Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
And now that I see it in Cole Harding, I realize how very far away I was from ever achieving perfection.
All those friends I thought I earned are gone, moved away or lost touch after graduation. Wardrobes go out of style. Hygiene becomes burdensome the more you age. Nothing lasts.
My perfection couldn’t even score me a full date with Bobby Parker. I had to settle for half of one.
What lesson am I supposed to learn from all of this?
“Malcolm?”
I snap out of it. “Sorry. I’m happy with whatever you want to do. You can show me around town some more if you like.”
“I would like,” he admits, smiling with relief.
It’s past sunset when he drops me off at the Strong ranch at six o’clock sharp. We say our goodbyes with a quick hug that, for one panicked second, I mistake for a handshake. With a cover model smile, he says goodbye, and I stand on the porch and watch his shiny car disappear down the long, winding driveway.
Inside the house, things have wound down for the day. All of the helpers went home already. Only Nadine’s housekeeper Jacky-Ann remains in the kitchen, where she is busy cooking up dinner. My father is in the living room with Paul—Mr. Strong—the pair of them talking lively on the couch about taxes, from the sound of it. I steer clear of that boring conversation and inch my way up the stairs unseen and slip into my temporary bedroom, where I close the door to change out of my clothes. Standing by the window in the peace and quiet of the room, in some very comfortable house clothes, I decide to send out another text to my sister to see if she’s around. Fifteen minutes later, she still hasn’t replied.
My eyes land on my red scarf, the one my mom gave me the Christmas before she disappeared from our lives. It’s slung over a cushy reading chair in the corner of the room. From here, I can see its tiny, unraveled wound where it snagged on the tree.
And now I’m thinking about Samuel all over again.
His breath on my neck.
The cute crackle of his voice as he spoke softly behind me.
A knock on my door tells me it’s time for dinner. I decide I’m not going to hear from my sister today. After putting all thoughts of her, the scarf, and Samuel behind me, I head downstairs to eat.
“How did it go today, son?” my father asks after dinner. I tried to help Jacky-Ann clean the dishes, but she shooed me away with a laugh, telling me not to worry. Now my dad and I are relaxing on a fancy swinging bench located on the back porch, though neither of us seem in the mood to keep it swinging.
“How did what go?” I ask, staring off blankly.
He frowns at the side of my face. “Earth to Malcolm. My son. Has he been abducted? Replaced by a funny alien replica with no memory of the past eight hours?”
I roll my eyes. “Dipping into the sci-fi again?”
“I only wish to know who this strange young man sitting next to me is, this man who pretends he didn’t just spend the day with Cole Harding, the most handsome young bachelor in all of Texas.”
My dad will always insist I’m the dramatic one. “I’m surprised Nadine didn’t ask about it at all during dinner.”
“Her mind is preoccupied, of course. She’s about to marry off her youngest. Unless there’s another Strong boy out there none of us know about. Wouldn’t that be funny?” He nudges me with more force than necessary. “So you and Cole had an outing, hmmm …?”
For a moment, I see Cole’s handsome face.
It fades when I think about how the day started: at Biggie’s, with a tension-filled table … and Samuel. My heart crumbles as I watch Samuel leave the diner all over again like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs. I felt terrible. And I also felt mad at him.
I felt so many things all at once, it’s confusing to analyze.
And if I’m being totally honest here, those confusing feelings didn’t go away for the rest of the day, even at the Spruce park by that big beautiful Christmas tree. Even now as I try to answer my father’s question, I find myself thinking about where Samuel went after he left. Did he really have something to do at the clinic? Doubt it. He probably went home to sulk in the company of his fourteen fluffy, allergy-assaulting pets I imagine he has.
There’s something about Samuel that makes it difficult to stay angry at him.
Why do I still feel bad? Was it my fault for inviting him out in the first place? Should I have left him on the front porch and gone with Cole to Biggie’s Bites alone?