Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 91560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Sorry it took me so long to get here. I was trying to figure out what to wear,” I explain after returning her hug. Right now, it seems like I am slightly overdressed. Most of the girls are either walking around in just their bathing suits, or they are wearing shorts with their bikini tops.
“You look gorgeous.” She links an arm with mine before leaning in and whispering, “I need a little help.”
Helping, I can do. It’s a distraction. “With what? Getting drinks out and stuff?”
“Oh, no. This is the first time I’ve ever hosted a party, and I’m totally clueless.” She grimaces almost comically before her eyes go wide. “What if I mess something up? I want everything to go right.”
The level of strain in her voice leaves me feeling a little strained, and suddenly the warm breeze stirring my hair feels chilly. “I thought this was just going to be a casual sort of thing.”
“It is,” she insists, even as more guests pour through the gate separating the backyard from the side of the house. Every new face heightens the tension that’s already settled into my joints. “I just don’t want to mess up.”
“You won’t mess up. There’s nothing to mess up,” I assure her. “Just relax and be yourself.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She makes a face again, this time looking frightened. “Being myself.”
All I can do is tell her the only truth I know. “None of them are worth it. And everybody is just as busy worrying about themselves as you are. I bet they’re not even paying attention to you. Just focus on having fun.”
“Do you really think so?” The hope in her eyes and her voice is touching.
“I know. I grew up around a lot of these people, remember?” I point out. “So it’s all right. Relax, remember the reason you’re here, and that Briggs thinks you’re amazing. Which you are.”
“Okay, you’re going to make me cry.” Impulsively, she throws her arms around me and squeezes, and I find myself wishing I had it in me to truly feel anything. I’m just numb, no matter how I pretend otherwise.
It’s a good thing I’m so numb, really, because the last person I want to see happens to be the one person now walking through the gate and strolling onto the patio. The way he looks around, anybody would guess he owns the place. He’s that arrogant, sure of himself, looking almost bored as he scans his surroundings.
That is, until our eyes meet and his narrow. My already icy insides go even colder in recognition.
“Tucker! Hey!” Briggs spots him from the other side of the pool and lifts his hand in greeting. “I didn’t think you were coming!”
Tucker answers him, but his gaze never wanders from me. “Neither did I, and I’m starting to wish I hadn’t. You’ll let anybody in here nowadays, won’t you?” His nose wrinkles as he looks me up and down, just in case there was any question as to who he’s talking about.
And there I was, thinking I could handle this.
3
TUCKER
Fuck. I can’t go anywhere or do anything without this bitch showing her face. My nose wrinkles when I sniff the air, looking around. “Does anybody smell something bad out here?” I even throw in a few silent gags to get the point across. I know I’m being immature as fuck, but I don’t give a shit when it comes to her. I need her to know how much I hate her.
Maya rolls her eyes and looks away, folding her arms over herself. Like it’s that easy to ignore me. Like I would allow her to. “Wow,” I hear her murmur to Wren. “This is a huge step up, huh? No more drunk roommates or their asshole friends trying to attack you.”
“I’m really lucky.” Wren wraps an arm around Maya’s and practically glows. “Do you want a drink? Maybe something to eat? I made sure there’s lots of snacks.”
She went a little overboard, actually, but I overheard her saying something to Briggs about how much she always wanted to be able to throw a party with food and drinks and stuff. I guess she never had the chance before.
“Maybe you need a beer.” When I’m not looking, Carter presses an icy bottle into my palm. “You look like you wanna rip somebody’s head off.”
Maybe because that’s how I feel as I pop the cap and take a deep swig. Funny how it does nothing to cool the heat spreading through me. Like somebody lit a fire in my chest. The beer is almost painfully cold, but it does nothing to fight it. Why the hell does she have to be here?
“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe…” Carter nods a little as he goes back and forth between a pair of blonde twins standing on the opposite side of the pool. It’s pretty obvious they know he’s looking from the way they keep tossing their hair and giggling, glancing over. “Allie or Alex?”