Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 85453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Says Einstein.”
Her right brow gets lost in her hairline. “Einstein failed—”
I squash my finger to her lips, hearing it all before. “Yet he still achieved greatness.” I give her a look as if to say, so it’s okay to let go of the reins occasionally, before adding, “But a pass means I am clear to play this weekend.”
That’s why I was so desperate for McKayla to tutor me. If I failed this test, I was going to be benched for the season opener. She saved my ass—in more ways than one. “So what do you say, Einstein? Want to watch an actual game of basketball?” When McKayla takes her time deliberating a response, I bark out, “Come on. It’s one game.”
“That runs for forty minutes.” She mentally accesses her calendar before adding, “That’s time I’m not sure I can fit in. My schedule is tight this semester. I can’t commit that much time on fun stuff.”
“Fun stuff?” While smiling a leering grin, I point my finger at her. “You said fun stuff!” I leap into the air like I did when my father finally announced he was divorcing my mother while saying, “I knew you were digging it.”
“All right. All right. Calm down. We don’t want you pulling a muscle before your big debut.”
Since her face still displays signs of pondering, I say, “It’s forty minutes.” The grin I’m dying to see pops onto her face when I mutter, “What measly fraction of the day is that when you have one thousand four hundred and forty of them.”
Her mega brain never sleeps. “Two point seven eight percent.” She takes a breath to make sure her brain doesn’t fry before finishing, “But that isn’t the point. I—”
McKayla’s reply is cut off when we’re interrupted by a blonde with a friendly smile. “Are you Cash Mancini and McKayla Jones?”
McKayla answers the stranger with a head bob before I can warn her that telemarketers are no longer reserved for landline phones during dinner hours. They sniff you out wherever they can. “And you are?”
Ignorant to the unease in my tone, the stranger says, “Oh, I’m sorry. You probably don’t recognize me since I’m not flat on my back, choking on my tongue.”
Her response riddles me for two whole seconds before the truth smacks into me.
No fucking way.
That can’t be the girl McKayla saved.
She looks so different. Healthy. Relaxed.
Alive.
“I hope you don’t mind me tracking you down like this. The police officers were reluctant to give out any details.” I involuntarily bunch my hands together when she murmurs, “And my boyfriend wasn’t sure I should be thanking you.” The strain of my knuckles relaxes when she corrects, “Ex-boyfriend. We’re not together anymore.” She waggles her ring hand in the air like its emptiness is new to her. “I asked him not to drive that night. He said he was fine.” She shifts her weight to her good leg before murmuring. “He wasn’t.” Tears glisten in her eyes. “But I am. Thanks to you two.”
McKayla hugs her, doubling the wetness in her eyes, but I remain standing at the side, looking out of place.
I was so angry that night I belted into the driver without considering the injuries he may have sustained in the crash. I hated that he drove while intoxicated, but more than anything, I hated that his girlfriend was stupid enough to get in the car with him.
Trenton did the same thing, and he lost his only reason to live in the process.
“Why did you get in the car with him? You knew he was intoxicated, but you still let him drive.”
The blonde looks remorseful, but my angry glare doesn’t soften from her reply. “Love makes you do stupid things.”
“That’s not an excuse—”
“Cash.”
“It’s okay,” the still unnamed blonde assures McKayla, interrupting her as she had me. “Everything he’s wondering, I’ve wondered myself the past week and a half. I was an idiot.” She locks her eyes with mine. “But that’s how we learn.”
“It is,” McKayla agrees, drawing the blonde’s focus back to her. “I’m glad you’re doing well. And thank you for reaching out. I’ve been thinking about you and your recovery.” When she pulls her in for a second hug, she stomps on my foot before wordlessly demanding me to stop being a dick.
She pulls me into line like no one else. “Yeah, me too.”
There’s no honesty in my reply, but it has McKayla eating out of my palm.
Finally.
Chapter 19
McKayla
“Hot fucking damn. What the hell is that?”
I open my door wider, wordlessly inviting Cash in before heading to my bed to gather my purse. “It’s called a dress.”
Since my back is facing him, I release the smile his reply instigates, “Yeah, but where did you get it from?”
“From my closet.” I stuff a tube of lipstick into my purse like it is natural for me to do before spinning around to face him. He’s been back to his usual self the past week, his quick recovery compliments to exceptional bedside service and country attitude the biggest city couldn’t squash.