Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Once their lecture came to an end, Chloe glanced around, and when she couldn’t spot any of her security guards, any remaining suspicion died.
“The place is packed today,” Elle commented, coming to stand with her as they waited for a table to open.
Both Adalyn’s mouth and stomach groaned. “It’s going to take forever to get a table.”
A big smile on her face, Chloe nodded happily. “Isn’t it great!”
Elle pressed the back of her hand to Chloe’s forehead. “Are you sick?”
“No.” She swatted it away. “I told Lucca my guards were watching me too closely, so he promised to make them give me space.”
“You couldn’t have told him to make an exception for lunch?” Adalyn mumbled.
“No, Chloe is right,” Elle spoke up, taking her side. “I’d rather wait if it makes her more comfortable.”
“I suppose,” Adalyn mumbled even lower this time.
“You can sit here. I’m almost finished,” a girl called out, attracting their attention. Neither Adalyn nor Elle had to be told twice.
“Thank you,” Chloe told her, not recognizing her from any of her classes.
“No biggie. My classes don’t start until twelve, so I always try to get here earlier than the lunch crowd.”
Adalyn nudged her. “I told you we should have taken later classes.”
“You didn’t have to take the morning class with me. You could have taken the later one with Elle.” It was only her and Elle’s schedules that contradicted due to their majors, but hell, at this point, Chloe would have preferred attending the class solo.
“Oh yes, I did. I need to pass, and no offense”—Adalyn looked at Elle—“but they’re not as smart as you. And, in order for me to pass, I need a genius.”
“None taken.” Elle chuckled.
It was Adalyn who finally introduced themselves to the girl who had invited them to share the table. “I’m Adalyn. This is Chloe and Elle.”
“And I’m Lake.” The tall brunette joined them, late as usual. Leave it to Vincent to always make her late.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Gia.” Standing up with her tray to grab the backpack hanging on the chair, she gave them all a hurried smile. “It’s nice to meet you all. See you around.”
Opening her salad, Chloe grimaced at the wilted leaves. “I should have stuck with the yogurt.”
“Lesson learned.” Elle frowned, looking at it. “Stick to what you can see before you order.”
“I will. By the way”—Chloe closed the salad, unable to bring herself to eat it—“don’t expect Professor Miller to be in class today. His TA gave his class this morning.”
“There is a God.” Elle looked upward as she clasped her hands together. “I forgot to do my assignment, so now I can do it during the lecture.”
“Oh gosh, not you, too …” Chloe groaned, seeing that Adalyn was rubbing off on her best friend.
Knowing exactly what she was thinking, Adalyn gave her a pitying look. “Do you ever do anything fun lately?”
Chloe bit her lip, trying to think of the last fun thing she had done. Truthfully, between her bodyguards watching her every move and the wedding planning, she hadn’t had much as of late, so she lied. “I have fun all the time …”
Even Elle gave her a doubting look at that.
“I do.” Lies.
Adalyn popped a fry into her mouth. “Chloe, working in your greenhouse shouldn’t be considered fun at your age.”
Oh, shit, she had forgotten about that. That was fun, right? “Why not, if that’s how I enjoy spending my time?”
“So, you don’t want to come over to mine and Angel’s place to watch a movie tonight?”
“I’ll watch the movie,” Chloe conceded only when Elle nodded her head that she was in, too. “After I do my homework.”
“Hear that, Elle?” Adalyn happily popped another fry into her mouth. “She’s going to watch a movie with us.”
“I’ll bring the popcorn.” There was nothing Elle loved more than a good movie night.
“I’ll bring the candy!” Lake grinned unabashedly at inviting herself over. “We need to ask Kat and Maria, though. We don’t want them to feel left out.”
Chloe resignedly knew when she had been set up. “The more—”
—the merrier, Lucca had to remind himself when he let the village idiot come in. Even though he wanted to kill Vincent every now and again, he only let him enter because one thing was for sure …
There was no fucking way in hell Vincent was One-Shot, and right now, Lucca needed all the help they could get. Even if it was that of an idiot.
As bad as it sounded, the poor thing wasn’t smart enough to even be capable of it, not to mention too vain and busy looking at himself in the mirror to even bother. It was a wonder how he and his stepsister, Adalyn, weren’t biologically related. Because, even though his fiancée would never say it, he knew there was no possible way her friend didn’t drive Chloe up the wall being in class with her every day.