Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 131821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Both girls push out their lower lips into a pout, and a grin pulls at my lips.
“Let me know if you need anything. One of us will make you guys some food before we leave.”
“Noah’s not here to work his magic in the kitchen.” Cameron throws herself back dramatically. “So, my sweet Paige, that means all we’re gonna get is canned soup.”
“I can bring it to you cold.”
Cameron gives a fake smile, fluttering her lashes. “Canned soup will be just fine, please and thank you. But if you don’t mind, I’m climbing in bed with the beast. He’s burning up, and I’m freezing.”
Shaking my head, I go to step out, but Cameron pops over to the door, grabbing the frame, so I pause in the doorway.
Her smile is softer now as she looks up at me, whispering, “You okay, Mase?”
Tension tugs at my chest, and I force a nod, but I can feel the frown along my brow dig deeper. “Yeah, I’m good. Perfect. Fine.”
She tips her head slightly, reading the lie on my tongue easily enough. “Sometimes people fight against things because they’re afraid of how they’ll play out.”
For a moment, I’m stuck staring at her, but then I manage to force a laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, girl. Go on. Get in bed with Brady. Feel better, okay?” I think I manage a grin and then softly close the door behind me.
The minute it’s shut, my face falls, and I squeeze my eyes closed.
Get a grip, my man.
Sighing, I head upstairs. I go to enter the room I was moved to, but my hand won’t wrap around the handle. I move past it into the bathroom for a cool shower.
My muscles bunch under the spray, slowly easing with each passing minute. I take a deep breath, trying to block out the stupid thoughts racing through my head.
So Chase bought Payton a soda. Big deal.
I’m sure Ari and the others know her drink of choice, too, just as I know what they like. Sure, I’ve known them for most of my life, but that doesn’t make a difference, right?
Yeah, it’s normal to notice things like that.
What’s not normal is the ghostly color she turned when Ari announced the room changes, since the others got sick on the last half of the drive.
It’s not like she has to share with anyone. She just got moved from the one downstairs she was originally going to stay in to the one upstairs where us boys are, and only so the baby would have less chance of getting sick. Instead of still sleeping close to the sick girls and Brady.
Yeah, that puts her right next to me and Chase, but so what?
Maybe she’s just worried the baby will wake us up?
Chase sleeps like the dead, when he sleeps at all, so I doubt he’ll even notice. He’ll stick to the living room, watching ESPN like he does back at the dorms, only going to his room to sleep.
Me? I’ll be waiting, okay, hoping, to hear that little cry that tells me they’re up. I want to hold him, and I need a minute alone with her.
Might have to yell at her, I don’t know yet, but she’s going to talk to me.
She needs to tell me we’re on the same page.
That she didn’t change her mind.
Shit.
What if she did change her mind?
Wrapping my arms around Ari, I lift and spin her in the air. “How’d you like that, baby sister?” I shout, the hype real and the two beers I had while waiting for Noah to get here warming me up. “Your man just won his team the game!”
“And not one but two touchdowns!” Brady, who says he sweat out his sickness, screams into the air, turning to a group of random strangers walking into the pub, wearing jerseys. “Hey. Number nineteen is my girl’s man. You see him out there?”
The women giggle and walk off, but Brady isn’t deterred, telling everyone in the vicinity Noah Riley is a badass and entirely spoken for.
Noah drops his eyes to the floor at the praise, quickly stepping up and demanding his woman back. The second Ari’s on her feet, he’s got her wrapped in his arms, and I turn away when he bends down to whisper something in her ear.
Love the guy…but she’s still my sister.
As I swing around to face the others—we’re cooped up in the back corner of the only restaurant in walking distance to both the stadium and the rental—a frown pulls at my forehead.
Payton passes Deaton off to Chase, heading toward Brady when he calls her name, and I reach Chase just as the other two curl around the corner.
His eyes pop up, and he leans back slightly, not realizing I was so close as the smile he had pointed at my little man fades. “What’s up?” His brow furrows.