Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Noah led us back to the living room, where Colton had center stage, telling the group about a harrowing incident he had at the grocery store today.
“And then the cart just rolls downhill, straight toward the back of a Bentley. Do I look like I have Bentley money?”
Eric laughed and rubbed Colton’s leg. “Yes. Yes, you do.”
The rest of the group broke out into laughter as Colton blushed. We took our seats, Gabe grabbing a beer and handing me one. I glanced at him as he sat cross-legged next to Noah. He was about twice Noah’s size, like a gorilla sitting next to a chimp. And still, he looked like he fit in perfectly. He wasn’t just my bodyguard or private detective anymore; Gabe had become part of the group, as easily as if he’d been with us from the start.
And it wasn’t just Gabe, either. Our group had started off with just Noah, Eric, and me, figuring things out as we went. Now our family had grown exponentially, all of us gathered together so we could talk books, get drunk, and have a good time.
Well, almost all of us. “Where’s Evan?” I asked Yvette.
She took a big sip out of her wineglass and said, “He’s gone.”
“Where’d he go?” Tia asked, leaning forward so she was perched on the edge of the couch. Yvette sat next to her on a leather love seat.
“I don’t know,” Yvette said with a shrug. “We broke up.”
Jess made a soap-opera-like gasp. “Seriously?”
“Mhmm.”
Steven, who sat next to me on the couch, leaned forward to grab a bottle of wine, holding my knee for stability. “He gave me weird vibes anyway,” he said as he poured himself another glass.
“Same, if I’m being honest,” Noah said. “You can do so much better, girl.”
“I have to agree with him,” Jake said. I doubted it was on purpose, but he and Noah were matching in dark green shirts and khaki shorts.
“Did you do it?” Tia asked.
Yvette gave a nod. “Honestly, he was starting to say some off-color things. I think he got caught up in one of those online 4chan groups. I wanted to cut things off before we got any more serious.”
“Good call,” Eric said, Colton nodding his head in agreement.
I wasn’t all that surprised, either. Relieved, actually. Yvette was a boss-ass woman. She had an established career, a great family, and was a solid friend. I’d met her when we were in college, and she slid into the group like the last wheel we needed to take off. Noah, Eric, Yvette, and I became a little family unit, spending days studying together, eating, partying, and just hanging out. I wanted her to find someone who only enhanced those shining aspects about her, not dimmed them.
Gabe’s leg fell against mine, his knee on mine.
I wanted her to find someone like Gabriel. A man who wasn’t only a knight in shining armor but who was the king, too, and the jester and the court and the castle. He encompassed it all. Safety and warmth and sex and laughter and love.
It was all there. God damn. I got lucky with this one.
Steven bumped his shoulder into me as he reached for some grapes. He leaned in and apologized. Maybe he and Yvette could spark something? I vaguely remembered him mentioning he was bi, and they always had some good conversations together, usually breaking off into a corner after the book club to talk about philosophy.
“But whatever, enough about me. Let’s get to the book. Jake, Noah, you guys take it away.” Yvette dipped her head and flourished her arms before grabbing the book at her side, a rainbow assortment of sticky notes and tabs sticking out from the pages. She looked like someone vacationing in Greece; flowey white dress, beige beaded necklace, subtle but shiny pearl earrings underneath her loose waves.
Made me crave a vacation with the crew real bad. I could see us all getting drunk on the beach, dancing our way to the pool, laughing our way through the cobblestone streets for dinner.
Maybe when all this was over I could throw that idea out there.
“Alright,” Noah said with a clap of his hands. They were hosting tonight’s meeting, so they had to come up with whatever drinking game we would play. “Tonight, it’s all about friendship. The book focuses a lot on the friend group, and I love ours, so why not celebrate that? Every time someone brings up an old memory or inside joke tonight, we all drink. Sound good?”
The room broke into nods and approvals. Gabe shifted next to me, his leg pressing against mine. I realized then that we’d never really made an official announcement about our new relationship status. I told Eric about it when I last saw him, but the rest of the group didn’t know yet.