Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
My suggestion makes Caroline’s eyes widen in horror. “But they–they wouldn’t know where I wanted things to go. And there was a certain vision I had for…” She gives me one last horrified look, then gestures for me to follow her. “I need you to drive me to the harbor. You coming, Andi?” Caroline calls over her shoulder. “You can finish the call in the truck.”
“Um, okay.” Andi glances at me, and I don’t miss the meaning there, even if I don’t understand it.
She trails behind us, one finger in her ear while she occasionally mutters an acknowledgment into the phone. She gets in the back and we make the short drive to the harbor.
“Shit,” Caroline hisses as we pull up on the hill overlooking the ice.
Sure enough, Jake, Liam, Maddox, Carter, and Nolan are all out there decorating. Jake and Liam are literally scratching their heads in front of the partially assembled stage. Jake is holding a drill. He points without as much confidence as you’d like to see from a man holding power tools, then kneels and starts screwing two pieces of wood together.
Carter has a string of lights in his hands, which he’s holding while slowly turning in a circle, as if the correct place to put them is going to jump out and smack him in the face.
Nolan and Maddox are wrestling for some reason while their sneakers slip on the ice. Right as we’re getting out of the car, Maddox whoops in victory and both men spin, smashing down on the ice with Maddox on top. Nolan yells something obscene.
Caroline sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. “Boys!” She shouts.
The guys look up at her.
“What the hell is going on?” she asks.
Carter smiles. “We thought we’d surprise you and just get it done.”
“Get it done?” she asks as we carefully pick our way down the snow-covered slope leading to the ice.
I fall behind and see Andi has ended her phone call. The guys are pleading their case as Caroline lays into them in the background.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hi.” Andi tucks her hair behind her ear, only holding my gaze for a split second before she stares at her feet.
“Sorry,” I say, not really sure where I’m going with this. “About things,” I add stupidly.
“Yeah,” she agrees.
“It has been kind of crazy.” I hear myself talking and I wonder if Andi realizes my words carry almost no meaning. I’m just spinning my wheels while I hope something magically gets traction–only I can’t say if I’m planning to use that traction to pull apart once and for all or to say fuck it and try to get back to her.
“I talked to Landon last night about the job,” she says, finally raising her eyes to meet mine.
I nod and hope she can’t see the way the thought of her talking to him twists my stomach. I can feel her drifting out of my reach and I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do if I want to stop it from happening. It’s maddening. It’s all happening in slow motion, but it feels like my brain isn’t working properly, either. It’s like I’m in a dream, or a nightmare. “That’s good,” I mutter.
Something passes over her face. A twitch, almost, like something jabbed her. “Yeah,” she says, looking at her feet again. “I’m thinking maybe I’ll leave the day after Christmas. His dad says he has a lot of pull with the bridal company, but it’s not unlimited. If I make them wait too long to do the interview, he can’t promise they’ll hold the job.”
“Right,” I say.
“Hey, fucker,” Carter calls. “You two going to play grab-ass all day up there, or are you going to help us?”
“Yeah,” Maddox says. “Your scary sister just yelled at us. We need Jesse down here to be the sacrificial lamb next time we screw up.”
Caroline whacks him with a strand of holly. “Try not screwing up in the first place.”
Maddox flinches away from her. “See?”
I sigh. I’m about to say something else to Andi–maybe apologize for the way I’ve been acting and admit I don’t know what I’m supposed to say about this job. If we wanted to stay together, though, there’s no real reason she couldn’t take the job and we could make things work. When the season started again, I could see her when time allowed between traveling for games. I could spend all offseason in New York. It wouldn’t be that difficult.
I could explain all of that, but I’m worried she’d feel suffocated. Maybe she’d disappear in the morning the way Sarah did because my words would smother her. I don’t know what the hell to do.
I open my mouth, then realize Andi is already walking away down the hill.
I run my hand through my hair in frustration and follow after her.