Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 79183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
MB looks between us. “You need new memories.”
“I have them,” I say.
“No.” She frowns, sucking in her bottom lip and putting her hands on her hips. “You need happy ones between the two of you.”
Silence ensues.
I look down at my shoes.
Did that just fucking rhyme?
I don’t even know what to say.
“We did go fishing that one time.” Quinn pipes up lamely.
I roll my eyes. Like, really, bro? Really? “Yes, and we caught nothing.”
We also got super high, but I leave that part out.
“Bad bait,” we say in unison, causing MB to just laugh and shake her head.
“What?” I reach for her and realize too late that Quinn does the same thing, me for her hand, him to rustle her hair. She frowns between the two of us and starts to laugh.
Quinn leans in and whispers, “She’s lost it. We’ve made her lose it.”
“Her eyes look wild,” I add. “Definitely mad cow disease.”
“I thought she hated beef?”
“Food. She loves all food,” I add. “But yeah, she’s definitely not—“
She grabs my hand, then his, and presses hers between it. I suck in a sharp breath. I’m afraid to look at Quinn. Maybe he’s afraid to look at me.
“It’s okay, you know,” she whispers. “To love lots of things at the same time.” Her eyes shine. “And it’s okay to have a do-over.”
Quinn’s hand shakes as he leans over to me. “Definitely mad cow.”
I nod.
MB laughs. I smile because it sounds so pretty, her laughter, her joy.
“Rules,” she finally says once she’s done laughing. “I’m his girlfriend,” Thank God she’s pointing at me. “And I’m your do-over.” She points at Quinn.
“I’m confused.” Quinn raises his hand.
She grabs it and kisses it, then pulls him in for a kiss and wraps her arms around his neck.
I think we’re both too stunned to move. I’m jealous as hell, then I think about what he went through, what we both went through, and I think that’s the gift the universe deserves to give him.
Damn.
Good.
Just good.
MB is the best of us all, so a mere kiss? Yeah, my best friend deserves to know that love, that tenderness, the feel of her against him, and I can’t believe I’m even smiling, but I am.
He’s been to hell and back—so have I—why not have a small slice of heaven?
MB pulls back and looks over her shoulder at my stunned expression. Then I realize it’s more shock because I’m smiling, and I know he just touched her lips, but those are mine, so I pull her in for a kiss as she releases him.
“New memories, huh?” I pull away, mouth wet. “What did you have in mind?”
“Movie room.” She laughs, and we follow like she’s completely hypnotized us, maybe she has, or maybe she just has the right answer to our problem, the problem that’s separated us for years.
Our shame doesn’t have to stay that way.
“I mean, obviously,” Quinn says behind her, his hands linger around her hips; she leans into him, then into me, and then somehow, we have her sandwiched while I press an open-mouthed kiss to her lips.
I’ve never really thought about it, but opening up to someone, breathing them in, how personal can you really get?
Sex is sex, but kissing, kissing is literally opening up your soul. It’s connecting on a level where you are literally facing someone and saying.
Here I am.
Here you are.
Own me.
Take me.
Love me.
Sex, well, sex, you don’t even need to kiss or make eye contact. It’s animalistic in its basic form for pleasure or to procreate.
But this, this feels—otherworldly.
Her lips are sweet and wet. I taste and devour as my tongue lingers on her lips only to touch hers, test it, remember it.
Quinn groans behind her, and a hand grips mine—his. I grip it right back while I press her against his chest, deepening the kiss.
I pull back. “A do-over.”
“A better one. Let’s be honest… she’s the worst.”
I lock eyes with Quinn, and he nods at me, then looks away. “I know this isn’t like… I mean, I’m just saying no pressure. Clearly, I need to find my own person and—“
“—Don’t be a dick.” I interrupt. “My girlfriends giving us something Tessa never did.”
Quinn swallows. “It’s perfect.”
And I almost laugh because, yeah, us three, totally perfect, in a mess of tangled kisses, do-overs, bad decisions, followed by really fucking good ones.
Ones that feel so good I don’t even know what’s happening even when my best friend’s hand slides by mine, even though I know what he’s doing.
It really is the best.
She moans.
“…but honestly, kiss her again after this, and I’ll kick your ass…” I say as we walk toward the theater room.
He laughs. “Noted.”
“No penetration,” I say under my breath.
“Kill joy,” he whispers.
MB turns and glares at us. “Talking behind my back when it was my brilliant idea to take away your trauma, hmm?”