Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 54383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
The door swings open and a swarm of cheerleaders walk in and take over the other other spaces at the sink. As if I’m not standing here.
“You look nice today, Scarlett,” one of them says.
“Yeah, super cute.” Another minion chimes in. “Anyway, Sandra, do you know if Ryan is coming tonight?”
I dissolve into the background and pick up my phone again.
“I think this is all a great sign,” my mother is saying while I step out of the restroom.
Out the corner of my eye, I spot Tully walking inside with her friends.
“We should definitely ask Telluride for an increase in sponsorship money next time, right?” my mom asks.
“Um…” My chest aches as I watch Tully give Easton a hug.
She raises an arm and threads her fingers through his hair, but he playfully pushes them away, whispering something into her ear.
Whatever it is, it’s enough to make her smile and make her and another group of cheerleaders head to their own table.
He turns around, looking at me, and I look away.
“Are you there, Scarlett?” My mom asks. “Scarlett?”
“I’m here,” I say, shedding Easton’s jacket off my skin. “Yeah, you should ask for that. I’ll look over the request form before you send it.”
“Thank you. Curfew is still ten o’clock.”
“Noted.” I hang up with her and call Easton.
“Why are you calling me?” He smiles at me.
“I’m catching an Uber to go home.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your friends are here and I’m sure you’ll want to spend the rest of the night with them and throw them off about us.”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he motions for me to come back to him.
I remain still.
“Scarlett,” he says, “you’re not taking an Uber home.”
“Goodnight, Easton.” I end the call, and with his eyes trailing my every step, I walk over to Tully.
“Hey.” She tilts her head to the side. “What are you doing here? I thought you hated visiting new cafes.”
“I wanted to see what the hype was about.”
“It’s well worth it, isn’t it?” She smiles. “Did my TikTok video convince you?”
“You know she doesn’t watch us on there.” Easton is suddenly behind me. “I’m taking her home since you have the car.”
“Cool.” Tully picks up a menu. “Call you tonight.”
He nods and gestures for me to follow him out of the cafe.
I don’t want to cause a scene, so I oblige.
He stares at his jacket in my hands and silently commands me to put it back on.
I give in to that, too.
“We make a run for it on three,” he says. “One…Two…”
We both rush toward the car and instead of heading to his side, he goes to mine and opens the door.
He immediately turns on the heated seats and I stare straight ahead as he drives.
“I’m sorry our date got cut short,” he says. “If I’d known they were coming, I would’ve taken you elsewhere.”
I say nothing.
“You still have a couple hours before curfew. You want to go someplace else?”
I look out the window.
“Scarlett, say something.”
No…
He suddenly pulls onto a shoulder and turns on the hazard lights. Then he unbuckles his seatbelt.
“I’m sick of this shit,” he says. “What the fuck is the problem now, Scarlett?”
“The same one that’ll never go away.”
“And how is that my fault?”
“It’s no one’s fault, it’s fucking reality and I wish it wasn’t.”
“Again—” He glares at me. “How is that my fault?”
“You really have no idea how it feels to want something so badly but know you can’t have it?”
“You think I don’t want you as badly as you want me?” He hisses. “I’ve told you time and time again how much I do, and you brush it away because you think your feelings are more valid than mine.”
“I think you believe that you can have your cake and eat it too.”
“How the fuck does that make any sense?”
“You get to have a girlfriend during the day and her identical sister for a mistress at night.” I shrug. “You know, it’s a win-win for you if anything ever happens to me. You’ll just go for Tully and no one will be none the wiser.”
He glares at me, but I don’t care.
“You should go ahead and fuck her for some insurance, because you’ll never fuck me.”
“I’m never fucking her.” he says, leaning over the seat. “And I need you to stop fucking with me.”
“You can’t control how I feel, Easton.”
“I’d rather make you feel something else.” He kisses me before I can respond, sliding a hand through my hair.
Unbuckling my seatbelt, he whispers, “Stop fighting me,” against my lips.
I stare into his eyes as his hand moves up my thigh, pushing my dress with it. Still kissing me, his fingers find the strings on my bikini and slowly untie them.
“Spread your legs for me,” he whispers.
I hesitate and he slides a hand between my legs, using his fingers to caress my soaking wet clit. I moan as it swells under his touch.