Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“If only I could figure out how to stick around for another year. Heck, I’d take a semester or two.”
I chuckle. “You should talk to Dakota then. I still don’t know how she fucked her credits up and has to do another semester.”
“But she gets to walk with us, right?”
“Luckily.”
“I might have to talk to her. I’d do anything to buy myself some more time.”
“What would happen if you were already married?” I muse.
“Ha. What are the chances of that happening?”
“You never know. You have a whole five months. Anything could happen.”
“Bro, I would love to see the look on his face,” she snickers. Then she sobers up. “He’d probably try to kill me and my husband.”
I blow smoke out the side of my mouth and nod. “Right, Cuban Mafia and all that.”
“The corporation, actually. More cartel than Mafia, to be honest,” she replies.
“All the same shit to me. I play baseball, darlin’. I’m not trying to kill anyone or force women to marry me.”
“Speaking of which, are you going to enter the draft? Have you talked to Kay about it yet?”
I frown and hand her back the joint. Kay has been acting weird. We didn’t really hang out much during the break.
When we did, we didn’t talk much. She would initiate sex and then make up some excuse for why she had to take off. With the draft coming up, our daddy didn’t feel like we needed the time off. He shelled out a ton of money on trainers for the winter break, so I didn’t have time to give any of it much attention.
Instead of telling Maribel all of that, I shrug. “It’s my life, my decision. I’ll be fine either way. The only difference it makes to her is how big a trophy wife she gets to be.”
“I would hope she’s with you for more than the money.”
I wrap an arm around her neck and hug her to me. I then kiss her temple and inhale her sweet scent. She always smells so fucking good.
“You’re the only one who loves me for me. I could throw it all away and you’d still love my bum ass.”
“You sure about that?”
“No one knows me like you do. I’m pretty positive.”
“I mean, we can’t afford for you to be a bum. You’re up against a gangster. We’ll need money to evade him.”
We burst into laughter. “I sure as shit better not enter the draft in that case. I wouldn’t want to expose us.”
“I wish,” she pouts and rolls her pretty eyes.
“We have a few more months. Something will change for us.”
“Well, nothing has changed yet. I need to head home and answer the asshole when he calls.”
She stands and kisses me on the cheek. I look up into her eyes, eyes I’ve come to know so well. She smiles and pushes her hand through the front of my hair.
“Love you, Cam.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Same time, same place?”
“I’ll be here. That shit was trash. I’m bringing the weed next time.”
I roar with laughter. “I miss Garrett and his guy.”
“Ugh, I know. Why did they both have to be seniors? I think you’re right. This year already bites. The next few months will probably be more of the same.”
“As long as we have each other, we’ll make it through. Maybe this semester, we won’t have to hide our friendship.”
“That shit must be kicking in, or the beer has soured your brain.”
I scowl and look away. I can’t help feeling like she’s ashamed to be my friend. I understood in the beginning, but it’s been three and a half years.
She cups my chin and turns my face back to her. “Why would I want to let the world in on our perfect bubble? You know I’d fight a bitch over you. Do you know the kind of ass whipping I’ll have to do if these girls on campus knew how close we are?
“Besides, you know I have a sneaking suspicion that Dez has me watched while I’m here. It would kill me if something were to happen to you because of me. It’s best if we keep things the way they are.”
“One of these days, the world will know how much you mean to me and I’m not going to deny it for another second.”
“Cameron Perry,” she drags out and bites her lip. “Good night. See you around campus.”
“See you around campus, Mina. Text me when you get home.”
The days of me walking her to her door had to end after freshman year. Cal and I broke out that first season and everyone knew our names and faces. We can’t even meet up at our favorite Chinese place anymore.
Maribel usually grabs our order when we want to eat together. She has become my greatest secret. In another life, I would shout from this rooftop that she’s one of the most important people in my life.