Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
I shot him a grin, but I knew it was distracted, and I hit re-dial.
It went straight to voicemail.
Something was wrong. I felt it in my gut.
“Can you do me a favor?”
Blaise took a step backward. “Now I’m even more alarmed. You look concerned, and I swear, the last time I saw this look on your face was when you thought I was going to do something to land both of us in prison.”
I grunted.
My best friend was smart and had hawk-like observation. He’d already deduced someone on the phone was important to me, and he’d know within one phone call who it was. That could blow me up or Ava up, and I didn’t know if she wanted that. We’d had sex once. The next morning, her life had shattered and well… Why the fuck was I still standing here?
“I gotta go.”
“About time you make that decision.”
I ignored him, looking for my wallet and keys. We’d just started drinking, so I was still good to drive. “That was…uh—” Where were my keys?
I heard them jangling as Blaise held them up in the air. He dropped his act, getting all serious. “I know who that was. I know what’s been happening in her life, and yeah, you dumbfuck, get your ass over there.” He tossed them my way and I caught them, but I half-glared at him.
I started for the door.
“Zeke.”
I turned back.
He said, a somewhat sad smile on his face, “People care about her.”
I reached for the doorknob, and my hand squeezed it tight. “She doesn’t think anyone cares about her.”
“Then you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
Damn. I loved him for a reason. “Thanks, man.” I’d never told him about Ava, but he knew somehow.
He took a long pull from his beer. “Go. No. Wait. Hold up.”
“What?” I half-snarled.
He smirked, laughing. “People care about you too, dumbshit.”
I snorted. “Love you, man.”
“Love you too.”
I was out of there after that.
12
AVA
I was in the bath when I heard an abrupt knocking, then shouting, then a crash, then a stampede as someone was running in my apartment. I gasped, starting to jump up just as the footsteps arrived at the bathroom. The door flung open, and Zeke was there, his eyes wild and panicked.
We both stopped in shock, but I remembered I was almost standing up, in my bath, and I was naked. Yes, we’d had sex, but that was in the throes of hotness. Me in the bath, not so much hotness happening here.
I dropped back down, thankful for going crazy with the bubbles, and scowled at him. “What are you doing here? Did you kick in my door?”
“Uh yeah. I owe you a door, but it’s okay for now.” He was scanning the room, raking a hand through his hair. He didn’t answer right away.
“What are you looking for?”
“Booze. I don’t know.” Not seeing any, his eyes jerked back to me. The wildness had not dissipated. “Are you okay?”
“Yes! I’m in the bathtub.” I was seething, embarrassed, and happy he came over. How messed up was I? “What are you doing here?”
He stepped inside, moving to sit on the closed toilet. He leaned forward, but he wasn’t watching me. I could relax a little, moving farther back. He said, “You never text me or call.”
I bit down on my bottom lip. Why was my heart skipping a little here? “That’s fine. I was…” Terrified. Feeling crazy. “Bored.”
His eyes shot to mine and narrowed. “You’re lying.”
I looked away.
“Look.” I could hear him shifting so he could see me more fully. “Blaise is in town. That’s the only reason I didn’t race over immediately, but you sent that one text, and I was already here. If that makes sense?”
It had me feeling a certain way. A good way.
I moved the water around a little. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your bromance time with Blaise DeVroe. I know how much you love him.”
I risked a look and saw the slight grin on his face. His eyes were firmly trained on where my breasts were located under the water. I sank a little lower, and his gaze jumped back to my face. His grin just widened. “He told me to get my ass over here.”
I almost hiccupped. “What?”
“Huh?” His gaze went back to my boobs.
“Zeke!”
“Yeah?” His gaze never moved.
“Your best friend knows about you and me?” And also, what did he know? Thinking on it, what was there even to know?
“I guess. Screw it.” He stood, taking out his phone, his wallet, and his keys. He put them all on the bathroom counter. His shoes and socks were next.
“What are you doing?”
“That’s a big tub.” His pants came off.
“Zeke!”
His shirt, and whooooooaaaaa… Zeke worked out. Zeke worked out a lot. He was fully muscled, and his stomach was all sorts of hard. I had not fully appreciated his physique during the one time we had sex or the hugs or even the cuddling we did that night. My mouth was salivating because I was all sorts of appreciating it now.