Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Not that I’ve never seen him without one on. It’s… he has on sneakers, jeans, and a black T-shirt, but something is so different. His thick blond locks are combed back and still damp from his shower. His eyes seem to be brighter.
How am I supposed to forget about him when he looks like this? I barely catch myself from shivering when we enter the elevator, and Trev places his palm on the small of my back, guiding me away from the other people already inside the tight space. I lift my head up when he starts to brush his thumb back and forth against my bare skin.
He seems to be lost in thought as he does it. “Trev,” I whisper.
He looks down at me expectantly, but the chime of the elevator pulls both of our attention. I take the safe route and step off quickly. He pulls a pocket guide from his backpack and flips it open.
I note the scribbles and scrolls around the edges. Right away, I know he’s gotten it from my sister. Brooke loved to daydream while she scribbled. I have tons of songbooks she got a hold of.
“We’ll need to catch a ride. It says we’re eighteen to twenty minutes away,” he says.
“Okay, I can split the cost with you.”
Trev turns his head to me slowly and lifts a brow. “No thanks, I have us covered.”
He places his hand on my back once again, but this time, I’m not ready. I jump from the electrifying current that passes from him to me. I look up at him while chewing on my lip, wondering if he felt that too.
He gives me a weak smile. Instead of asking him not to touch me or asking if he felt that, I duck away shyly and hurry forward. I chide myself.
This is not about you, Lynn. Focus on what you came here for.
The items in my bag feel so heavy with the weight of my thoughts. Pieces of my sister. That’s what I’m here for. So Brooke can leave her mark on the world.
“You all right?” Trev asks as we settle in the back of a cab.
“Yes, just thinking.”
Silence fills the small space and I’m left to my thoughts for a bit. Well, not really. I can feel his gaze on me. Those blue eyes are going to burn through my skin. That is, if his scent doesn’t drive me crazy first. Trev’s cologne has always made me weak in the knees.
He reaches for my chin with his fingertips. “Cakes,” he calls my nickname. “Let’s not make this awkward. You know how I feel about you. I understand why you’ve been pulling away, but…” He cuts off and searches my face.
I’m breathless until he continues. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Yes.” The word is out of my mouth before I can think better of it.
“Don’t shut me out. We’re here… together. I know you feel it too. We have an entire summer to be together to figure this all out. We can do both; be here for Pook and each other,” he says.
When did he get so close? His breath fans my mouth. I allow my tongue to creep out and wet my lips. Suddenly, the gloss doesn’t seem to be doing the job.
A small voice warns me that this is nothing but trouble. I don’t know what I’ll tell my daddy when I get back home. I already know if we do this, I won’t be able to ignore Trev once we return.
Then there’s the guilt. What am I to do with that? I don’t think it’s just going to go away.
“Trev, I—”
Before I can get the sentence out, he crushes his lips to mine. I hesitate for the briefest moment before throwing my arms around his neck and shoving my hands into his hair. Trevor groans and moves a hand into my braids. He tugs my head back and deepens the kiss.
This isn’t like our other kisses. There’s so much passion and heat. Trev is devouring me, and I don’t know how to stop it. Scratch that; I don’t want to stop it, but I should.
My mind grows heavy with confusion. My heart is telling me to go with it. It feels like this is right, but it also feels wrong. My sister is gone because of me and this man.
No, she’s gone because of a drunk driver. Pook would want this for you. Don’t shut him out.
He moves his lips to my neck and places a soft kiss there. “I won’t lose you too,” he says next to my ear. “Say yes, say you’ll give us a try. We can make this time ours as much as we make it Brooke’s.”
His deep voice sends chills through me. When he kisses my neck once again while running a hand down my arm, I know I can’t fight this feeling all summer. I cup his face and brush my thumb over his cheek.