Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I get up, grabbing my laptop and my phone. “That was not cool,” I huff and walk back inside. “Not fucking cool at all.” I put down the laptop. Beatrice comes into the living room. “I’m going to be the first to tell you I was wrong in doing that.” Beatrice looks at me. “You deserve a cookie,” I tell her, walking over and grabbing her one of the cookies Vivienne bought her. “Okay, fine, maybe she’s a nice person.” She tilts her head to the side as I wave the cookie in front of her, not doing it on purpose. “If anyone would understand me wanting to keep my shit to myself, it would be her.” I hold out the cookie for her. “This doesn’t mean we have to be best friends with her,” I inform her, holding on to the cookie from my end while Beatrice holds on to the cookie from her end. “We still don’t talk to strangers, and I would really like you not to get all excited when you see her.” Beatrice just looks at me, probably telling me to shut the fuck up and leave her cookie alone. “Heck, I don’t even know if I’m going to be nice to her. Jesus, can you imagine if they recognized me today, how she would have all the questions the next time she saw me? They probably don’t even know the real reason I left the league. I mean, come to think of it, even when I left and told the owners and the GM why I was leaving, none of them said, what can we do to help? Nope, they just looked at me and were kind of relieved that they didn’t have to deal with me anymore.” I groan inwardly, letting go of my end of the cookie. Beatrice turns around with the cookie in her mouth and walks over to her bed. “Thanks for the talk.” I put my hands on my hips while she chews her cookie.
I take a deep inhale. “You know what today needs?” I walk over to the cabinet where I keep my books. “It’s a good time for a great book.” I look at the shelf in front of me. “Where should we go today?” I ask as I look through the long list of books. “This one.” I pull out the book that I must have reread over fifty times. “This one is always a good one.” Walking out to the sun pads, I sit down and open my book. “This is just what I need today.” I look at the water and then back at the book in my hand. “Just what I need,” I sigh, trying to make me forget about the girl who has not only moved in to the boat next to me but has now taken over space in my head. Space that needs to stay empty. Space that has no place for Vivienne Grant.
CHAPTER 11
VIVIENNE
“Okay, I’m going to admit something,” my brother, Cooper, says from one of the sun pads he’s sitting up on. The same one I have my coffee on every morning. Erika is in the middle of his legs, leaning back on him. Franny and Wilson sit on the other sun pad in the same position. They all look forward to the water.
“I’m all ears,” I say from the front of the boat, where I sit with my legs crossed. My parents went for a walk with Chase and Julia after the massive breakfast we had. It took way too long to prepare, but then we sat out on the back deck and ate at the small table I have. Most of us sat on the bench in front of the table and ate with the plate on our laps. It was just like camping, except better.
“This is relaxing,” he admits, and I smile at him. “I get the hype now.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I tell them, looking over my shoulder. “Wait until we take her out into the water.”
“When can we do that?” Franny asks me.
“How long are you in town for?” I ask her, and she looks at Wilson.
“We leave today at three.”
“That’s in like two hours.” I laugh at her, and she sits up.
“I know, but I didn’t want not to be here in case there was drama.” She throws her hands up in the air. “This went a lot smoother than I thought it was going to go.”
I laugh at her, picking up my cup of coffee beside me. “Of course it went smooth. Why wouldn’t it go smooth?”
Erika holds up her hand. “I can give you one reason: Matthew Grant.”
I laugh. “He was skeptical, but he turned around,” I reply nervously, hoping that it’s true. Cooper and Franny now both laugh.
“The only way he’s going to be at ease is if he can park his boat next to yours,” Cooper states.