Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
I stared at the cornhole boards that were decorated with Tennessee Titans helmets and held in a sigh. My competitive nature meant I wanted to play, but she’d already said she wasn’t good at it, so beating her would be an empty victory anyway. I really liked playing against a worthy opponent.
I bet Sydney’s good at it.
I clenched my teeth at the thought. It had been a fucking year since I’d last seen her, and still—every time I played a game like darts, or pool, or even bowling, I found myself wondering about her.
Shit, I thought about her way more often than that. It wasn’t just whenever I played a game. Her confession about her crush, and that kiss that had been fucking insane . . . It was so magnetic and unforgettable, I’d been infected with the idea of her ever since.
Part of me hated how good she’d been at kissing.
Mostly because we couldn’t do it again. Like, ever.
Colin hadn’t known I’d kissed her, but he’d seen us walk off together that night at our graduation party, and once I’d come back to the house, he’d cornered me and finally said out loud the rule that had remained unspoken between us for years.
Don’t touch my sister.
Obviously, I didn’t mention what had happened because there was no upside to doing that. If I told Colin his sister had given me the hottest kiss of my life, he’d probably punch me in the face, and I preferred that didn’t happen.
I was a big fan of my face.
My gaze drifted over to Charlotte. She had her phone out and was scrolling through Instagram instead of talking to me. We were strangers, and she didn’t seem the least bit interested in getting to know each other. Shit. Was I going to need to come up with an excuse to bail?
My phone vibrated with a text message, giving me hope until I read the screen.
“Good news,” I forced out. “Our table’s ready.”
We met the hostess inside and followed her through the labyrinth of chairs and tables until she reached an empty spot near the back. The dining room was packed, overcrowded with furniture and guests, and I’d been so busy navigating the tight aisles, I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings. It wasn’t until I put a hand on the back of my chair and glanced around that I noticed the problem.
“Son of a bitch,” I said.
I’d meant to groan it in my head, but the words had burst from my lips, causing both women at the table right beside mine to look up. As soon as the older woman recognized me, her eyes narrowed into slits.
Mrs. Novak had never liked me, even before all the shit that went down with Colin, and honestly—the feeling was mutual.
But the girl across the table from her?
Well, I knew for a fact she had liked me once.
That seemed less likely now, given the shock and dismay that was painted across Sydney’s face. She stared at me like I’d intruded and had no right to be here. Like I’d planned to ambush her by showing up tableside.
Except I felt the same way she did.
Of all the restaurants in town, of course she had picked this one. Now she’d be around to witness what could be one of my worst dates ever. Was the universe trying to punish me?
My grip tightened on the wooden rail of the chairback. I was angry she was here, sitting so close and looking so damn good. Fuck. I’d spent the last year wondering about her, unable to stop thinking about her and our fucking kiss, and it pissed me off how her crush had flipped and become mine.
And I got angry at Colin for telling me she was off-limits, and at Charlotte for the ridiculous reason that she was not Sydney.
But as I always did when I got angry, I pushed it down. I compacted it away and pretended it didn’t exist. I plastered on a smile as I dragged out the chair I had originally intended to sit in and motioned for Charlotte to take a seat.
It would look like I was being a gentleman, but the truth was I wanted to sit on the other side of the table. That way, if my attention slipped to the right, it would go to Sydney. It would land on the good girl who I’d once said couldn’t handle me, but now I was curious to know if that claim was true.
When I dropped down into my seat, she scowled and fixed her gaze forward. If she wanted to pretend I didn’t exist—okay. I deserved that, and I’d do my best to try the same, even if it was fucking doubtful I’d be successful.
I picked up my food menu and scanned the text. “Do you want to split an app?”