Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
She turns her head, and I wait for her to speak, but I’m surprised when I feel her lips touch my chest. I suck in a breath, but she doesn’t stop. She moves and presses her lips to the bullet wound right next to my heart. I know the kiss is meant to soothe me, but it doesn’t. I tense next to her and force myself to move away. “Emerson…”
I start, but when I look at her and see her wide eyes staring back at me, I stop. How do I explain to her that I want her lips on me more than anything else in this world but I can’t? I’d be betraying my friend but also, she deserves more than anything I can offer.
She looks down at her hands that are held tightly together in her lap. “I’m sorry, Kanan. I told you I wasn’t here to throw myself at you, and the first thing I do is try to kiss you again. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking… it won’t happen again.”
I clear my throat. I need to get up and go inside, but if I get up right now, she’s going to know how I react to having her lips on me. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you back to school.”
Her mouth drops. “What? I’m not going back to school.”
“It’s your last year, Em. You need to finish.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and looks out into the night. I pull my T-shirt back over my head and down my torso. She waits until I’m done before she starts talking. “I can take my last few classes online. I’m not going back to Texas. I understand if you don’t want me here, but I have no one, Kanan. The only people I have are you guys… my dad’s family. And you’re all here.”
I jam my hand through my hair. “I can pay for you to finish school.”
She’s shaking her head and looking out into the dark night. “I’m not going back to school until I can pay for it, and when I do, I’ll finish online. I didn’t come here for anyone to give me anything. I can earn my way.”
She gets that from her dad. He was the exact same way, and I respect it. “Fine. Tomorrow, we go find you a job.”
She nods. “And a place to stay.”
The thought of her living in Whiskey Run, away from me, forms knots in my stomach, but I know it’s the best thing for her, so I agree. “And a place to stay.”
She sighs and rests her chin on her raised knee. I want to hold her and tell her everything is going to be okay, but I’m barely resisting her as it is. I stand up and walk to the door I left open when I came out. “You going to be okay out here by yourself?”
She laughs, but it doesn’t sound happy at all. “Yeah, I’m fine, Kanan.”
I turn to leave, but before I go inside, I remind her, “No running, Em.”
She doesn’t look at me; she just nods her head. “I’m not the one running.”
I clench my fists at my sides. I could deny it, but she’s right. I am running, but for the first time in a long time, I’m wondering if maybe I need to stop.
CHAPTER 8
EMERSON
He’s gone. I got up this morning and put on my running clothes, and when I came out to the living room, all evidence that he slept on the couch was gone, and he’s nowhere to be found. I go into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water when I see the note.
Emerson, I had to go into work for a bit. Call me if you need me. Don’t leave. K
I roll my eyes because he’s still trying to tell me what to do. More determined than before, I pull on my sneakers and make my way to the front porch. I take a few minutes to stretch and look around the big pond as I do.
Kanan is on the other side, working on the dock. I lean against the railing to watch him, and even from a distance I can see he’s rubbing his arm. He did that a lot last night, and it kills me to think that he’s living in pain every day.
I walk slowly off the porch, stretch some more when I get to the ground, and then start walking to warm up. I debate whether I’m going to say anything to Kanan when I pass, but I find that I’m not going to have much of a choice.
I know the first second he lays eyes on me. It’s like my body is completely attuned to him because I feel at least ten degrees hotter and flushed. Heck, I haven’t even started running yet, so I know it’s just a pure reaction to him.