Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Kiss.
For the first time since Garrett’s video had dropped, I felt my stomach tighten for a completely different reason. No longer was I concerned over what some idiots on the Internet were saying about my album.
Now, I could only focus on the fact that I was going to kiss Aleks Suter.
Aleks Suter. My best friend. My teenage dream. The one I’d wanted for so long.
His lips were going to touch mine.
And he was making jokes about it.
Getting to kiss the world’s biggest pop star…
As if I hadn’t already tried to kiss him once before.
As if he hadn’t rejected me when I did.
Of course, I wasn’t a pop star then. I was just the awkward teenage girl who slept down the hall from him. Was it different now that I had some sort of status?
I knew it wasn’t, knew Aleks wasn’t like that even as the thought crossed my mind.
But for some reason, I wished he was.
I wished he actually wanted to kiss me, even if it was just to use me for whatever he wanted.
I must have been wearing all the stress and anxiety of the day on my face because when we made it to the bedroom I’d be staying in, Aleks frowned as he dropped my bag on one of the chairs.
It was the master suite, a stunning, too-large-for-one-person room with marble floors, a plush, king-size bed, a stylish sitting area, and doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the beach.
“Hey,” he said, brows folding over his dark brown eyes. “You okay?”
“Oh, just peachy,” I answered flatly, slumping down onto the bed with my eyes on the blue water outside the windows.
Aleks was quiet for a long moment before he carefully sat next to me, leaving room between us.
“We don’t have to do this, you know.”
I chuffed a laugh. “Backing out on me already, Suter?”
“You know I never go back on my word. Haven’t I proved that with my angelic behavior lately?” He held up his nearly empty beer. “Haven’t had more than two a day since you threatened me from the safety of your bathtub.”
“You’ve managed not to get in a bar fight or have cuffs around your wrists for a whole two weeks,” I said. “Please don’t expect me to throw you a parade.”
“You could at least give me an ‘atta boy’.”
“Your head is already too big. I’m surprised you can carry it even with shoulders as muscular as yours.”
“You like my muscles, Strings?”
I rolled my eyes extra hard that time, enough that my eyelids fluttered as I let out an annoyed scoff that just made Aleks laugh.
“I’m not backing out of anything,” he said, nudging me. “Just wondering why you look like someone stole your guitar and started playing out of tune.”
“Well, I do have to kiss you,” I reminded him. “That’s enough to make any sane girl turn green.”
“Ouch. Guess I’m less appealing to you when you’re sober, eh?”
I smirked a little at the reference to our past, which somehow lightened the mood. He was right to laugh about it. As much as my stupid heart liked to overreact and latch onto that moment of rejection when I was seventeen, it didn’t have to be a big deal.
We were young. I was drunk and stupid. It wasn’t anything to hang onto.
But at the same time, it had been a very deep line drawn in the sand for me.
It had been the staunch realization that Aleks didn’t see me as more than a friend — and that he never would.
No, I wasn’t the girl who got a guy like Aleks. I was the girl who appealed to the slimy, controlling narcissists like Austin, apparently. I was the one whom golden boys wanted to tame and tote around on their arm like a trophy.
“I’m just a little tired,” I said. “We’ve been doing so much getting ready for the album release, and we still have so much to do for the tour… you know how that is. I’m sure you’ll be just as busy and tired when the season starts up again.” I rubbed my palms over my thighs. “It’ll be fine, though. I’ll be fine.”
Aleks narrowed his eyes a bit like he didn’t believe me, but before he could say anything more, Marci swung into the room.
“Ah! There you two are. Okay, I have our location picked out. Isabella dropped the hint to some local shutterbugs who are no doubt already on their way. I told James and Hunter to not let them too close, but to also make sure they had a good shot.” She paused, shaking her head. “This is so weird. Usually, we’re doing everything we can to keep these punks away from you.”
“Well, if it’ll get the attention off Garrett the Ferret, it’ll be worth it,” I said, standing. “Tell us what to do, Coach.”