Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
I don’t blame them for looking at me and seeing what I came from. Like I said, it was natural and unintentional. They’re incredible people, and they do have love for me. But again.
Memphis was their son, and the problems he found himself in led to the inevitable.
I became the mistake maker, the bad influence, and eventually… the problem. Of course, none of that came without the lies from Memphis.
He got really good at making me the fall guy… because I let him.
He never outright said it was me, but he was really good at insinuations that led to me as the culprit.
“You’ve got no one to disappoint, man. Think about what this’ll do to my mom if she finds out,” he’d say, as if it didn’t pain her to see me fail. It did.
That woman, and her husband both, gave me all they gave to their own blood. They wanted me to succeed, to have a better life, that’s why they took me in. But I understood what he meant, and at the end of the day, it was me who didn’t want to see the pain a fucked-up son could cause in his loving parents. In his doting sister.
The sister he didn’t deserve, who I craved but couldn’t have.
Who I’d never be good enough for, by my, and maybe their, standards.
So, yeah. I let them look at me and worry I could only be what I came from rather than standing tall and showing them all their efforts and time weren’t wasted on me.
I was better because of them.
I did grow under their care.
And I wouldn’t waste the opportunities they offered me.
Back then, though, what I wanted and what they needed didn’t match.
I knew it hurt them to see me make poor choices, but that hurt was nothing compared to the pain they’d have felt if they knew their son was the senseless one.
They would worry themselves sick, and that worry would have trickled down to Davis.
I couldn’t stand the thought of that, so I let him lie and looked his father in the eye, saw the disappointment pointed back at me and listened to every lecture with rapt attention, wishing the only man who acted like a father to me knew I wasn’t the failure he tried to shelter me from.
Of course, as we became adults, their parents were forced to face his lies, but Davis is a different story. I used to think she simply saw the good in people, when really, she was blind to the bad, at least that was the case where Memphis was concerned.
Running my knuckles along her arm, she stirs in her sleep, her lips curving into a small smile, though her eyes don’t open.
I heard the tone in her dad’s voice today, the comments her mom made.
What would they say if they knew what we were doing here?
What are we doing here?
Faking?
Falling?
Faking like we’re not fucking falling?
Who knows.
Who fucking cares?
When it comes to this girl, I’ll take what I can get.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Davis
Call me captivated, or tragically companionless, but it was hard to leave Crew lying in bed today, knowing if I had stayed home, he’d be mine until the evening rolled around and work demanded his devotion.
Had I not confirmed I’d be at Layla’s girls-only luncheon days ago, I might have canceled, but I’m glad I didn’t—time lost with Crew be damned.
“That was literally the best pasta I’ve ever eaten.”
“Right?” Layla laughs, pushing off the pool’s edge and tugging her glasses down over her eyes. “I told you it was killer.”
“Yeah, it’ll kill our stomachs later!” Toni shouts. “That shit has more cream than ice cream.”
“Worth it!” Remy shouts from the patio, where she’s refilling her tumbler with Willie’s latest creation—mint and cucumber seltzer.
Glancing over, I spot a bag of recycling waiting to be smashed and turn to Layla. “People really loved your beer at the festival.”
“They did, didn’t they?” She smiles proudly.
“They were so intrigued with the flavor burst that followed each drink.”
Her face lights up then. “That was the first time we sold out like that. Willie had to fill a handful of water bottles and put them in the ice chest to make sure he had something for you guys to drink that night because we were selling so fast.”
“I really think you guys are going to have a lot of buyers reach out soon.”
“We hope so.” She glances at the other girls, floating on the opposite side of the pool.
“Have you ever thought about maybe keeping it exclusive and opening up your own small brew house?”
Layla’s head snaps my way.
“It’s just,” I rush, hoping I don’t offend her. “Willie has the space rented already, he’s all set up and making magic there, right? You could stick the barbecue you had this weekend out there and serve any of the recipes I’ve tried of yours, or even go taco truck style. If it worked out, maybe you could upgrade to a small food truck a couple years in, but I don’t think you’d have to do that if you didn’t want to.”