Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“Give him some time,” Ridley said, drawing my attention away from Apple’s tail lights.
I looked over at my brother, and then I gave him the time he needed.
***
The first day I saw him, once we’d gotten back, was at a birthday party.
He was working the keg, as well as the grill, and he was laughing and joking around with Mig and Annie like he’d not just ripped my heart out.
Not intentionally, I was sure.
But he’d done it, nonetheless.
No, he hadn’t said anything mean to me.
What he had done, though, was look through me as if I didn’t exist.
And when I tried to talk to him about what had happened, he looked at me, let me explain that I didn’t judge him, and then walked away without another word.
So I was wondering what I was doing here.
I’d hoped by giving him a week to cool down and to think about what had happened, he’d be able to think rationally about this, and us.
But I was wrong.
It was exceptionally apparent that he wanted nothing to do with me, especially when he wrapped his arm around some girl that I’d never seen before.
He laughed at something she said and then leaned his head down to whisper something in her ear.
And that was enough for me.
Dropping my drink into the trash still-full, I walked out the back door and around the side of the house.
I’d have gone out the front, but that was where the party was being held since it had a bigger lawn than the back.
And there was a bounce house. For the adults.
So yes, they needed the room.
But it also meant I wouldn’t be able to leave for a while.
So I walked to the dock and down it, stopping when I hit the end.
Sitting down, I picked up the cane fishing pole that was sitting on the dock, then stood back up and walked to the trees to look for a worm.
I hit pay dirt when I found the Catawba Worm Tree.
Picking off a few succulent morsels, I walked back to my spot, hooked a worm onto the line via the tiniest motherfuckin’ hook I’d ever seen, and tossed it out there.
It wasn’t five seconds later that I caught my first fish, a tiny little Sun Perch that was the size of two of my fingers.
After removing him from the hook and tossing him back in the water, I flicked the pole back out and smiled when I felt another tug.
This went on for a good ten minutes before I felt like someone was watching me.
I didn’t turn around.
I knew who it was.
And if he wanted to watch, then more power to him.
I wouldn’t be talking to him.
We stayed like that for a long time. So long that I didn’t even realize how much time had passed before the cool afternoon turned into a chilly night.
“You gonna sit there all day?” Apple asked me.
I nodded, not answering.
“You’re wearing shorts,” he said.
I nodded again.
I sure was.
But that was because today was a nice seventy-five degrees, despite it being in the middle of January.
Something warm wrapped around my shoulders, and I turned to look at Apple.
But he was already walking away, and I could tell he didn’t want me to follow him.
And not having the courage to go after him, I let him leave.
Our visits continued like that.
We’d see each other, exchange a few words, and then go back to acting like neither existed.
I’d just about given up hope that he’d ever felt anything for me at all…especially when his act continued after two months.
But then the beginning of the end happened, leaving both of us reeling.
Chapter 9
I’m always disappointed when a liar’s pants don’t actually catch on fire.
-T-shirt
Kitt
Two months later
I woke up on the floor alone in my house.
My school books were scattered around me like I’d tossed them up in the air just to see where they’d land.
And my head hurt.
As well as my shin, jaw, and tongue.
I got up, carefully, and made my way into the bathroom.
Everything hurt.
Even my teeth.
I saw exactly why everything hurt a couple of minutes later when I got a good look at my mouth.
“Ugh,” I said. “This is just great.”
My front tooth was broken off, and the only thing left was about half the tooth.
“Fucking perfect,” I said, drawing a deeper breath and closing my mouth.
Grabbing a four by four gauze pad from the medicine cabinet, I secured it with some medical tape and walked to my phone that was laying on the floor.
The first person I called was the dentist, because priorities, you know?
I followed that one up with two calls to Ridley’s office, receiving a promise from his secretary that she’d tell him as soon as he got through with his ‘very important meeting.’
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the keys to Ridley’s truck and walked out the door.