Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
And then he’d gone. All of that pulled apart. But now, he was back, and was I crazy for thinking of him like this? He was probably going back to LA, just like Campbell. I didn’t have a job like Blaire, where I could pick up and leave anytime I wanted.
But still…
But still…
“You ready?” West asked when he reached me.
I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yep. All set. He still doesn’t know?”
“No, but he’s irritated,” he said with a chuckle. “He thinks we’re going out to eat and is confused why he has to pick you up from here.”
“Can’t blame him,” I said with a smile. “All right, everyone. Get into position. He’ll be here any minute.”
I pointed at Hollin, who cut the lights. We all hid behind the table at the back of the barn. A white tablecloth had been draped across the front, so none of us were visible. We’d practiced to make sure that Campbell wouldn’t be able to see us.
Weston pulled in tight next to me so that we were shoulder to shoulder. There was only enough light to see his big blue eyes. He squeezed my knee gently and shot me a wink. I was glad that he couldn’t see more than that because my cheeks flared red.
Then, the door to the barn creaked open again.
Blaire’s voice filtered through the opening. “It’ll just be a minute. Come on.”
Campbell grumbled something low, and then he was inside.
Hollin flipped the lights, and we all jumped up, yelling, “Happy birthday!”
Campbell’s face went from irritated to dismayed to a forced rockstar smile. “Wow,” he said, blinking into the lights. His eyes went to Blaire, who was smiling brightly. “You did this?”
“We all did.”
Then, he kissed her, and we all cheered a second time.
Music came on, and everyone moved onto the dance floor. Campbell walked around the room, thanking everyone for coming. When he finally landed on me and Weston, his smile dropped.
He punched West in the shoulder. “You motherfucker.”
West laughed and rubbed his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
“Hey, ass, it was Hollin’s idea,” I said with a grin.
“What are you accusing me of?” Hollin asked. He pulled our brother into a hug.
Campbell rolled his eyes. “You decided on this party?”
“Me and Nora did. Aren’t you so excited?”
Campbell snorted. “Y’all are all assholes.”
“You know he’s in a mood when he pulls out the y’alls,” Blaire said.
Weston punched him back. “You should let us do this shit more often. Why are you so against surprises anyway?”
“I’m not,” Campbell lied.
Hollin and I shared a private smile. Campbell glared at both of us.
“Don’t fucking say it,” Campbell warned.
Hollin grinned devilishly. “What? About the clown at your twelfth birthday that scared you shitless?”
“The time you ran out of the house, screaming, when it jumped out at you?” I added.
Campbell looked to the ceiling. “Thank God I have siblings.”
Weston cracked up. “Oh man, I need this story in its entirety.”
“Not a chance,” Campbell growled.
Blaire shook her head. “Tell me about it later.”
“About what?” Julian asked, stepping up to our party. His brother, Jordan, at his side.
“Something about a clown?” Jordan asked.
I was lucky to have my cousins in Lubbock. Jordan and Julian were related to West on his dad’s side, but their mom was my aunt. So even though we were both related to them, we weren’t related to each other. And since Jordan and Julian had lived in Vancouver through my childhood, I’d never gotten to know them. But with them here and Jordan now engaged to Annie and Julian living with Jennifer, I knew they were here to stay. My family had shattered after my mom died, but it was starting to stitch back together after all these years.
“Fuck both of you,” Campbell said to me and Hollin.
We just hit knuckles. Ganging up on Campbell was half the fun.
The rest of the party dispersed as Campbell turned his attention to our cousins. I was left alone with West, and I knew this was the moment I should take.
Our eyes met. “Hey.”
“The party turned out great.”
“Thanks,” I said, on steady ground when talking about work. Though I knew I couldn’t let last night stand.
West had been gone this morning when I woke up. He’d left Gatorade, Tylenol, and a note that said, Hope you feel okay. Heading to the gym. —West. It was thoughtful, but I was sure it was also a way to avoid the awkwardness to follow.
“Sorry about last night,” I forced out.
“Sorry?”
“You know, about…getting super drunk and everything that happened afterward.”
He laughed and ran a hand back through his floppy, dark hair. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Nor.”
“You sure? I remember a very embarrassing almost kiss, where I then started laughing at how drunk I was.”
He grinned. Not at all miffed by that. “You remember that, huh?”
My cheeks heated. “I do.”