Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
But Jonah just hugged me tighter into his side, so that I was snug against him, almost in his armpit, and I struggled not to pull away. It felt bad, sure, but I didn’t want to visibly embarrass him in a clearly high stakes situation.
And the blonde woman just looked me up and down speculatively before letting out a low laugh.
“Jonah, that’s wonderful,” she purred again. “Have your tastes in women changed?” she asked slyly, “because you know how they grow them out there in the Midwest, healthy as heifers!” she said, sneering at me openly.
And now I was really incensed. This wasn’t even a backhanded insult, this was full-out, in-your-face war. So I went for it.
“Excuse me?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. How rude, I was a guest at her place, someone she’d just met, and yet Sarah had no qualms about insulting me to my face. I mean, sure, I was heavier than most of the women in NYC, but that was because I ate real food with calories, and not air for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Besides, I liked my curves, I’d spent so much of my life being a twig and trust me, bigger is better. So I was pissed, and not afraid to go on the offensive, shooting sparks with my eyes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I spat. “You think you’re so hot, ten feet tall with your bleached blonde hair with visible roots?” I snarled. “Guess again, that shit went out in the eighties, even the Material Girl doesn’t do it anymore.”
But Sarah just rolled her eyes.
“Please,” she drawled, twirling one of her flaxen curls, “who listens to Madonna anymore? What are you, like thirty?” she asked, bored. “Jonah, get this bitch out of my face,” she snapped, “before I throw her out.”
I turned to Jonah, eyes blazing.
“Jonah,” I said, my voice frozen. “Your girlfriend,” I emphasized, “just got insulted by this whore.”
But Jonah was an inept man-boy, unable to take a stance, fidgeting and trembling.
“Hey Ally, why don’t you get yourself a drink?” he said nervously. “Cool off a bit while Sarah and I catch up, we haven’t seen each other in ages.”
And the woman flashed a triumphant smile my way, draping one long arm around Jonah’s narrow shoulders.
“Bye bye, big girl,” she purred, “kitchen’s over there.”
And with that, the two of them turned away, heads lowered, immediately entering their private world even in the middle of this raging party. I was pissed. Really pissed. Had Jonah just picked another woman over me? I didn’t care if she was his oldest friend and his high school crush rolled into one, I was his girlfriend for crying out loud and he didn’t even try to defend me. Instead, he’d sent me packing, alone at a raging party to fend for myself, get a drink and “cool off.” What the fuck was that shit?
So I stomped off, enraged, only turning back to look at them once I was at the door. Honestly, the two of them looked weird together, Sarah had to be six feet tall in her heels, skinny as a rail, bent over like a praying mantis towards Jonah’s ant-like form. And he was so eager to be around her that he was on his tippy toes, like a puppy begging at its owner’s knee, slavering, eyes wide.
But I’d had enough of both of them and stalked off, squaring my shoulders. Clearly Jonah’s loyalties didn’t lie with me. They were with this bitch, his home-spun ties were too strong, and I was some kind of decoy … for what? For what exactly? I didn’t know.
But as I stood by myself in the kitchen, scooping ice into a plastic cup, I began to calm down a bit. I’d never liked Jonah that much, he was a study buddy more than anything, and frankly, not even much of a “study” or a “buddy” at that. He was a lazy student, so usually just copied my work. And as for the buddy part? I guess someone can be your buddy if you spend a lot of time with them, more out of sheer proximity than anything else. So slowly, I took a deep breath, willing my anger away. Sure, I’d been insulted by the blonde viper but what did it really matter? Sarah wasn’t someone I knew, wasn’t a friend or even an acquaintance. She was a person from Jonah’s past with mystical properties, who occupied his brain for reasons unknown, and I found myself caring less and less as the minutes passed, the tension ebbing from my shoulders.
Besides, it made things a lot simpler. Because there was still the issue of Mr. Martin and my conflicted feelings. It’d been so incredible to see him tonight, those lancing blue eyes, the square jaw and hard athletic body. I couldn’t say that I’d been surprised to see the alpha male, after all we were staying at his apartment for Thanksgiving break. It’s just that I hadn’t expected to see the man, ripped and gorgeous, straight after a work-out. He’d been dressed in a t-shirt that hugged his muscled chest, strong arms visible, with loose gym pants, the kind with the stripe that runs up the side. And everything about him was so mouth-wateringly gorgeous, the bronzed skin, the lazy smile, the hard, dominating shoulders. I’d gone weak right there at the kitchen counter, literally holding onto the granite to keep myself steady, to not fall over in a heap at his feet.