Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“I’m okay to drive. Especially—”
“It’s an innocent ride. We don’t even have to talk.” Even though I want nothing more than to drill her with every question that’s been swarming inside me since she came back into my life. “And we both know you’re not okay to drive.”
I almost look down for holes in my shirt from the daggers she shoots my way. “I said I’m—”
Her friend cuts her off. “Sure, that’d be great. Makayla, it’s fine. He said it. Innocent. I’m getting tired anyway. Shotgun!”
She pops up, missing the glare on Makayla’s face. I wait for her to stand, not wanting to push her. The last thing I want is another battle. “You good to stand?” I reach out to take her hand, but Makayla bats it away.
“I’m fine.” She gets up. Wobbly on her feet, she sways to the side. I go to help her, but she throws her arm out. “I said I’m fine.”
“Sure, whatever.” I wait for her to get close so I can walk next to her in case she needs me, then fall in step beside her. We don’t speak, which is fine. The electricity between us does the talking. I shove my hands in my pockets to refrain from reaching out to her, and we head out to my Jeep.
“Ben, which car is yours?” Her friend slithers her hand around my bicep, pulling me to her. I steal a quick glance at Makayla, and that look returns.
“Uh, the Jeep. Right here.”
“Nice!” I want to stop Makayla and ask her what’s wrong. I know her angry looks. This one is different. “It’s pretty high. Can you help me up?”
I look at my car, confused. “Uh. . . yeah. Sure.” I open the door and help her into the normal-sized vehicle. Makayla pushes past us, opens the back passenger side door, and climbs in, slamming it shut.
What the fuck. . .?
The drive home is painful. Her friend won’t stop talking. And I can’t stop looking in my rearview mirror every other second. When I look again, I finally catch her gaze, but she tears her eyes away to stare out the window. By the time I pull into her driveway, I can’t wait to get rid of the chatty mouth and have a moment alone with her. I need to know what’s going on in her head.
“Thanks for the ride. If you’re up for a nightcap, I live just next door.”
Makayla keeps walking. My eyes follow her as she storms up to her door.
“Yeah, no. I’m good. Have a good night.” Dismissing Jenny, I follow Makayla to her door.
“Yeah, okay! Next time. Night, Mak!”
Makayla is jamming her key into the door when I come up behind her. “Can we talk?”
“Why? You don’t need my permission to fuck her. Have at it.” She struggles with the key.
“What? No. I don’t need or want that. I just want us to talk.”
She twists around, her hair blowing in her face. “About what? If you like her, go after her. I’m tired and want to go to bed.”
Jesus, why is she so goddamn stubborn? “For Christ’s sake, can we just have a normal conversation? Put down the gloves for once and talk? That’s all I’m asking.”
She stares at me for a beat, then sighs. “Fine. But make it quick.” She finally gets the door unlocked and stumbles inside. Grabbing her waist, I hold her upright.
“Sorry. I know, you’re fine.” I wait until I know she’s steady on her feet before releasing her. She doesn’t fire back a snarky comment, which I consider a win. Flipping on a few light switches, she plops down on the worn couch. With caution, I take the spot next to her.
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
Nothing. Everything. I don’t even know which question to ask first. What won’t set her off? “What made you mad back there?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. I saw it. Something upset you. What was it?”
“It was nothing—”
“It wasn’t.”
“It wasn’t nothing.”
“Mak—”
“I didn’t like you hitting on her! God, you happy now?”
She has me a bit taken back. “I wasn’t.”
“See, like I said, it’s nothing.” She sits up, ready to escape, and I grab her arm.
“I have no intentions of pursuing your friend. I’ll admit, I walked off with her earlier to make you jealous. I shouldn’t have done that. I wanted to take you home to be alone with you. Not in a sexual way, just to talk. To apologize for earlier.”
“You seemed just fine with her on the way home.”
“I would have left her at the party if I thought you’d get in the car with me alone. Look at me.” She’s hesitant but does. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“Why the change of heart?”
I brush my hands down my face. Great question. “Fuck, I don’t know. Because I’m sick of this back and forth between us. As much as I love getting under your skin, I—I like making you smile more.” Her eyebrows raise. I’ve shocked her just as much myself. “Yeah, I said it. I’m calling a truce. I want to get to know you. Your likes and dislikes. What makes you happy since all I’ve been doing is making you mad. Pretty sure I’ve nailed how to make you feel good.” She does that little thing with her lip, sucking it between her teeth. It does me in every time. “I want a redo.”