs to catch her breath. “Thank you though, thank you!”
“For the sex?”
She looks over her shoulder. “For being you.”
She’s gone in seconds.
And I’m left wondering if I’m bad at sex or just offered her.
I send her a quick text.
Me
Please tell me you really didn’t hate it.
She doesn’t respond back for two hours.
And when she does, it’s with a heart emoji plus a “I’ll tell you later.”
Later comes sooner than I thought because when I open the front door, she’s standing there in completely different clothes with a smile on her face. “Aren’t you going to wish me Happy Birthday?”
“Thought I already did?”
Her attitude seemed more upbeat, different. “Well, let’s repeat that then.”
“Huh?”
She grabs me by the neck and pulls me in for a kiss that does not feel like the kisses we’ve been sharing today. I jerk away. “Are you feeling okay?”
“It’s my birthday,” she says again. “Of course, plus I have you.”
“Okay, Frodo.” I laugh.
She doesn’t.
What the Hell is going on?
Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
I drop her hand and take a step back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Her posture relaxes a bit. “Yeah, I just had something to do with my sister, but now I’m back.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” She steps into the house. “Want to watch a movie?”
It sounds lame but I just want to take that frown from her face and the fact that she’s still here tells me all I need to know.
She wants a friend.
I’m attracted.
I want her.
I feel weirdly needy and possessive.
But at the end of the day, I can be a friend, I can be what she needs, at least that’s what I tell myself as I sit next to her. She’s a stranger but not, and while I always judged insta-love I kind of look at her and go, okay, I get it. I get it now.
“Let’s gooooo.” I wrap an arm around her.
It feels good.
It feels like I’m finally healing from my past.
Starting a new beginning feels like being set free, maybe all I needed was Seaside, maybe all I needed was her.
Chapter Fourteen
Chloe
We watched a movie.
Everything was fine.