Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
He scrubs his face. “Delaney, I’m sorry.”
He’s sorry?
I close my eyes at the words he’s not saying, at the way he isn’t committing to us.
“I hear everything you’re not saying, Maverick—everything.”
“Just let me take care of this thing with Raven, and then I’ll be back for you.”
I sigh. I want to believe him, but still, it isn’t enough. “Whatever you’re doing—this fighting—you need to stop. It’s wrong.” I shake my head. “When people care about each other, life has a way of working out. We can figure out Raven’s situation together.”
A male voice calls Maverick’s name from the tunnel, and I shift my gaze to see one of the scouts waving for him to come over.
“Look, I have to head out. Can I come by your place later?”
I shuffle my feet, and his eyes watch me with a desperate look, but I’m not sure he actually feels that way. I just don’t know if I’m worth it to him…not like he is to me.
“I’m driving down to Panama City tonight with Skye for spring break.”
“That didn’t take long,” he says, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “You’re just going to leave me here.”
“You wanted space, and now you have it,” is my reply, recalling words he said last night.
“Delaney…”
But I don’t want to hear anything else. I flip around and stalk off, feeling his eyes on me the entire way.
Before I get far, he calls out, “We aren’t over, Delaney, not by a long shot. I’m going to make you proud of me.”
I clench my hands into fists and keep walking, because if I don’t, I’m going to turn right back around and run straight into his arms and tell him I’ll stick by his side. I want to tell him that no matter how many times he pushes me away, I’ll always be there.
But I don’t.
Maverick
Watching her walk away from me nearly makes my knees buckle. It feels like she isn’t coming back.
She loves me.
She loves me, even though I lied to her.
I’ve wanted her to say it so many times, yet I’m the one who can’t admit what’s going on inside me.
“Maverick? You coming?” It’s one of the scouts, and I give him a nod and head that way.
Something’s got to give. I hate this feeling, like I’m torn apart and in shambles.
I pull out my phone and type a quick text to Delaney.
Don’t go to the beach. Please, don’t leave me. Just wait.
But, I delete it before I hit send. Shit.
What am I going to do?
I think about Raven and how much she loves Pineview, the expression on her face when I told her I got her in.
There are only two options: admit I’ve been taking money for fighting and lose everything, or just keep my head down, keep on trucking, and pray to God Muffin shuts up.
My head tells me to keep trucking, to maintain the status quo.
But…
I rub at my chest, a nagging, aching feeling tugging at me, telling me I’m going to lose everything.
Delaney
Even though I told Maverick I was leaving that night, I still half-expected him to show up to catch me before I left. He didn’t. I checked and re-checked my phone, hoping to get a text from him, but nothing.
Skye and I made the drive to the beach in five hours. There were other people from Waylon on their way, all of them taking flights or driving, several of them staying in the same area of hotels on the beach.
Two days in and I’m lying out on the sand, wearing a yellow bikini, still a little burned from yesterday’s time in the sun, but I really don’t care. I’m nursing a bit of a hangover from the shots of Fireball Skye made me take last night. Okay, she didn’t make me, but she did strongly encourage me, and I didn’t need too much urging after still not hearing anything from Maverick.
A shadow drops down next to me, and I glance up from the book I’m reading, expecting to see Skye, who ran in to grab me a water and get a margarita for herself.
My eyes widen as I take Alex in. I’m not too shocked to see him here since it’s the same place we come every year, but I haven’t thought of him in so long that, well, I’m taken back.
Wearing a pair of salmon-colored Ralph Lauren swim trunks, he’s tan with a hint of a slight sunburn on his shoulders. He’s sitting on the beach lounger next to me, the ones only hotel guests are allowed to sit in, looking quite comfortable as he looks at me.
“Alex? What are you doing here?”
He smiles. “Hey. I texted Skye and she told me where you guys were staying.”
Interesting. He and Skye had lunch together a few times last week.
I sit up and ease my sunglasses off, propping them on my head where my hair is tied up in a messy bun. I’m without makeup and my eyes are puffy from crying into my pillow last night.