Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Eve
Apparently, Kyle was too busy doing his job and raising his son to work for my affection.
After that Saturday, he was nice to me. Nice, like someone would be to their babysitter.
Two weeks.
He went two weeks without acknowledging he’d seen me nearly naked.
Two Sunday dinners at our house, acting like a cousin.
Two weeks of cordially thanking me for watching Josh during football practice.
Two away football games where I gave up my Friday night to watch Josh and put him to bed on time. And again, Kyle thanked me with a smile and cash.
No greasy food runs.
No kissing.
Not even a wink.
“To be fair, he is busy,” Erin said while we jogged on Saturday morning.
“To be fair? Uh, no. It’s not fair. He’s had plenty of opportunities to be alone with me. Josh goes to bed at eight, and I don’t have to be home until eleven—or twelve on the weekends. Today, he could be taking me hunting with him. Instead, he asked Gabby to watch Josh while he went by himself. How did standing up for myself turn into ending everything?”
“Why don’t you just ask him?”
“Nooo …” I could hear my mom’s voice in my head, telling me to stop whining. “If I ask him, then he wins.”
Erin laughed. “It doesn’t have to be a game.”
“It’s not. But you know what I mean.”
“Maybe you need to show up uninvited and seduce him after Josh is in bed.”
I giggled. “Like, trench coat with no clothes under it? I don’t own a trench coat, do you?”
“No. Why would I own one?” She laughed. “Do something else. Just jump on him and start kissing him.”
My steps faltered from laughing so much. “Throw myself at him? What if he does that head-turn thing like in the movies and rejects me? What if he says, ‘It’s not you; it’s me.’ I would be totally mortified.”
“Then just ask him!”
“Then I sound whiny and desperate.”
“Not if you don’t ask him in a whiny and desperate way. You have to chill. You freak out too easily. Be cool.”
Cool.
I could do that.
Nothing said cool like stalking him from my bedroom window with binoculars. He arrived close to dinner time and parked his truck by the barn. Josh ran down the porch stairs, and Gabby followed him. I bolted into the bathroom to curl my hair before changing into black jeans that were too tight for my father’s approval, a white T-shirt, a fake leather jacket, and black boots.
“Where are you off to?” Mom asked when I reached the bottom of the stairs. She was tying her apron to make dinner.
“I’m not sure what we’re doing yet.” I smiled.
Erin was going to a movie with Nicole. So we was me. And it wasn’t a total lie. I didn’t know my plan. I just knew I’d drive around until after Josh’s bedtime. DQ sounded good. A burger and sundae.
“Have fun.”
“I will.” Just as I opened the door, Gabby walked up the porch stairs. “Oh, hey. How was watching Josh? Did Kyle get a deer?”
She sighed. “I think I’m in love with our neighbor.”
“Josh is so sweet,” I said, sliding my purse strap onto my shoulder.
“No. Well, yes. But I’m talking about Kyle.”
I closed the door behind me before she could walk inside the house. “He’s dad’s best friend’s brother. And twelve years older than you.” I wrinkled my nose. “Gross.”
“Gross? Are you blind? He’s not gross. He’s like …” She fanned herself. “He’s dreamy. I sit in the front row of his class. We have assigned seats, but I told him I couldn’t see the blackboard, so if he says anything to you, just tell him that Mom hasn’t taken me to the eye doctor yet. Oh, and he’s wearing camouflage pants and a tight, long-sleeved shirt. And I could see every muscle. Also, he needs to shave. Normally, facial hair is grody, but everything about him is,” she looked around and lowered her voice, “sexy.”
I didn’t move and forbade any part of my body to give anything away. “You need to say an extra prayer tonight.”
“Pfft. You’re one to talk. You just have poor taste in guys, just like Sarah.”
“Sarah has poor taste in guys?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Yes. She let the good one go.” She shouldered past me into the house, shutting the door without a goodbye.
“I have flawless taste in men,” I mumbled with a grin on my way to the car.
I drove around town listening to music, pulled into the gas station to chat with a few friends, and grabbed dinner at DQ. By eight, I made my way to Kyle’s, parking at the end of the drive behind a patch of trees so my parents couldn’t see my car from our house.
After messing with my hair in the rearview mirror, applying ChapStick, and checking my teeth for food, I popped a Mentos in my mouth and nervously walked toward his house, stopping when I saw something moving.