Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I figure at this point, I don’t have a lot to lose. I thread my arm through his, and we start walking to his truck.
He starts driving, and the silence is comfortable enough that I don’t even ask where we’re going. When we get into Jasper, I turn in my seat. “Thanks for doing this, Elias. I know it’s probably the last thing you want to be doing, but I appreciate it anyway.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s all right. We’ll eat, catch a movie and think about how much this is going to drive Kanan crazy.”
I tilt my head to the side. “What do you mean?”
He laughs. “Trust me, you’ll figure it out.”
Before I can ask him what he means, my phone rings in my purse. I pull it out and see Kanan’s name on the caller ID. I hold it up, “It’s Kanan.”
He shakes his head. “Of course it is.”
“I’m not going to answer it.” That’s what I say, but I can hear the indecisiveness in my voice.
As soon as my phone stops ringing, Elias’ starts to ring.
He holds it up, and sure enough, it’s Kanan.
I scrunch my nose up. “Are you going to answer it? Maybe there’s something wrong.”
He shakes his head. “Nope, neither one of us is going to answer it.”
I clench my phone in my hands. “Elias, I don’t know about this. It doesn’t feel right.”
He just laughs again. I swear I’ve heard Elias laugh more in the last few minutes than I ever have before. “Do you trust me?”
I think about it for less than a second. Elias was a big part of my dad’s life. I know him well enough to know he’s a good man. I also know that even though Kanan doesn’t want to be with me, he still wants me protected. He wouldn’t ask his friend to take me out if he wasn’t trustworthy. “Yes, of course I do.”
He nods and points at my phone. “Okay, so hear me out. We grab something to eat. We go to the drive-in and then we go back home…late.”
I lift my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I roll my hand at him. “And?”
“And well, by that time, Kanan will hopefully come to his senses.”
I turn my nose up. “I don’t know. This is crazy. It’s obvious he doesn’t want me in his life… I mean, we’re friends, but—”
“Bullshit,” he says and then starts to backtrack. “I mean, bullcrap.”
Laughingly, I shove him in the shoulder. “Really, Elias. I think I’ve heard worse. First of all, you knew my dad. And you know the company I’m keeping these days. I’d say shit is probably one of the nicer words I hear around work.”
He pulls over to the side of the road, puts the truck in park, and turns in his seat. “Anyone that has been around you and Kanan any amount of time knows you guys are meant to be together.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Kanan doesn’t see it that way.”
He lifts his shoulder. “Oh, he knows. There’s no doubt he knows. But he’s got shit holding him back.”
“What kind of shit?”
Elias smirks. “Oh no, I’m not telling any secrets. I’m just trying to prove a point to him. So are you game?”
For the second time tonight, I think about how I don’t have anything to lose. “Sure, I guess so.”
He bangs his hand on the steering wheel. I never really see Elias excited about things, but he sure is enjoying this. “All right, what do you want to eat?”
I turn back to look out the window. “Hamburger, French fries, and a milkshake.”
He rolls down the window, hangs his arm out and smiles. “Well, this might be the best date I’ve ever been on.”
“And,” I start, knowing how much he hates going out in public, “I think we should get them to go and go to the park to eat them. Maybe feed the ducks before we go to the drive-in.” Shoot, maybe I’m pressing my luck. “I mean, if that’s okay.”
The relief is evident on his face. “That actually sounds perfect, Emerson.”
We go to a local fast food restaurant and order food before going to the park. Elias and I talk about nothing and everything. The longer the night goes, the more talkative he gets. Both our phones keep ringing, but Elias convinces me to turn the ringer off. He knows I’m about to give in and answer it.
We talk about my dad, Elias’ computer hacking skills, and our wishes and dreams.
When we get to the drive-in, it’s already packed, and we park closer to the back. The movie is good, but I fall asleep in the middle of it. When I finally wake up, the credits are rolling for the second movie. I gasp and sit up. “Elias, it’s midnight.”