Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
She stops short when she sees us at the window, and her eyes drop to where I’m still holding Sarah’s hand.
“I, uh, I’m sorry if I interrupted something.”
Jesus, does she think that I’d romance a married woman?
“Sarah’s going to paint me something for the wall,” I reply, but the suspicion doesn’t leave Cherry’s eyes.
“He’s letting me paint pretty much whatever I want,” Sarah adds with a grin. “For over the sofa.”
Sarah’s phone rings in her pocket, and she immediately pulls it out and answers.
“Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, I’m almost done here at Zeke’s. This painting is going to rock. Sure, I can do that. Okay, see you soon. Love you, too.”
As she talks, I don’t take my eyes off Cherry, who’s still frowning, and decide here and now to have a talk with her when Sarah leaves.
“I’d better go, I have to stop by the store to get some butter for whatever Tanner’s making for dinner. If butter’s involved, I want it,” Sarah says and takes a minute to look between Cherry and me, a knowing smile on her pretty face. “Thanks again for letting me do this. I promise, it’s gonna rock. But, if you hate it, we don’t have to hang it.”
“I won’t hate it,” I assure her as I walk her to the door, past Cherry, who’s stepped aside. “It’s going to be awesome. Have a good night.”
“You, too. Bye, Cherry.”
“See you,” Cherry says as I close the door behind Sarah. Then, I turn to Cherry with a scowl.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Chapter Three
Cherry
“What’s wrong with me?” I set the basket of clothes on the floor, good and pissed off now, even if it is irrational. I saw him holding Sarah’s hand, and I just saw red. I wanted to punch them both, and that’s not like me. But I just couldn’t help myself. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with me?”
“You were rude to her, and for no reason at all. I mean, I’m used to that when it’s directed at me, but not Sarah. She’s your friend.”
The jealousy still sits like bile in the back of my throat. I hope I wasn’t rude to Sarah. I like the woman.
“I wasn’t rude to her. I didn’t say anything at all rude.”
“You don’t have a poker face, sweetheart. And from the look of it, you thought I’d try to diddle with a married woman, and that’s insulting to both Sarah and me.”
“Those words never left my lips.”
But, I admit, for about three seconds, I did think it. And that’s just ridiculous because Sarah is madly in love with Tanner. Has been since we were in high school.
I know better. And, yes, I need to apologize to him, but I just can’t get the words past my lips.
He shakes his head in frustration, and I lift the basket and head for the door.
“I’ll use my parents’ house from now on. I’m sorry to be in your way.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he mutters and rushes toward me, planting his hand on the door and pushing it closed when I’ve managed to open it just a few inches. “You’re the most frustrating woman I’ve ever met in my goddamn life.”
“Then why do you want me here?” I demand and turn to face him, shoving him back so I can breathe because having him so close makes my brain foggy. “And that’s not a rhetorical question, because even I wouldn’t want me around when I’m acting this way. If I’m always a bitch, and I make you so mad, just let me go to my parents’ house. You’ll never have to speak to me again.”
“Because that sounds like a fucking prison sentence,” he shouts back. “Because I like having you here, and I hate it all at the same time. Which I know sounds stupid, but there it is.”
“We make each other nuts,” I remind him. “And I’m a nag. Not to mention, rude to your friends.”
“Exactly.” He throws his hands up into the air and paces away. “So, why do I want you so badly that I ache with it? Why do I want to fuck you into next week, make you laugh, and just sit and talk to you for hours?”
That stuns me into silence. Certain I heard him wrong, all I can do is blink at him until he turns to look at me once more.
“Why did you act that way?”
“Because I was jealous.” The words are out of my mouth faster than I can stop them, and his eyes soften as his shoulders fall. I know that we’re through the worst of this argument. Which is good because I don’t enjoy sparring with Zeke the way I used to. Something has changed between us, and I’m so far out of my element with him, I feel like I’m fumbling my way through the dark. “And I know that’s stupid, and I have no right because you can do whatever the hell you want, with whomever you want, but when I walked in here and saw you standing all cozy by the windows, holding some broad’s hand, I was jealous. And then I realized that it was Sarah.”