Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“This is true. That’s part of my delight.”
“And is the joy when you sent him a photo of the new coding system you made, in which you implied that you could erase who he is with one click if he hurts me?”
I think this over. “Sure. He needs to know.”
“Did you do this to Shelli or Ally?”
I give her a wide grin. “No, ’cause I don’t want them to see me coming.”
“Emery! You look like a damn serial killer!” I know she says it to make me laugh, but I haven’t laughed in a while.
Two weeks, to be exact.
When I don’t laugh, she eyes me and then leans in, holding my hair at the base of my head. “What’s going on, Em? Is it Quinn?”
I look down at my hands and shrug. “He’s so dumb.”
Her breath is warm against my skin as she asks, “Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head, hitting her cheek with mine. “No. I ghosted him.”
“Why?”
I wring my fingers, squeezing them as I exhale hard. “It’s stupid,” I say, feeling dumb. “Or, I’m stupid. I don’t know. We’ve been hooking up for a while now, like over a year. But I truly thought it was just that. Mindless, awesome sex, but remember when Craig, from my coding class, and I came into the restaurant a couple weeks ago?”
“Tall, lanky kid?”
“Yeah. Well, like, I kinda felt…I guess, guilty ’cause I accepted his invite. But then, I’m not with Quinn. Yes, we hang out a lot, but it isn’t like we are saying I love you or making plans or anything like that. I mean, I don’t want that.”
“True. Plus, you’re both very busy.”
“Exactly. I truly thought it was just booty calls to blow off steam. We have a lot of fun…” I start, but then I trail off because I miss his body. When I say we had fun, we had fun. He doesn’t know he was my first, but I know I was his, and I’ve enjoyed learning things with him. He’s so caring, and God, I’d love to have one more time. Just one.
“But it was more to him?” she asks, pulling me from all my dirty memories.
I shrug. “I guess, because he was there when Craig and I walked in. I didn’t know. But then he sent me a text, and we had a fight, and that’s when I realized that it was. I got scared, so I ghosted him.”
Stella holds my gaze. “Emery.” Just my name has me so guilt-ridden. “We’ve known him forever. You should have done better than that.”
I swallow hard. “I know, but…” But what? I don’t know. I don’t understand what I am feeling or even what I am thinking.
I am on the brink of launching my invention to different precincts. I just signed a contract to mass-produce my device for all across America, and it’s my goal to continue my work by viewing the footage to help catch the bad guys. To see things the cops don’t see and to help. I don’t want to be a stiff in an office; I want to be behind the camera. Add in the fact that I’m in college, too, and it would be ridiculous for me to think I can have a relationship. Especially with someone who is starting his clinicals. A relationship isn’t even what I want. I haven’t traveled, and I’m not ready to be strapped to one person like my parents and my siblings are.
And that’s exactly what would happen.
I’d be strapped to Quinn. I’d fall for him, and I’d be his for the rest of my life.
“I’m not ready for that.” I look up at my sister. “He would be my Wes.”
Stella’s face changes as she moves her hand up my arm before continuing to braid. “Did you tell him that?”
“No. I didn’t tell him anything. I just stopped talking to him.”
“Emery, you know he’s downstairs.”
“I know. I’m hoping he’ll just stay away from me.”
She scoffs. “Maybe if you growl at him, he will.”
I shake my head. “He isn’t scared of me.”
“Ah. So he is dumb.”
I smile, which feels good as she pats my back. “You need to talk to him. Be honest.”
I shrug. “I’d rather not.”
She squeezes my shoulder. “I know.” She kisses the top of my head before getting off the bed. “But you would kill him if he ghosted you.”
She isn’t wrong, and I hate that. “I missed you before this.”
She winks at me. “I miss you more, sis.”
Stella walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. I look in the mirror, taking in my beautifully braided hair and my tired expression. I’ve lost sleep over Quinn, and I know it’s because what Stella said is right. I need to speak to him and give him some closure, but I don’t want closure. I selfishly want to leave the door wide open for the future, but that’s not fair. Quinn is a gem, and any girl would be lucky to be on the receiving end of his love. A girl who is ready.