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)
A knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Come in.”
And to my surprise, Eve Houston opened the door. “Hey, Nora.”
I stood in surprise. “Hey, Eve.”
Even though Eve was only a year older than me, I always felt so young in her presence. As if she was so much more worldly than I’d ever be. I didn’t know if it was because I’d only had one boyfriend and she’d dated beyond my wildest dreams. Or if it was her self-confident poise, the assured tilt to her chin, the knowledge in those emerald-green eyes.
“Mind if I come in?”
“Of course.” I gestured to the seat in front of me. “Feel free.”
She slid inside, pacing into the room in tattered black jeans and a slinky black silk top. She dropped unceremoniously into the chair and crossed her feet, revealing the platform Doc Martens. She swept her long black hair over her shoulder and pursed her lips. “I hope this is an okay time.”
“Totally fine. I was just…” I trailed off as I stared at my blank screen. Nothing. I’d been doing nothing. “What can I help you with? Do you have an upcoming event?”
Eve laughed softly. “Uh, no. I’m not a big planner. And, yeah, no weddings forthcoming.” She twirled an emerald band on her right ring finger. “It’s not about that.”
“Okay?” I couldn’t help it coming out as a question.
Eve and I both played on The Tacos soccer team. She’d replaced August as one of our forwards, and objectively, she was better than he was. So, I saw her every week on the pitch and when I hung out with Piper and Blaire, but we’d never had a one-on-one. If I was honest, I’d always been a little intimidated by her.
“So…you live with Weston Wright, right?”
My stomach dropped out of my body. Fear replaced anything else I’d been feeling prior. Was she…into West? Because if that was the case, I was utterly fucked. There was no way I could compete with someone like Eve Houston.
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, we’re roommates.”
“He’s pretty cool, right?”
I nodded mutely. My hands clenched into fists in my lap. Fuck, this was going to suck. “Yep.”
“He’s here for good? I mean…his brother and sister moved here and everything.”
I gulped. “Uh, yeah. As far as I know. Harley is at Tech on scholarship, and Whitt followed her here. But, yeah, West came first.” I tried for a small laugh. “Are you wanting to date West?”
Eve tilted her head to the side and looked at me. I clearly did not manage casual. Even to myself, my voice had come out strained.
“Uh, no. That wasn’t what I was asking at all. Though did I miss that y’all are dating?” she asked carefully.
“No!” I said quickly. “Uh, no. We’re not dating.”
Eve arched an eyebrow. “That was a bit defensive, eh? You’re going to have to try that a couple more times before someone believes you. Trust me. Neutral expressions and responses are better when you have a secret. This is a secret, isn’t it?”
I sighed and hung my head. “Yeah, it is.”
“I see. And y’all are…sleeping together?”
My head jerked up. “No,” I said quickly. Then, I winced, realizing I’d sounded defensive again. “God, I do sound terrible, don’t I?”
Eve laughed. “It’s cute. Honestly. You sound like someone who has never had to lie a day in her life.”
I flushed. “I never have.”
“Must be nice,” Eve muttered under her breath. “You look like you’re going to combust. What’s really going on with you two?”
And I did feel like I was going to burst. I had no one to talk to about this. I was way out of my depth. My brothers definitely could not know. Which meant Blaire and Piper were off-limits. And their friends, too, because I didn’t trust any of them to keep a secret. But I no longer had a best friend, and it wasn’t like I could tell my dad. What a disaster that would be.
Eve was here. She knew how to keep a secret. In fact, she’d come here to talk to me. For…some reason.
“You first,” I said carefully. Even though I wanted nothing more than to blather on about my own angst. Maybe she’d be more willing to keep my secret if I knew one of hers.
“Ah,” Eve said with a sigh. “Fair enough. I was actually here to ask about Whitton.”
“Whitt?” I asked in surprise.
Eve smiled, and it wasn’t her sharp smile that I’d seen her turn on guys. It was almost shy. “He’s hot. We met at Campbell’s birthday party. But he’s new, and he doesn’t run in any of my circles. The only person I know who knows him is…you.”
“You want me to hook you up with Whitt?”
She laughed. “Oh no. I think I can do most of it on my own. I was just hoping for insider trading info, if you know what I mean.” She winked at me.