Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
He came out into the hall wearing his bathing suit and a tank top, a silver necklace shining around his neck. How did he manage to look that good after such a long day of traveling?
“Ready?” I asked, already starting down the hall.
“Let’s go get wet,” Eric said.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the chuckle from escaping. He walked next to me as we traversed the empty hall, following the sounds of splashing and laughter. The house was built in a loose U-shape, with the pool being at the center of the backyard, so it didn’t take us long at all to reach it.
Playing a game of water basketball were my brothers Archie and Matthew, while their respective wife and girlfriend provided their support from the side of the pool, where they lounged on half-submerged chairs. The sun beat down on the smooth stone floor that surrounded the large pool, making me hop my way over so that the soles of my feet didn’t get singed. Eric followed close behind, taking fewer hops because apparently his feet were made out of fire-resistant material.
“Hey, y’all. This is Eric, my boyfriend. Everyone, say hi,” I announced as I got ankle-deep in the water.
Eric waved as the chorus of hellos and welcomes carried through the air. Matthew, the one closest to Eric, stood up and offered a friendly handshake. He was the youngest of the siblings, having only just started college two months ago. He was also likely the most well-adjusted out of all of us. He’d had a long-term girlfriend for a few years now and was set on becoming a doctor, a heart surgeon to be exact. He had the smarts for it, along with the drive; I just worried about how difficult these last couple of months had been on him. I didn’t want him getting caught up in any distractions, especially since our mother’s death gave him plenty of reason to look for those distractions.
“Wanna jump in the game for me?” Matthew said, handing over the bright blue and white basketball over to Eric. “I’ve got to go pee.”
Eric took the ball and fell forward into the water, splashing me in the process. I wiped my face and waded over to an open lounge chair next to Krystine, Matthew’s girlfriend. “Who’s winning?” I asked.
“Definitely not Matt,” Krystine said. “Hopefully he’s got a chance with Eric scoring some points now.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” I said as Eric took a shot that was quickly blocked by an extremely competitive Archie.
“He’s a cutie,” Krystine said in a quieter voice, barely louder than the music that played from the Bose speakers. “Good job. You two are, like, the perfect match.” She lifted her glass in my direction and gave me a wink before taking a chug through her straw.
“Thanks,” I said, as if I’d had some part in making him that good-looking.
As if we’re even together in the first place.
That thought stung like a thorn impaled into my side. I didn’t realize how difficult faking this relationship could potentially be. I wasn’t counting on people commenting about Eric’s looks or how well we fit together. Krystine had barely even seen us interacting, and she was already speaking as if there were wedding bells in the air. At least that meant this relationship wouldn’t be a difficult sell to my family, but what the hell did that mean for us?
“Where’d you two meet?” she asked as she leaned over, letting one hand make lazy circles in the warm water.
Great. One of the first things we’d prepared for. No big deal. “Online.”
Wait… did we say we met online? Crap, I can’t remember.
“Oh, nice. I feel like that’s just the way to do it lately. Who wants to go and have to put up with small talk at some bar that smells like piss and Natty Light? Might as well go through that BS while I’m at home watching Below Deck.”
I laughed at that, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Have you been watching this season?”
“Are you kidding me? Does a yachtie piss on a yacht? Yes. The answer is yes.” She lay back in the chair and took another sip of her drink. Krystine was the only girl Matt had ever brought home, and I could see why. She had a great sense of humor, always looked good, and—probably most importantly—she was a staunch LGBTQ+ ally, always coming out to Pride parades decked out in rainbows from head to toe. It wasn’t always like that with the partners my siblings had brought home. Especially Kendall, who had a flavor for guys steeped in toxic masculinity. And for someone who was already dealing with some heavy shit, toxic guys who couldn’t handle a flirty comment from a drag queen were the last thing she needed.
And now she’s with Mom’s lawyer.