Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 136791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
He reaches out to tug on a strand of my hair. "I'm not going anywhere."
"What do you mean?" I frown at him.
"I mean, I'm not leaving for school next year." He shrugs. "I'll probably just go to community college for a while."
I drop my sandwich, staring at him like he's crazy. "Cade, you have to go to college," I say. He's way too smart to go to community college. His grades are better than mine, and I usually make straight A's. He should be at a good school. I know he applied to several of them. "A good college. You're too smart for community college."
"I didn't say I wouldn't go to a good school," he says, wiping his hands on his pants. "I will go to one eventually."
"When?" I demand, narrowing my eyes at him. The way he avoids looking me in the eyes is worrisome. He's up to something.
"In a few years," he mumbles.
"You mean after I graduate," I whisper, my heart sinking. Part of me wants to do a happy dance that he doesn't want to leave me behind. The other part—the less selfish part—knows I can't let him do that. For as long as I've known him, he's talked about making something out of his life. I can't let him throw that away for me. Not very many people make it out of our neighborhood. I want him to be one of the few who do make it.
"It's not a big deal." He takes a big drink from his water bottle. "I'll take basic classes at community college, and then when you graduate, I'll enroll where you go to finish out my degree."
"No."
His brows pull together as he stares at me. "It's my decision. Besides, Ma Lucia can't afford to pay for me to go to college. She barely makes it by as it is."
He's not going to budge on this. He's going to throw his shot at getting out of here away because of me. My stomach churns with nausea.
"I want to break up," I blurt.
"What the fuck, January?" he growls at me.
I jump to my feet, knocking my plate off my lap in the process. My heart thumps hard, feeling like it might crack apart, but I won't back down. Breaking up with him will probably kill me, but I won't let him put his future on hold or ruin it because of me. He's too important to me to let that happen.
"I'm breaking up with you." I hate how my voice shakes and my eyes blur with tears. "I don't want to be with you anymore."
He carefully sets his plate to the side and climbs to his feet. His eyes never leave mine. "Liar," he says softly.
"I'm not lying," I lie, hiding my hands behind my back so he can't see how they shake. "I don't want to be with you anymore, Cade. I-I think we should see other people."
Pain fills his eyes, turning them more blue than gray now. The sight kills me.
What are you doing? I silently scream at myself…but I don't take the words back.
He opens his mouth to say something, and then his gaze darts over my shoulder. His body goes rigid, anger rolling through his expression. His lips pull down into a frown, his eyes narrowing. "Go wait by my bike, baby girl," he says quietly.
I spin around to see what he's looking at, and my stomach sinks.
Kaleo's hurrying toward us with Corey Love and another guy in tow. Corey glances at me and then mutters something to the guy beside him before licking his lips.
He's been a jerk ever since Cade and I got together. He told a bunch of people that I let him touch me under the bleachers. When Titan found out, he kicked his ass.
Now, Corey spends all his time hanging around Kaleo. He does as much as he can to annoy Cade and Titan.
"Yo, Kincaid!" Kaleo yells.
"Go wait by my bike, January," Cade says. He quickly pulls me behind him, putting himself between me and Kaleo to shield me.
I know I should listen to him and go, but I don't want to leave him alone with these three. There's no one else out here to help him if they try to start something.
Kaleo, Corey, and the other guy draw to a stop a few steps away from Cade. I don't know who the guy with them is, but he’s big, with cold, bloodshot eyes.
"Why the fuck are you in my park, Kaleo?" Cade asks. He doesn't sound like the same guy who told me last night that his favorite sound in the world is the way I say his name after he kisses me. He doesn't even resemble the same guy. He stands straight, his body rock hard with tension, his hands clenched at his sides.