Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“Mmm.” He looks at the menu. “How many guesses do you get?”
“Just the one,” I grin. “Otherwise I’m just handing it to you. If you get it wrong, you can guess again next time.” My phone vibrates in my pocket. It’s Mom. “I’ll be right back.” I step outside to take the call. “Hey Mom, you all right?”
“Oh sure, sure.” She doesn’t sound all right. “I was just going to change my order. Can you get me one of those frozen coffee things with the whipped cream? The ones that might as well be a milkshake?”
“A Frappuccino?”
“Yes!” she says it loudly enough that it startles me. “Yes one of those. Chocolate. All the whipped cream.”
That’s weird. My mom isn’t a junk food person, but she’s been doing a lot. It’s nice that she’s treating herself. “Yeah, I can grab one of those for you. I ran into a friend, so it might be a little while, but I’ll bring it back.”
“Okay,” she says, and it sounds fuzzy. “Have fun.”
The line goes dead and I stare at the phone. That was really weird. But then again, my mom hasn’t been herself for a while now. I suppose I haven’t really considered the possibility of a mid-life crisis, but maybe I should.
A voice comes from behind me. “I know it’s a little cliché, but do you come here often?”
That’s not Edward. “Excuse me?” I turn around, and between me and the door of a coffee shop is a man. A large man, broad and tall. He’s not bad looking, but the expression on his face puts me instantly on edge.
“I don’t know you, but I’d like to.”
I smile, but it’s not a real smile. It’s that smile everyone learns early—pacifying and gentle. Not trying to make him angry. “Um, that’s okay. I’m actually here with someone.”
“I heard,” he says with a feral smile, and takes a step closer. “A friend. Baby, I can be more than a friend.”
He’s invading my space now, and there’s a table behind me. I am not able to step back any further. “I think I’m happy with my current friends, I’d just like to get some coffee.”
“Oh come on,” his voice is wheedling. Begging. “I can rock your world if you just give me a chance. I’m a nice guy. You don’t want to go on a date with a nice guy?” He runs a finger down my arm. “Hell we can skip the date and just head back to my place. I’ll show you what I’m packing.”
“Julia?” Edward’s voice comes from behind the man, and relief like cool water floods my veins. “You all right?”
The man invading my space turns and sees Edward, and they do that thing where they’re sizing each other up. The invader must have fifty pounds on Edward, but with thunder in his eyes. I wouldn’t test him. The invader isn’t that smart. “Who the hell are you?”
Edward doesn’t respond. He just looks at me. “Are you all right?”
I shake my head no at the exact same time as douche says. “Yes, she’s fine, fuck off.”
Finally, Edward looks the man straight in the eye. “I suggest you step away from my girlfriend.”
Douche laughs. “Your girlfriend? I don’t think so, pal.”
“Not that you would have thought to ask me about it,” I say, feeling a lot more confident now that Edward is here.
The man looks back at me. “This guy? Seriously?” He turns towards me fully, completely turning his back on Edward. “Baby, you don’t even know. I can make you feel things he’ll never be able to.” Then he grabs my hand, and everything happens very quickly. Like lightning, Edward is between us, grabbing the man’s wrist and twisting with quick and brutal force. The man goes to his knees with a grunt and he hisses in pain.
“I know you didn’t just put your hands on a woman without permission for the second time in as many minutes, did you?”
If I were on the end of the look he’s giving Edward, I would be losing my shit, but my extremely hot, extremely capable boyfriend doesn’t even seem phased by it. “No, of course not,” The man says.
“Good,” Edward says. “Because if you had, I would have no choice but to break your wrist, and honestly that wasn’t part of my plan when I came to get coffee with my girlfriend. So unless you want to go to the emergency room, when I let your hand go you will stand up and walk away. You talk to her again or try to touch her, all bets are off. Got it?”
The guy looks at me, judging if he’s serious, and I just smirk. “Fine,” he grits out. “Bitch isn’t worth it anyway.”
Edward moves a finger, and the guy suddenly howls in pain before he lets go. “Get the fuck out of here. It’s not broken, but I’d get some ice.”