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)
Dammit. I make a mental note to kick Kip’s ass and then drill him on what the fuck he knows about her. “Sorry, I was just staring because you have shit on your face.” I reach out and flick off an invisible booger. “There. I can eat now. Let’s go.”
The food is so good, it sucks. It’s so good, Makayla keeps moaning with each bite, and my dick keeps swelling against my jeans, wanting out. Whenever she opens her mouth, I have this crude vision of my cock replacing her fork. Fuck, I’m an asshole.
“Remember that one time we got into it at the dinner table at the Matthews’?”
“Shit, which time?” I ask, trying to flip through the mile-long Rolodex.
“When I had the water gun, shot you under the table, and told everyone you peed your pants.”
Oh, yeah. That time. I almost actually peed my pants from fury. It took everything in me not to stand up and yank on her pigtails.
“If I remember correctly, I got you back, though.” Her cheesy grin falls.
“I remember you took it too far. It was just water. You squirted the ketchup at my crotch and told everyone I got my period at the table.”
Damn, that was a low blow. “Well, it was harmless fun—”
“Yeah, if I hadn’t actually had my period!”
I cough into my hand, making a poor attempt to conceal my amusement. “Oh shit, really?”
“Yeah, really! You forgot I was older than Hannah. Hence why I had boobs.”
My eyes drop to her chest. “Well, not that I ever looked—I’m lying—you always had nice ones, I must say.”
She throws her napkin at me. “Not funny.”
A laugh bursts from my lips. “Okay, okay. Man, we weren’t very nice to each other.”
She nods, taking another bite. “You can say that again.” I allow her to eat while my mind goes back to our last few encounters as kids. Walking her home. Having an actual conversation with her without all the snarky jabs. Then. . . I remember her just being gone. “You know. I actually kind of missed you when you left.”
She lifts her head mid-bite and swallows, struggling to get her food down. “Doubt that. You weren’t nice to me when I was around. What could you have possibly missed?”
It’s my turn to shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe I missed our chats.”
She stifles a laugh, wiping her lips with her napkin. “I wouldn’t call any of our battling, chats.”
“Where’d you go?” It comes out before I realize what I’m asking. It’s none of my business.
Her hands lower, and she places the napkin on the table. “I went to live with my aunt.”
“Why?” Shut up, nosy asshole.
It’s like we’re kids again. I watch as that look returns. The scared little girl peeking through her armor. “It was for the best. Geez, didn’t peg you as a Nosy Nelly. How about you? Why are you home? Thought you’d be on billboards by now. Ruining SportsCenter for me with your face plastered all over it.”
Damn her and her subject changing. I lean back in my chair and take a sip of my water. “It’s a long story.”
She raises her hand to the server. “We’ll take another round of wontons. Thanks.” Her attention returns to me. “They take forever. Now we have time.” Her devious smirk is going to get her in trouble.
“Brat.”
“Yep. Spill.”
“I chose not to pursue football. That’s basically it.”
She raises her hand again. “Actually, can you add an order of fried rice and orange chicken? Slow cooked. Thanks.” She looks back at me. “Good thing you’re paying.”
I’m going to be paying for indecent exposure when I rip her out of her chair and sit her on my cock. Fuck, when did I become such a vulgar prick? When the most stunning woman came back into your life and flipped it upside down.
“You’re eating dinner with me now.”
“I love leftovers. I’m waiting.”
This girl.
“I went off to college. Chase and I. I’d been accepted with a partial scholarship to play football. Two and a half years in, my dad died.”
A soft gasp falls from her now sullen lips. “Oh, Ben.”
I hate telling this story. It’s like re-living it over and over again. “He was a firefighter. Died doing what he loved. My mom was a mess, and I couldn’t imagine her going through losing her husband alone. So, I left school. The university wouldn’t hold my place, and I lost my scholarship.” The school wouldn’t even allow me grievance leave. Some bullshit about small print and clauses. “I came home with the intentions of going back. But life took an unexpected turn, and instead, I joined the academy. One year later, I officially became a firefighter. End of story.”
Her neck bobs as she swallows, and tears well in her eyes. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I didn’t know.”