Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“That’s a lot of things to like.”
“But it’s not the right time,” I repeated.
“Says who?” Ceecee asked.
“Says me.”
“It’s never the right time,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “You can’t plan falling in love. Look at Lily and Leo—she fell in love with him while he was still hung up on me for fuck’s sake.”
“I’m glad you guys can joke about that now,” I said with a huff.
“It was a million years ago,” Cecilia said easily. “I can’t even remember what he looks like naked.”
“Jesus.”
Cecilia laughed. “No time is a good time to have your life completely upended, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Well, I have to finish school.”
“People have been falling in love in college since colleges were invented,” Cecilia countered.
“And I’m starting a business.”
“Same applies.”
“I can’t shift my focus right now,” I said, shaking my head.
“Back to the business,” Cecilia said, raising her eyebrows. “What business?”
I couldn’t have stopped the smile if I’d tried to. “So, you know the coffee cart where me and Kara work?”
We spent the next two hours talking about my plans for the coffee carts and spitballing ideas about promotion and marketing. My sister was a barber and a damn good one but she’d left her old shop years ago to stay home with the kids. Mark made serious money with his security business stuff but when she’d decided that she wanted to add some extra fun money into their accounts she’d had to get creative drawing in clients. She knew her shit, and some of the ideas she had blew my mind.
“I’m home,” Mark called eventually, coming in the door from the garage. “Where you at?”
“Living room,” Ceecee called cheerfully. “Just in here discussing my baby sister’s new business.”
“I don’t own it yet,” I told Mark as he came into view. “Soon though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Coffee carts,” Cecilia said proudly.
“One cart,” I corrected. “Hopefully more in the future.”
“Very cool,” he told me as he leaned down to give my sister a kiss. He looked at me as he stood back up. “Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll install some security. The shit they have at the place you work is a joke.”
“Noted,” I said with a nod. I looked at Ceecee. “I’m gonna head out.”
“Tell me when you guys are having the housewarming party,” she said. “We’ll come.”
“You bought a house?” Mark asked in surprise.
“Just renting,” I replied.
“She should have a party anyway,” Cecilia told him. “She did move.”
“Never said otherwise,” he replied, raising his hands in surrender as he left the room. “See ya later, Charlie!”
I waved and went to the door to put my shoes on while Ceecee watched me over the back of the couch. “I think you should give him a chance,” she said, laying her cheek on her hand. “Bishop’s a good guy and I haven’t seen you this googly eyed before.”
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “I need to overthink it some more.”
“Us Butler girls are good at that,” she said with a smile.
I opened the door. “Love you! Thanks for lunch.”
“Love you, too,” she said. “Next time you’re bringing me lunch.”
When I got home, the house was surprisingly empty. I didn’t like it. Dropping my bag by the door, I slipped off my shoes and jogged up the stairs. Now that Ceecee had planted the idea, I was beginning to think having everyone over to show off the new place might be fun. If we were going to do that, though, I wanted to have my room completely finished.
As soon as I walked inside, I knew something was different, but it took me a second to realize that it was dark. In the middle of the afternoon. I looked wide eyed at the freshly installed wooden blinds that covered all four windows. Holy shit.
I stood frozen until I heard the front door open.
“Who’s home?” I called as I walked to the top of the stairs.
“Me,” Bishop called back, looking up at me. He lifted a keychain and swung it from side to side. “Draco made me a key.”
“Beauregard Augustus Bishop,” I said, putting my hands on my hips as he started up the stairs. “Did you put blinds on my windows?”
“You like ’em?” he asked, stopping two stairs down from me. “I wasn’t sure what color you’d want—black or brown woulda kept the room darker but white matches the trim so I went with that.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I replied.
“Do you like ’em?” he asked again.
“I love them.”
“Good,” he said, starting toward me again. He gripped my hips and pushed backward until we were both on the landing. “I put mine up, too,” he said, walking toward his room.
I followed him, completely flabbergasted that he’d done something so sweet without even asking and stopped in his doorway.
“You’ve been busy,” I said, looking around the room. What had once been an empty space was now filled with a bed, dresser, and two nightstands.