Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
6
Shane
* * *
Uh-oh, this is bad, this is really bad. I’d just pulled up in time to hear the news about Jared and Belle getting engaged soon. I couldn’t even look at Tammy, didn’t want to see that look of disappointment on her face.
I’d thought long and hard into the night about what Jace had said. I'm not gonna lie, until he brought it up, marriage hadn't even crossed my mind. Sure Jace had done it already, but Jace has always done pretty much everything before the rest of us.
As close-knit as we are and as much as we try to walk the same path, we've never just gone along with the crowd so to speak. Like if Jace had lost his mind and got engaged to Mandy, I'm pretty sure shit would've turned out way different.
I would’ve locked his ass away somewhere, Alex would’ve helped me and Track well he probably would’ve ended Mandy and buried her somewhere in the desert at night.
But after thinking and looking at things from all angles, I came back to one thing. When I took her virginity I’d made her a promise.
I'd made that promise because she was different and I knew that. Once I got to really know her, to see inside her heart, I knew she was the kind of girl I could love for a lifetime.
Just because other people have their own ideas about what kind of women we should end up with, didn’t mean that they were what we wanted. So what her father’s only a teacher here. So what I have more money than she does?
None of that really matters when measured against what she makes me feel. Like the way she's taught me to be more human these last few months. The way she brings out the best in me, things I didn't even know I had hidden inside of me.
Now, this damn boy had to go and show me up. If I ask her now she's going to think I was just following along. "Fuck!" She turned her smiling face up to me.
“What’s wrong?” I pushed her hair behind her ear and shook my head.
“Nothing’s wrong baby.” I felt like an ass for being too slow. I should’ve asked her last night after my talk with Jace. What the hell was there to think about? That promise alone was enough to make me do the right thing.
But there was also the fact that I like who I am with her. And what’s more, I love the hell out of her. I love how unassuming she is, how perfectly unaware of her own beauty. And the way she takes care of me.
“Come with me.”
“Hey Shane, where are you going?”
“Be right back Jace.” I helped her back into the Aston and sped out of the parking lot.
"Shane where are we going? School's about to start."
“I know baby hang on.” I raced back to my house. “Wait here.” I left her in the car and took the steps two at a time and rushed past mom who came to see why I was back so soon.
“Don’t worry mom I forgot something.” I headed to the study and the safe. I know that’s the last place I’d seen it, though I didn’t think I was going to need it for some time.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I found what I was looking for and headed back outside feeling ten times better than when I went in. That feeling lasted until I remembered what else I had to do before I could move ahead with my plans. “Fuck!”
* * *
TAMMY
* * *
Why is everyone acting so crazy this morning? Jace’s face was set like a tornado, Valerie and Sian were giving both Jace and Track looks, and there was a strained vibe in the air.
At least there was one good piece of news. Belle and Jared’s impending engagement. But what was wrong with Shane? As soon as he heard the news he started acting like someone had poked him with a cattle prod.
He didn’t say anything when he slammed back into the car but at least he’d lost that look from his face. “Ready?” I could’ve given him a smart answer but decided to just nod my head instead.
Why is he so perfect? Sometimes it's hard to look at him for too long. Because it just reminds me how ill-matched we are. I felt a lump in my throat and fought back the tears.
I have to avert my eyes because I knew he’d see them, he sees everything. My heart hurt just a little bit, but there was no one to blame. He hadn’t done anything wrong and it was unfair of me to act like he had.
So what everyone else was either getting married, was already married, or getting engaged? That certainly wasn't the norm for high school. And I guess I should be thankful for the time we'd had together.