Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Once I’m done, I go back out and find Landon lying in bed, texting on his phone. When he glances up, he smiles and says, “Just letting your mom know we’re here.”
“Shoot, I completely forgot.” I was so caught up in the moment, I wasn’t thinking.
“Come to bed,” Landon says, patting the empty side of the mattress next to him. “The second movie is out now.” He points to the screen.
“Oh! I couldn’t wait to find out what happens, so I borrowed New Moon from the library.” I snuggle up next to him. “I haven’t finished it yet, though.”
With my head on Landon’s chest, I press play and the movie begins. We watch in silence as the vampires prepare to celebrate Bella’s birthday. When she bleeds, I get choked up, knowing what’s coming next. I’ve read to this point. When Edward tells Bella he has to move, leaving her in the woods to cry all by herself, I cry as well, as it hits me that all too soon Landon is going to be leaving me. It’s not the same situation, but I can’t imagine having to go a single day without being able to hug him and kiss him and see him.
When Landon hears me sniffling, he pauses the movie then pulls me up so he can hold me close and wipe my tears. “What’s the matter?” he asks, his lips curved in a slight frown.
“I’m just crying at the movie.”
“You sure?” His hazel eyes dart back and forth between my tear-filled ones. “I’ve seen you shed tears during a movie, but not like this.” He rubs his thumb along my lower lip.
“No.” I shake my head, wanting to be honest with him. “I was thinking about what it will be like once you leave and we have to break up.” A sob pushes its way out. “I’m sorry. I’m just being a baby.”
Landon smiles sadly. “You’re not being a baby, Harp.” He leans down and kisses my lips. “Maybe I’ll get drafted close by. And if I don’t get drafted at all, I can go to school locally until you graduate.”
“No way.” I shake my head vehemently. “You’re going to get drafted. You’re too good not to.”
A boyish grin spreads across his face. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. You think I’m going to let geography get in the way of what we have?”
I nod in agreement, even though in the back of my head I know the odds are against us. We’re young and our resources are limited. But it doesn’t matter, because I’m already falling in love with Landon, and if it means in a few months I end up heartbroken, then so be it. Who knows, maybe he will get drafted close by and then we’ll have nothing to worry about.
Needing to feel close to him, I climb into his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. Our mouths fuse together, our tongues uniting. We kiss for several minutes, until I feel the bulge of Landon’s hardened length. I grind down on it, and he groans.
“Harper…” he warns against my mouth.
“I want you to make love to me,” I whisper.
Landon stills and pulls back. “No, baby. Not yet.”
I feel my face fall. “Why not?”
“I told you I want to take things slow. Neither of us has had sex before, and I don’t want to rush it. When we make love, I want us to be in love, Harper.” I’m shocked by what he’s just admitted. I knew he hasn’t had sex with any of the girls at our school, but I didn’t know he was still a virgin.
“Okay,” I agree. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t fool around, right?” I waggle my eyebrows, and Landon chuckles.
“We can definitely fool around,” he growls, gripping my hips and lifting me off him. He drops me onto my back and hovers above me. “As a matter of fact, I think I’m ready for my dessert now.”
Six
Harper
“Everyone chipped in for that house on the beach for the after-prom party,” Angela says through my bathroom door. “Are you and Landon going?”
Tonight is the night of prom, and it also marks three months since we officially became a couple. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this semester without him. My parents are now officially divorced. Because Mom lost the house, we had to move into an apartment down the street, so I could stay at my school. Because of Dad being drunk, Mom was able to get full custody of me, but Dad has yet to pay any child support since he’s unemployed. I also have yet to see him since the day he packed up and left. Mom has finally stopped crying and is in the stage where she’s working on herself, ready to move on. She’s joined the gym and gets her hair and nails done on a regular basis. She also goes to the bar with her girlfriends for ladies’ night every Wednesday. I hate that my family has been ripped apart, but I’m glad my mom is working on finding happiness again. She deserves to be happy.