Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
A wave of relief and then an excited smile controls her features, but Steve’s reaction isn’t what I was hoping for.
“For good, huh?” he says dryly, not even shifting his expression when I turn my head, catching May’s infectious excitement.
“Yeah,” I exclaim. “I’ve been thinking about it for ages, gonna move the whole operation over here. Even though I can run it from anywhere,” I inform him.
Steve’s look is totally blank. Like, no emotion.
He looks from me to May and back to me again.
“Well, that is a surprise,” he concedes. All the humor and fun he’s had in his voice all day is suddenly gone.
“You don’t sound too thrilled, Steve,” I murmur, hoping he would’ve at least been glad to hear that part of my news.
Steve forces a smile, and slapping my back a little too hard for my liking, he disagrees.
“I think it’s great news, Big B. Just a bit of a shock, I guess,” he concedes.
“I think it’d be great if you weren’t always on the other side of the country, and it’s not as though you’re a complete stranger in town. You know the place better than most locals,” he adds, trying his best to sound supportive.
But I can see my big surprise sinking like a lead balloon with him, fast.
“It’s not as if you’re gonna be living with us, or right next door to us or anything, is it?” he asks, narrowing his eyes on mine.
I feel my stomach lurch, and it’s not from the food.
May picks up on my look and gasps audibly, even covering her mouth as she joins the dots.
Yes, May. I’m moving here, and I’ll claim you as my own. And yes…I bought the place next door, so I will be living right next to you.
But I realize that as quickly as she does, it also means I’ll be living next door to Steve.
Something I may have accidentally overlooked when making my plans.
And if Steve’s this unimpressed with me moving to town, I don’t need a crystal ball to know how he’s gonna react when I do move in next door.
And something tells me it’s for the best if I do that tonight.
There’s no way I could even try to sleep with May in the next room, let alone have Steve around.
I thought things would go slower, easier…Hell, I dunno what I thought was gonna happen.
I staked my claim on May, and that’s good enough for me right now.
“I thought you’d be happy at the news, Dad,” May pipes in, doing her best to break the sudden and silent tension.
It’s like Steve’s been doing his best to put on a cheerful mood since his welcome this morning, but my news seems to have undone all that.
And we haven’t even got to the really good news. About May and me.
I wasn’t expecting this all to be a walk in the park, but damn, if it isn’t starting to look like a shitfest already.
“And I suppose you already knew Brandon was back for good, right?” Steve asks May in an accusing tone.
It’s not what he says but the way he says it that gets my back up instantly.
Her dad or not, nobody fucking speaks to May like that.
Not ever.
“Yo, Steve,” I growl, feeling my hand ball up under the table, my jaw grinding shut.
“Take it easy, will ya,” I tell him firmly, but it’s too late.
May’s lip quivers, and not even able to look me in the eye, she excuses herself from the table and rushes to the restrooms.
“Nice one, Brandon,” Steve snarls, gripping my arm when I move to follow her to make sure she’s okay.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he snaps. “I think you’ve said and done enough for one day, don’t you?” he asks bitterly.
“I dunno what the hell it is between you two. Ever since that damned graduation, May’s been acting all weird every time you pop up…but it ends now,” he growls with a tone of finality.
The waiter quickly appears after Steve takes off after May instead of me, and I signal him for the check.
“I think we’re done here,” I explain, paying the bill before May and her dad come back to the table.
I’m already standing, ready to leave. But May’s red-lidded, tear-stained eyes stop me from walking out of here without her.
“I think it’s been a long day, and we’d all be better off just going home,” Steve announces, putting his arm around May and brushing past me as he moves to go.
“Brandon?” May sniffs, turning to face me, signaling me to follow.
I growl low in my throat, and my whole body is still tense as I walk behind them back to the car. I figure it’s best if I just keep my mouth shut.
If only for May’s sake.
After a painfully long and silent ride, as we turn into May’s street, I ask Steve to stop out front of the house next door.