Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Aunt Sherry said, “Well, when you do find someone, make sure she’s like our Molly here. From what I hear, you’re hardly ever even home anymore, Sammy. Even when Molly’s at work, you’re out at her place.”
The conversation shifted off Jasper and onto me and Molly. We faked it like we always did, laughing and holding hands and pretending we were in love.
It had never twisted my stomach before. Had never made me feel so sad or as much of a fraud as it did tonight.
I wanted it to be Emerson beside me. I wanted the whole damn world to know he was my man and I never planned to let him go.
It wasn’t until we were home at Molly’s, sitting on the couch together, a movie on the TV like we’d done so often in the past, when she asked, “It’s different now, isn’t it? Lying about us.”
There was no point in fibbing. She would know. “Yep.”
“Because you’re in love with him?”
“Yep. That’s most of it. The rest is just… Fuck, Molls. Why should I have to pretend to be someone I’m not? Why the hell does it matter who I’m attracted to? I just… I want the people in my life to know that part of me. And I wanna be with Em so bad, I ache with it. I don’t think I can handle losing him now.”
“Maybe you won’t.” That was nice of her to say even though she didn’t trust him.
“Maybe.” I just wished I believed it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Emerson
“People are looking at us. Why are they looking at us?” Charles asked as we made our way through the hardware store. I had a few things I needed to pick up to work on the fence again. I was also out of weed killer and had to grab some stuff for my garden.
“You get used to it. Today it’s worse because they’re wondering who you are.” I continued down the aisle.
Charles leaned in closer. “I don’t want to get used to it. This is weird. I feel like I’m in a Stephen King movie.”
I chuckled. Charles could be a drama queen, but there were times I could be as well. It was one of the things we had in common. “I’ve spent years here and haven’t been eaten by a clown, so you’re fine.”
“Nope. You’re not a kid, that’s why you’re safe from him. It would be…what would it be? He writes some weird-ass shit. Something but not the clown.”
We both laughed, drawing the attention of an older woman, whose gaze darted back and forth between Charles and me.
I was surprised when she reached over and patted my hand. “It’s good to see you smile, Emerson.” She walked off without another word, and I stood there dumbfounded, trying to figure out what just happened.
“You know her?” Charles asked.
“Nope. Not that I know of, at least. Clearly, I’ve seen her around and she knows me.”
Charles frowned. “Small towns are strange.”
They were, but…they also weren’t. That had been nice of her, even if it was odd, and she was right. She said it was good to see me smile, and it was good to smile with Charles again. I hadn’t let myself do that in a long time. I hadn’t smiled in so long that my face nearly forgot how to do it, until Sam came into my life. Now it was bleeding into this moment with my friend.
“Thank you,” I told him.
“For what?”
“Everything. Defending me. Coming.”
“Even if I ruined your sex-filled weekend with your boyfriend?”
“I have to admit that’s hard to forgive you for.”
We finished picking up the things I needed and then headed out. Last night was still fresh in my head—Daniel, the dream, Sam. I was raw like always after nightmares, but somehow the tenderness was lessened, the throb duller, the sting less sharp, as if for the first time in years, I was healing.
“I’ll order some dinner,” I told him once we were back in the car.
“Sounds good to me.”
I did, and then we made our way to Iris’s. I’d just parked when my phone buzzed with a text. As ridiculous as it was, my chest immediately radiated with heat. I knew without looking it would be Sam.
“Jesus, you should see the look on your face right now. You’re head over heels with him, and we’re going to talk about it. Don’t think we’re not. I’ll go grab our dinner. You answer your man.”
I gave Charles the finger as he got out of the car and laughed.
Sam: What does a vegetarian zombie eat?
Me: What?
Sam: GRRRAAAAAIIINS!
I smiled.
Me: You’re a dork.
Sam: I know.
Me: How’s it going?
Sam: Feels weird that it’s Saturday and I just finished dinner with them and not you. You got my feelings all tangled up, and I don’t want to untie them. Not if it’s you at the center. I know that’s not what you meant, but it’s how I feel.