Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 48601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Love your ink, by the way,” she purrs, letting her fingers trace over my skin.
“Thanks.”
Look, I’m not a prick. I’m not going to kick this girl out, but I will turn down her obvious come-ons.
“So, this is the car?”
She nods at the vague shape under the dust-sheet cover. I nod, grab the edge of it, and whip it off the sexy as fuck wine-red and black Shelby Mustang.
“Yeah, my dad and I started it down in South Carolina, now I’m working on it up here. Celia was cool enough to let me take over half her garage.”
Melissa snorts. “Too bad Ramona didn’t get any of that coolness.”
I frown. “Hey, c’mon. Take it easy.”
She grins. “Oh wha-aat? I mean, she is such a buzzkill sometimes!”
My frown deepens. “Hey, Melissa, lay off, okay?”
Her brows go up before she sighs and slaps my arm playfully.
“Oh, I’m just teasing. She’s just so easy to tease.”
No shit, but that’s my job.
“Look, she’s my sist—”
“Step,” Melissa frowns. “Your stepsister. Why is it that neither of you get that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I brought it up to her earlier at school right after you invited me over.”
You invited yourself over.
“And she got all weird.”
“About?”
Melissa grins.
“About me saying how hot you are.”
There it is
I sigh, pushing the fingers of one hand through my hair.
“Melissa—”
“I mean Jesus, Jamison. How has no other girl scooped you up yet? I mean you went away hot, but you came fucking yummy.”
She suddenly steps into me, raking her nails over my chest as she thrusts her obviously fake ones out, and I frown. And just then, the door opens, and Ramona walks in.
Wonderful.
Melissa turns and glares daggers at Ramona, obviously pissed about her waltzing into our “moment.” Ramona’s face looks like she’s either oblivious or just not caring, and knowing her as I do, I’d put money on it being the second.
“Checking out the car?” she beams at us.
“Yes, we are,” Melissa mutters at her, glowering. Again, Ramona’s face makes it look like she’s not getting the hint, but I know she’s just ignoring. To what end, I’m not sure, but it makes me grin.
“You should definitely have him show you the back seat,” Ramona says cheerily, beaming away at Melissa.
Melissa giggles and bats her eyes, and I glare at Ramona.
“Moaner, what do you want?”
She smiles sweetly.
“Nothing! I’m just glad you have, you know, a friend over, Jamison.”
I arch a brow, half hiding my amused smirk. Yeah, Ramona’s playing games here, and I’m curious to see what the fuck she’s up to.
“You know, a girl?”
She shrugs and waves her hand as she smiles at Melissa.
“You know, I keep telling him, it’s totally normal to still wet the bed at eighteen. Tons of people do, and any girl would totally be fine with it.”
I smile thinly.
Touché, brat.
Melissa turns to give me a frowny look. “What?”
“Nothing,” I growl, half smiling at Ramona and nodding as if to say, “well done.”
“Moaner is just being a weirdo.”
Melissa gives her an odd look and turns back, flashing me that predatory smile.
“Still want to show me that back seat?”
Ramona’s face darkens, and I grin. No, I have zero fucking interest in showing Melissa anything but the door. But her being here is clearly ticking Ramona off, and that’s just perfect.
“Sure!” I beam cheerily. “Why not.”
Melissa turns to smile and then shoot a “knowing” look at Ramona.
“So, uh, bye?”
Ramona’s lips purse, and I grin to myself as I turn to waltz over to the car. I glance back, my eyes lingering on Ramona, but she’s not glaring at us or looking pissed anymore. In fact, she’s smiling and looking downright eager.
I frown.
She’s up to something.
“Yeah, Melissa was really interested in the backseat when she told me she was coming over earlier.”
I shoot Ramona another questioning look, which she ignores, before I glance back at the car and Melissa strolling towards it. And suddenly, my brow furrows. There, on the ground next to the car, is a box set of spanner wrenches, with the lid open.
…I never leave tools out.
My eyes glance around, and my brow furrows even more as I see the box for the new airbags I bought online sitting on my work bench with the seal broken. Which is weird because I definitely do no remember opening the box yet. And next to that…
My brow cocks, trying to put the pieces together.
Next to the open box is a bucket of something with the lid off. Paint or stain or caulking of some kind, which is also very weird. I mean, yeah, sometimes my dad comes down and uses this workspace too, but he’s even more of a neat freak about cleaning up his shit than I am.
I slowly turn to Ramona, and suddenly, as I see the grin spread wider across her lips and a mischievous glint in her eyes, it starts to click.