Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
“Hey!” I barely recognize Andrew, another one of the kids we hung out with back in the day. He was always the smallest of the group, but he’s grown more than a foot and put on a lot of muscle between then and now. Before I can register what he's doing, he throws his arms around me and even lifts my feet off the ground. Tatum’s choked laughter is no help.
“Hey, man. It's good to see you.” He sets me down and gives me a playful shove. “Where the fuck have you been? We thought you were dead!”
“No, I'm alive.” And that's all I'm going to say because that's all anybody needs to know. Looking around, I recognize the many faces and can't help wondering if this is where I would have ended up: getting drunk at the lake, chain-smoking, fucking around with people I’ve known my entire life. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and they all seem cheerful and happy, but I know now that there's so much more in the world. This world seems so small in comparison.
One of the girls comes over and gives Tatum a little wave. She’s a cute little redhead I vaguely remember–I’m sure she caught my eye when we were kids, but she couldn’t have made much of an impression if I’m left searching for her name. “Hi. I'm Chloe,” she announces after giving me an appraising look. Probably sizing me up the way I’m doing to her and trying to pair the past up with the present.
Tatum has no such thing to think about, instead offering a bright smile. “I'm Tatum.”
“Do you want a beer?” She nods happily, and they head for one of the coolers. Well, it didn't take long for her to warm up. Chloe introduces her to Brian, who jerks his chin in greeting when our eyes meet across the campfire. We were never close, but he always hung around on the periphery. The way they look at each other tells me they’re a couple.
“You want a drink?” Dex holds out a fresh bottle of beer, but I shake my head.
“Just water for me. I've got the bike out for the first time in forever, so I want to stay clear-headed.”
“Hey! There you are!” Austin emerges from one of the tents and drapes an arm around Tatum's waist on approaching her from behind. I watch closely, pretending to listen to Dex talking about God only knows what. Torn between wanting to lunge in and protect her but hanging back because she needs to handle this herself.
She flinches, but no more than a person normally would when surprised. When she recognizes him, she smiles and leans in a little in a brief moment of friendly nearness, and he's smart enough to drop his arm when she pulls away.
“I had my first motorcycle ride today!” she tells him. A smile lights up her face until she’s glowing brighter than the fire and, I swear to God, I would give anything to make her smile like that all the time. No self-consciousness, no fear, no ugly memories rearing up to slap her down and make her feel so low and small.
“I could take you for a ride sometime,” he offers with a grin that can only mean trouble.
It's not until Dex nudges me and laughs that I realize I'm staring daggers across the fire. “You said it was complicated, right?” he asks, reminding me of our dinner and how reluctant I was to open up about her. Reluctant and, let's face it, unable.
I don't answer, instead asking, “You guys come here a lot?” I have to ignore it. This is none of my business. She doesn’t belong to me and, hell, she’s enjoying herself for once. I’d be an unforgivable prick if I got in the middle of it.
“We try to hang out a couple times a month. This is probably one of the last times it'll be warm enough to come out here and camp overnight, so we figured we would take advantage.”
“Cool. It's good you’re all still hanging out.”
“You are more than welcome to join us anytime you want.” I settle for nodding and giving him what I hope passes for a grin. All the while, I have one eye on her. She and Chloe giggle together like they've known each other forever, and if that was as far as things go, I would be glad for her.
If only it wasn't for Austin, who hands her a second beer once she drains her first. She takes it, smiling, and turns back to Chloe while he continues staring at her. Something bitter and dangerous churns in my gut, growing larger and more corrosive the longer I watch. This is her life. It's up to her what she decides to do. I have no business caring.