Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“He’s too old for you,” Eve said.
“He’s four years older than me. Isaac is six years older than Sarah.” Gabby was too observant for her own good.
“Then you can marry him in four years,” Eve said, earning matching scowls from Mom and Dad.
But I couldn’t help but snort.
After dinner, I helped with dishes before calling Isaac’s house.
“If you love your dad, you’ll stay here tonight,” Mom said as I dialed the number. She gave me a pleading look before joining my dad in the living room.
“Yes! Stay. Please!” Eve stood behind me, wrapping her arms around me so her lips were at my ear, and she whispered, “I have tequila.”
I giggled. “Isaac’s better than tequila.”
“It’s just one night. Stay and tell me all the ways he’s better.”
Violet answered the phone just as I twisted my head to look at Eve’s hopeful smile.
“Hi. Is Isaac there?”
“He’s in the shower, Sarah. I’ll have him call you.”
“It’s fine. Just tell him I’m staying here, and I’ll call him in the morning.”
“That’s wonderful to hear, sweetie. I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks, bye.”
“Good night.”
“Yay!” Eve clapped her hands. “Let’s walk down to the creek.”
“We’ll get chewed up by mosquitoes,” I said.
“Don’t be such a baby.” She pulled on my arm. “We’re walking to the creek,” she called to our parents.
“I’m going too!” Gabby barreled down the stairs.
“You can’t. It’s just me and Sarah,” Eve said.
Gabby’s lower lip pushed out as she tipped her chin down.
“You can come,” I said, shoving my feet into my shoes.
Eve gave me an undecipherable look, so I grinned and shrugged. As we stepped outside, Gabby skipped ahead of us.
“How are we supposed to drink with her here?” Eve asked.
“Drink what? How were you going to sneak it out of the house?”
“It’s not in the house. It’s buried in a box by the creek,” Eve said.
“Well, I didn’t know.”
“We can give her a sip,” Eve said.
“No,” I said. “She’s fourteen.”
“Almost fifteen,” Eve countered. “One sip.”
“She’ll hold it over your head.” I hopped onto a rock and then jumped off.
“Just the opposite. I’ll hold it over hers.” Eve laughed manically while looping her arm with mine.
When we arrived at the creek, Gabby picked up a rock and threw it into the water. “Are you getting your bottle of alcohol?”
Eve shot me a look.
Gabby glanced over her shoulder at us. “Sometimes I follow you and your friends.”
“You’re such a twerp. Have you told Mom or Dad?”
“Duh. Of course not,” Gabby said.
Behind a fallen tree trunk, Eve dug up her box of alcohol and opened the lid, taking a big swig before passing it to me.
“Did you have sex with Isaac?” Gabby asked.
I choked on the tequila, spitting it out while Eve’s hand flew to her mouth.
“What?” Gabby didn’t crack a smile. “I’m not a baby. And Mom and Dad talked a lot about what they would do if you came home pregnant.”
“Jeez, Gabbs … you’re such a little eavesdropping creep,” Eve mumbled, taking another drink of tequila.
“What did they say they’d do?” I asked, stealing the bottle.
“They said they’d have to get rid of your desk to make room for a crib. Are you going to let me try that?” She eyed the bottle.
“No,” I said.
“Just a sip,” Eve said.
“Eve—” I started to protest.
Eve took the bottle, poured a tiny amount in the cap, and handed it to Gabby. “It’s going to burn your mouth, and you’ll probably choke and spit it out.”
Gabby wrinkled her nose. “Then why do you drink it?”
“Because if you drink enough of it, you feel really relaxed, like you don’t have a care in the world. But we’re not letting you drink enough to feel buzzed.”
Keeping a sour expression, Gabby tipped the cap just enough to let the tequila touch her lips; then she licked them. “Yuck!”
We laughed.
“Gross!” She spat several times before returning to the creek to throw rocks into it.
“Are you pregnant?” Eve asked as we sat on the falling tree trunk.
“No.” I laughed. “We use condoms.”
“And it’s good?” She smirked before tipping the bottle to her lips again.
“So good.” A smile consumed my face.
“Does he go … you know …” she pointed between her legs. “Down there with his mouth?”
I closed my eyes and hummed with a nod. Then I replayed so many conversations I’d had with Heather about sex before I had it with Matt. I knew I would never stop missing Heather, but I had Eve, and she would be the person I called to share things—to make them feel real.
“How does it feel?”
I bit my lower lip.
“That good?”
I nodded.
“Do you have it a lot? Like every day? More than once a day?”
I laughed. Eve was so horny. She was the one our parents needed to be concerned about getting pregnant. When I was her age, my focus wasn't nearly as much on sex.
“Tell me!” she giggled.