Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 104501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“That’s something you’d do for a friend, and you are my friend.”
“Yeah.” A secretive smile tugged at my lips. “How’d that ever happen again?”
He chuckled, stepping up to the desk first. He motioned to me. “One lane.”
The attendant asked, “How many games?”
“Reserve three, but my brother sucks. He’ll probably quit after two.”
“I heard that.”
Marcus and Avery came up behind us, and Marcus removed his hand from her back and pretended to pound his brother in the shoulder.
“You’re already starting the shit-talking, huh?”
Caden gave his shoe size to the clerk, then said to his brother, “It’s not shit-talking when it’s the truth.”
The two did the man thing where they hit each other’s biceps while Avery and I stood and grinned at each other. I’d seen her a few hours earlier, so I didn’t feel a hug was necessary, and I eyed Marcus, not sure what to do there. I remained convinced he wasn’t a big fan of me. And sure enough, his grin fell away when he saw me. “You, huh?”
I could get behind that. I bobbed my head. “You too, huh?”
Avery’s laugh squeaked a bit. “Look at us, already off to a great start.”
Caden picked up his bowling shoes. “And there’s my brother, showing off his moody-asshole side once again.” He shook his head as he passed him. “She’s my friend, dipshit. Be nice.”
Caden led the way to our assigned lane and sat down to put his bowling shoes on. The rest of us followed, and Avery went with me to pick out a bowling ball.
I tried a hot pink one, but my thumb would’ve been crushed. I set it back and picked up a yellow one. The finger holes made a smiling face.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Avery said.
“What?” The smiley face ball felt like it was frowning at me. I picked up a purple one and named him Barney.
She reached for the smiling ball. “How Marcus still hates you. It shouldn’t bother me, right?” The smiling ball didn’t work for her either.
I handed her the Barney one. I wasn’t feeling his love. “It would bother me.”
She sighed, sinking her fingers into the ball. “I think he still has feelings for Maggie.”
There was a rainbow-colored one. I had a feeling it might work. “Or do you think it’s just because it still stings? I’m a reminder that he was cheated on. That’s gotta suck.”
Barney didn’t love her either. She waited for my rainbow ball. “If that’s the case, he better get over it. He did the same to me.”
My feeling was right. Rainbow worked for me. “Get your own ball, woman.” I hugged it to my chest.
She laughed. “Are you being a ball hog?”
“When I’ve found my bowling ball soulmate, hell yes.” I turned a nose up at the others. “I had to try many balls before the perfect one came.”
She reached for a white ball with a single pink streak, and my heart did little somersaults. I had a feeling I’d be a ball-cheater. The single pink streak was speaking to me. She fitted her fingers in it and lifted it up. “It’s perfect.” She sighed.
We turned as one, Rainbow and Pink Streak held against our chests, and started back to the guys. They were already warming up.
“Caden’s kinda…” She hesitated. “Overwhelming, isn’t he?”
“What do you mean?” He was a big teddy bear to me now. Well, a hot and delicious teddy bear that wasn’t a teddy bear. He was more of a grizzly bear. No, not even that. What was I thinking? He was a damned panther, but I could hope one day he’d turn into a teddy bear. Much safer.
We stopped a few lanes down from them and watched. Neither seemed to notice us, but I knew that wasn’t true. Caden knew we were staring; he just didn’t care. He did what he wanted, no matter the audience. He didn’t give a damn.
He was raw power, the kind that was primal, rippling over everyone in a room, overtaking them. Avery loved Marcus, I could tell, but she wasn’t immune to the effect Caden had on people. It just seeped into your pores, lining your lungs as you breathed. It wasn’t a conscious manipulation. He wasn’t purposely affecting everyone with his presence, he just did.
“Picture him wearing only underwear,” I suggested. “It offsets him a little bit.”
Her eyes widened.
“Grandpa underwear,” I added.
Her eyes went back to normal, and she shook her head. “It doesn’t work. He’s Marcus’ brother too. That adds to the intimidation factor.”
I tried to look at him from her perspective—someone getting back together with his brother—and she was right. Caden was downright scary.
I flashed her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”
“It’ll be fine.” She switched Pink Streak to her side. “Besides, it might not work out with Marcus. It didn’t before.”
“Because of him.” I’m not even sure he’s good enough for you, Av. I didn’t say those words. She already loved him.