Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 120176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
“Like what?” I looked up to see him now.
Man, oh man. His hair was messed up, and I frowned. “Didn’t you shower?”
He laughed, but in a whoosh, he stood up, lifting me with him. He held me for a moment until I got my bearings, then set me down. He smoothed my hair down once more, his eyes all serious, and he held up a hand. “I’d like to be the one to call your dad about your mom’s latest thing. I can tell him about the blogger, and exactly the channels we have to go through to get her stuff removed.”
“He’s going to know you’re my boyfriend.”
He grinned, slowly. “Is that a bad thing?”
I swallowed over a knot. “Uh, that’s meeting the parents. That’s a big thing. A big commitment deal.”
“I think it’ll be fine.”
“What are some of the other things you mentioned?”
“I need to let some people know that I found you and that you’re okay. A whole bunch of people were looking for you.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t–I didn’t mean for that to happen, for them to worry about me.”
He traced a tender hand down the side of my face, smoothing my hair down again, and drew me back to his chest. “I know, but despite your efforts to keep people at bay, you’ve failed horribly, and people care. I also don’t think you need to worry about people judging you about your mom.”
I started to shrug, but he stopped me, his hand resting on my shoulder.
He added, “I mean it. You have people, and some are louder than others. It’ll get blasted that the whole interview was a setup. Your mom’s truth doesn’t need to come out, but we’ll change the narrative. Let me do that for you.”
I’d had my dad in my corner, as much as he could be, as much as I would let him when I was a kid and when she had custody over me. Then I had a nurse from Fallen Crest and a cop. Now I had Cruz.
A softness came over me. “Yes. I’d really, really, really like that.”
“Good.” He leaned down, his lips finding mine. He was kissing me tenderly, delicately, gently.
“Gotta warn you also, we’ve had an audience the whole time.” He indicated the door.
Atwater and Barclay were there, both grinning and both waving.
Atwater said, “Heya, Mara. The tear-stricken look agrees with you. You can cry more around us, you know.”
I shook my head. “Shut up.” Atwater enveloped me in a big hug right away, lifting me off my feet.
Barclay was next, and he added, more quieter during our hug, “We got your back. Angela has your back. All your friends have your back. I’m sure your boy told you, but it’s going to be okay.”
He let me go, and Cruz stepped up, his arm going around my shoulders.
Maybe it would.
50
CRUZ
There was something interesting about a kid who threw a party for the rival hockey team, who stomped his team, at his fraternity and that the party was overflowing to the street. But that’s what Zeke Allen did. Once we let him know Mara was found, and okay, and being taken care of, he promptly said he was back to party hosting duties. We were given instructions and a timeframe when to show up, and well; we did. Most of the hockey team came with us, but that’d been after we took her to the hotel, got into our room, and she had a moment with her roommates.
I told Barclay and Atwater enough about her mom’s situation where they understood there was some serious “other” shit involved. They, in turn, took it upon themselves to start spreading the word that whatever that blogger wrote, she didn’t know shit about anything. Atwater knew a few of the bigger gossips from school, and he got on the phone asap with them. When we got to the party, I wasn’t surprised to see that some were studying Mara differently, more curious and less judgy.
It was working.
“She okay?” Zeke found me in the kitchen. I’d been watching Mara through the patio windows, to where she was sitting with some of her roommates. Tasmin and her whole group were also out there.
I gave him a nod. “She is.”
“Everything handled about the mom?”
I gave him a sharper look. “You’re aware?”
He nodded, folding his arms over his chest. “Came out earlier. Mara kept quiet about her mom almost our whole lives. I remember weird shit when we were in elementary school, but what kid remembers stuff from before fifth grade? You know? But yeah. It got out among our group back in January. The ones who care have let her know.”
I gave a slow nod. That said a lot right there. “Thank you.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “No way. I mean, you’re part of the reason she’s even letting us as close as we’ve gotten. She didn’t let us in last year. Though, I have to admit that I’ve changed a lot over the summer and fall. I don’t take my relationships for granted anymore. Daniels, she’s a good one. She’s sweet inside even when she wants the world to think she’s a bitch.”