Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
For a moment or two, those familiar words echo throughout my head. There used to be a time when it was a different boy she referred to. My belly would pinch, and nausea would take up residence inside the pit of my gut.
But it's not my ex picking me up this morning.
It’s Austin.
Instead of anxiety, excitement explodes in my belly.
The last thing I want to do is keep him waiting. I take one last look at my reflection to make sure everything is perfect. This is our first official date as a newly minted couple. It’s so tempting to jump up and down and scream, all the while doing a little happy dance.
Not in a million years did I think we would ever get to this place, but I’m so ecstatic we have. All the pain of the past has been worth it.
Unable to sleep, I bounced out of bed a couple hours ago and took a shower before blow drying my hair. I left it all long and wavy around my shoulders. Exactly the way Austin likes it. Then I added a bit of lip gloss and mascara to darken my lashes. I’ve never been one to wear a ton of makeup, but this gives my lips a pretty shine and makes my blue eyes pop with vibrant color.
Since the temperatures have continued to drop and it’s chilly, I’m wearing a pale pink sweater that is soft to the touch and a short denim skirt with thick tights. Tall black boots showcase my legs and give me just a bit of added height.
I release a steady breath and press my palm to my lower belly, hoping it will settle the pterodactyl-sized butterflies that have winged their way to life in my abdomen.
It doesn’t.
This is ridiculous.
Why am I so nervous?
We’ve been together for a few weeks.
He sneaks through my window and crawls into my bed on a nightly basis. A few hours before dawn, he’ll slip back out and will pick me up for school in the morning. We hold hands in the hallway when he walks me to class, and we eat lunch together every day. He drives me home after football practice and we make out in his G-wagon when it’s parked in my drive as we say goodbye.
So…this shouldn’t be a big deal.
But that doesn’t change the fact that it is.
Maybe this outing just solidifies our status and makes it official.
Or maybe it’s because he refuses to tell me where we’re going or what we’re doing.
“Delilah?” Mom calls again before peeking her head inside my room. I catch her gaze in the mirror.
A smile spreads across her face. “You look beautiful.” It turns just a bit wistful around the edges. “I wish Dad could see what a gorgeous young woman you’ve grown into. He would be so proud of all your accomplishments.”
“Thank you.” Her words mean everything to me.
If I needed time to work everything out in my head, so did Mom. Edmund really did a number on her self-esteem. He made promises he had no intention of keeping. She’s thrown herself into her new job and has been working with a counselor. We’ve discussed the idea of setting up a joint appointment to tackle some of our communication issues. We only have each other, and it’s important we have a good relationship.
I blink away the moisture that tries to gather in my eyes before swiping my small black purse from the dresser and following Mom into the living room.
“I think you’re really going to enjoy today,” she says.
My eyes widen as I stutter to a stop. “Wait a minute. You know where we’re going?”
She throws a glance over her shoulder. Any hint of nostalgia disappears as she flashes a devilish grin. “Yup.” She pops the P at the end.
My hands settle at my hips. “Austin told you where he’s taking me for our date but refused to even give me a hint?”
Her blue eyes sparkle with excitement. “That’s right.”
Mom has done a complete one-eighty where Austin is concerned. After we worked everything out, he showed up at the door the next day with a bouquet of brightly colored wildflowers for her.
Over the past two weeks, she’s gradually thawed, dropping her preconceived notions about both Austin and the Hawthorne family. Mrs. Hawthorne even invited Mom over for dinner so they could get to know each other. As terrible as it is to have the loss of their husbands in common, it solidified their friendship and gave them something to talk about before discovering they had a lot of other similarities. They’ve become fast friends. Mrs. Hawthorne is down to earth and not like a lot of these Hawthorne Prep moms.
Before I can bombard her with more questions, there’s a knock at the front door. Mom bursts into movement, rushing toward the tiny entranceway. I think she might be more excited about this date than I am.