Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
The knowledge that, while I wasn’t awake to witness it, the depraved lunatic stripped off my clothes before helping himself to a snack between my thighs.
That memory really makes my face hot.
Forcing myself back to the present, I glance back at the classroom I just walked out of. Instinctively, I move away from the door.
We should start walking before the teacher comes out and sees Landon loitering in the halls after skipping class.
“What are you doing here?” I ask uncertainly as I start down the hall.
In answer, he holds out a smoothie I hadn’t noticed him holding. “Thought I’d bring you a little pick me up before your meeting.”
My eyebrows rise in surprise. “You skipped school and then showed up at the end of the day to bring me a smoothie?”
“And they say I’m not a nice guy,” he retorts.
I crack a smile, hesitantly reaching for the icy beverage. “This isn’t spiked, is it?”
He chuckles. “No. Didn’t think you’d want to get caught imbibing at school.”
“You figured correctly. Thank you,” I say, still a bit uncertain.
He nods wordlessly, letting go of the drink and watching me eye the label. It reads “reg. strawberry cranberry smoothie.”
I take a sip, and it’s delicious. A slightly different flavor than I’m used to, but probably because of the cranberries. I don’t typically order my smoothies with cranberry.
“So, why weren’t you around today?” I ask.
“Decided to sleep in. I had a late night.”
My face heats like I just strapped on a fire mask.
“Nah, that’s not true,” he says a second later, surprising me. “I just thought you could use a break from me today.”
Frowning, I look over at him in question.
“Last time, you seemed to want a break from me afterward.”
Last time was different.
I open my mouth to say the words, then decide better of it and take a sip of my smoothie. I’m not even sure how true it is.
“We will need to talk about that,” I tell him. “I can’t right now because I have a club meeting, but if you’re not doing anything after, maybe…”
God, this feels so awkward.
If this is what talking to guys is like, maybe I’m glad Landon has banned me from dating for all these years.
It doesn’t help that I have no idea where we stand. He said a lot of things last night in my bed, but in general, Landon isn’t the best communicator. That’s why it caught me off guard. Why I let him…
I can’t think about that right now. Not at school, not with him walking next to me.
I take another sip of my smoothie to cool down. If he weren’t standing right beside me, I would press the cool cup right against my face.
Seemingly unfazed by the enormous awkwardness of our situation, Landon nods. “Sure. I’ll pick you up. We can go for a ride.”
The giddy sensation that rushes through me when he says that takes me completely off guard.
There’s no way he should still be able to trigger that in me. It’s just a ride—with him—in his car, but…
That old crushy feeling makes a startling reappearance and I have to make an effort to jam it down.
We are not going to like Landon that way again.
Are we?
I’m afraid of the answer, and more afraid that it’s even still a possibility because I was certain he had cured me of it.
The fluttery feeling inside when he stops outside the meeting room, slides his hands into the pocket of his jeans, and gives me a little smirk seems to indicate otherwise.
Crap.
This is such a bad idea.
“See you in a bit,” he says.
“Bye,” I say with a stupid little wave that horrifies me the moment my body decides to do it.
The only way to describe the way my insides feel is shrink-wrapped.
Like my brain, apparently, because I can’t focus on a single thing throughout the meeting. All my concentration is centered on him.
This is the worst.
This feels kinda… nice.
Both things can be true.
Landon Atwater is not a safe person to like. There are dozens of girls at this school who could attest to the fact.
Hell, I can attest to the fact myself.
But, apparently, those facts fly right out the window when he offers you the passenger seat in his car.
Ugh.
I want so badly to override all the stupidity I’m feeling right now, but maybe I need a second—kinder—opinion.
___
Grabbing Hannah’s arm dramatically as we walk out of the club meeting, I survey our surroundings to make sure Landon isn’t lurking nearby.
“What are you doing?” she asks, looking over at me since I’m behaving strangely.
“I need advice.”
“All right,” she says easily.
“I think I like a boy.”
“You don’t say,” she murmurs, lightly amused.
“It’s Landon.”
“Why didn’t you warn me to sit down first? I could break something fainting from the shock.”
I slide her an unamused look. “You could at least pretend to be surprised.”