Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“Grandma, I think the easier question would be, what aren’t your current choices?” he says and flashes a smile toward me that looks a hell of a lot like a little brother who is actually proud of his big sister. “Pretty much everyone and everything wants Lexi. Google. Apple. Fucking NASA.”
“Wesley!” my mom exclaims and reaches out to tap him on the back of the head.
“What?” he asks, rubbing at the spot she hit. “I’m just speaking straight facts, Mom.”
“I think your mother is referring to the giant f-bomb you dropped in the middle of the dining room,” Thatcher Kelly retorts on a laugh.
“Wait…NASA?” Ace questions with wide eyes. “Fucking NASA wants you, Lex? Holy shit!”
His mom Cassie sighs. “Sometimes I wonder if it was a good idea to combine and unleash our genes into the world,” she mutters to her husband Thatch.
But Ace ignores his parents completely and stays focused on me. “Are you seriously going to work for NASA, Lex? Like, am I actually going to be able to tell people I know a rocket scientist?”
“Doubtful.” I shake my head. “NASA isn’t at the top of my list.”
“NASA offered you a job, and they’re not at the top of your list?” Ace retorts on a laugh. “What else you got going on?”
Julia laughs at his joke and shoves his shoulder—a normal interaction for the two—but Ace’s gaze jerks to her hand, lingering long after it leaves. Blake was right about him spiraling over his newfound discovery that he’s been obsessed with Julia Brooks his whole life. I’ve known him since I was a kid, and I’ve never seen him like this.
I shrug. “A few things.”
“Technically, it’s a fucking ton of things,” my brother corrects, and everyone in the room chuckles. Well, everyone besides our mom.
Frankly, he’s not wrong. I mean, besides the offers from major corporations to be on their payroll, I have a big medical company that’s offered me eight figures to sell them an app I created that utilizes AI to analyze patient medical data to generate potential health risks, along with important proactive measures that can be taken to improve overall well-being outcomes.
Though, I don’t know if I want to sell it to them. My fear is that they’ll end up employing it in other ways that might include increasing financial strain on patients. Which is the last thing I want to occur.
I’d like to make the world a better place, thank you very much. And in order to do that, I need to help people, not hurt them.
And what about Blake? Was he just collateral damage?
The fact that his name pops into my brain makes my chest grow tight with discomfort. I don’t know why I’m thinking about him, but it’s like my mind hasn’t fully moved on from him. I chalk it up to just needing to adjust to not having his presence in my life.
Surely that takes a little time.
“Okay, that’s enough badgering Lexi,” my grandma announces as she carries a giant buffet-sized tray of spaghetti into the dining room. “It’s time to eat!”
Everyone listens to her demands, most of the women heading into the kitchen to help carry more of the food out into the dining room.
But just before I can sit down at the table, Ace pats my shoulder, a sneaky smile on his lips.
“You’re coming out with us tonight.”
I quirk a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said, Lex. You’re coming out with us tonight to enjoy your last college party.”
I sigh. “I don’t know, Ace. I—”
“Uh-uh,” he cuts me off. “Consider this a metaphor for you passing the torch to me.” He waggles his brows, and I roll my eyes at how he might think he’s being discreet. In fact, he’s so obvious, if anyone in the room were paying attention to us instead of filling their plates with food, they might start asking questions.
“Fine,” I answer, mostly focused on just shutting him up rather than asking him the most likely important questions of what going out entails. For all I know, he’s taking me to some illegal party in someone’s dorm.
Surprise dorm pizza is risky enough, let alone some party with mystery punch in the communal bathroom.
As fast as that thought comes in, I shove it right back out of my head, focusing on Ace instead. “I’ll go, but you have to stop talking about anything related to parties for the rest of the night.”
“You got it.” He pretends to lock his lips and throw away the key.
And I work to mentally prepare myself to let Ace Kelly take me to my last college party.
Pray for me.
“You want anything to drink, babe?” Finn asks Scottie, his voice just barely rising above the din of laughter and music and boozed-up college co-eds who litter the frat house Ace dragged us all to.