Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“Yes, Drake hasn’t told you?” she asked, scowling at her son who was behind me.
“No.”
“Well, I suppose it is new.” She introduces me to this dweeb looking fuck name Harold. He’s polite, but I don’t give a fuck because as much as I was afraid of seeing Everly tonight, I’m pissed that she’s not here.
Throughout dinner, we all make small talk and then we get on to the main reason I was invited for the evening.
“So, Drake is leaving in one week and as it happens, we are leaving in two weeks.” My fork freezes mid-bite.
“You and Everly are moving?” I questioned, feeling my heart was about to explode with that news. I’ve taken for granted that she’d always be around. It never occurred to me that my little glimpses of Everly that I’ve had over the years would be stolen from me in one way or another. The idea was foolish, short-sighted, and egotistical. I could kick myself.
“No, Everly still has four months of school left in her cosmetology program, so she can’t go, but Harold lives in Florida, and I’m moving with him.” My head tilts to the side as I consider the ramifications. Everly will be here in Arlington all alone.
“So, what’s going to happen to Everly? She’s going to keep the house?”
“No, I’ve already listed the house, and she’s not working at the moment.” Drake told me she had a job at the local restaurant by their house. I came in once and, of course, it happened to be the only day she wasn’t working. A week later, she was let go due to her calling off. Drake told me it was because of her best friend. He doesn’t like her.
“Is she getting an apartment or something closer to her school?” I asked, wondering if the school actually had a dorm.
“No, there’s nothing available that she can afford. Besides, we don’t think it’s safe for her to be a single young female living alone.” I nodded. Neither did I.
Drake scoots his chair in and then steeples his fingers. “Here’s the thing, buddy. Since I’m moving out, I was thinking that she can take over my room.” My mouth falls open, but I quickly shut it and attempt to keep a neutral expression.
He puts his hand up to stop my protests. “It’s not like you party like I do and well, you don’t need the money…but I can still pay my half of the rent.” My parents owned the apartment building, so it wasn’t the issue, but I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did he have any sense in his head? Could he not sense the lust I felt for her?
“What do you mean? You want Everly to move in with me?” I asked them.
“Yeah, who better to take care of her and keep her safe while she finishes school?” Keep her safe. That was the furthest thing from my mind when it came to certain parts of her body. They weren’t going to be protected from me.
“We’re going to make some coffee,” Mrs. Mitchell says, taking her man with her, so Drake and I can talk.
“Um…I’m not sure it’s a good idea. It’s not like I’m home at all. She’ll practically be living by herself,” I say, hoping to dissuade my best friend from pestering me, but he just smiles at me, and I’m certain that I’ve only strengthened my case.
As the words left my lips, my mind wandered to the day I met the young woman. She was already a torturous little thing, like now. I’d tried to maintain a straight face as the words had to leave my mouth so no one would be any the wiser about the effect she had on me. Only then was I standing in front of a crowd of three hundred graduates, my parents, her mom, and, most importantly, my best friend, when I first spotted the most delectable beauty in front of me.
“That’s even better. She won’t be a pain in the ass then. I know my little sister annoys the shit out of you, Jules,” he teases, using the nickname she calls me. It doesn’t annoy me; it gets me rock fucking hard. Everything she does gets me stiff, and it’s become a distraction I don’t need. For over four years, I’ve been able to keep our meetings to a minimum and avoided her at all costs, even though I’ve missed her and hoped I wouldn’t ruin a chance at a future.
“So, you decided to ask me for a favor while, in fact, annoying me as well?”
“It’s not like that. It’s only temporary. She’s finishing her cosmetology program and then getting a gig in Steeleville, thanks to the connections with your mom.” My mom? What the hell is my mom doing with Everly’s career? “Besides, I’m starting my new job in Seattle, so it’s not like I can have her with me,” he sighs.