Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
She asks how school is, how Donovan is, how the law school applications are going, and I tell her about us breaking up, leaving out the hurtful things he said about me and them. Maybe I’ll tell them someday. They still feel guilty about Bryson, extremely, and I don’t want to dig that up.
She gives her condolences about everything. “You’ll do great things someday, sunshine,” she tells me. “What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create. A jug fills drop by drop.”
I smile. “Buddha.”
She laughs, and I sigh at the sound. I. Miss. Them.
My mom is forty-five, beautiful and leggy with long jet-black hair and a vivaciousness that sucks you in. My dad is tall and handsome, older, with a craggy face and a shy smile. He fell for her in college when he was her art professor. Sucked into her orbit, she coaxed him into leaving his job and living a bohemian lifestyle.
“We decided to come home for the holidays,” Dad tells me when he gets on. “Can we see you?”
Oh! The last time we spoke, they didn’t have the money.
“I-I didn’t think I’d see you. I actually made plans.” I briefly catch them up about the ski trip then Ellijay with Lila and Colette.
“Your mom’s jewelry is selling like crazy in the boutiques, and I sold a big painting this weekend, a few thousand bucks, so we have extra cash. We don’t want to intrude on your plans with your friends, but it would be perfect to see you since school is out. We miss you, and it’s time to connect. Think you can work us in, sunshine?”
I need to see them. Maybe they can help me figure out a plan for the fall.
“Of course! Lila and Colette would totally understand. They invited me because I didn’t have plans. I hate to miss the ski trip, but… Where were you thinking of staying?”
“We can work around the ski trip. We have access to a beach house in Malibu. There’s also a place on Nantucket someone offered. Or we could go to the houseboat in Seattle. It’s vacant. You decide. You know we’re easy.”
They are.
An idea hits. “How about my apartment? I don’t have the money to fly to you.” I spent my savings on the ski trip. “You’ve never seen it and my roommates won’t be there, so we’ll have the place to ourselves, and then there’s June…” I go into an explanation about her.
“Tell me about this grandma,” Mom says as she gets back on the phone. I laugh and repeat everything. She listens intently, offering suggestions on how to help her. It’s not anything I haven’t tried, but I appreciate her interest.
“Um, I actually need to go. I have a date,” I say later as I check the time.
“What? Already? Which is good! Who?” Mom asks.
“Long story. I’ll be back from the ski trip on the 22nd, so if you could fly into Atlanta that day or after, that would be great. Just text me when you book your flight, and I’ll pick you up.”
They tell me they love me and will see me soon. Clicking off with them, I pull back onto the road, my mind already focused on River.
On our date.
I smile at nothing, then laugh out loud.
There’s something real between us…
The question is, what am I willing to do about it?
19
She’s ten minutes late and I’m antsy, twitching, fiddling with the menu and tapping the tabletop.
My pulse spikes as I see her pull into the lot. From inside Paulo’s, I watch as she parks her car next to my truck, gets out, and dashes for the door. She breezes in and stops at the hostess stand, and I take the few seconds to take her in. Her hair is down and shines under the lights, her face bare of makeup, her lips a deep red. She’s wearing black leggings, royal blue high-top Chucks, and a pale blue sweater, cropped. That one slice of skin is enough to make my hands clench, to picture my fingers encircling her waist and—
She turns and sees me, and I start.
Must. Not. Lust. For. My. Friend’s. Ex.
She smiles the entire way to the table I got for us in the back. The place is packed tonight, and there’s a band playing on the small stage several feet away. Country music. Not something I listen to a lot, but it fits the ramshackle bar. I scanned the place when I came in. Mostly older crowd. No one from Braxton.
Who cares? the voice in my head says. She’s not with him anymore.
Yet…
It does matter. It’s been four days since they broke up. What kind of friend and frat brother would I be to move in on her? A shitty one.
I stand when she reaches the table and catch my reflection in the mirror. There’s a stupid smile on my face and shit, shit, shit. I shut it down as I pull out the chair across from me.