Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Sebastian’s little brows pulled together, like that concept was foreign to him. Then, he smiled so big it showed off two front teeth he was going to lose soon, and I had to look up at the sky to fight off whatever emotion was trying to strangle me.
I told Sebastian to start packing up our picnic. He loved to help clean up — always had. And as he worked on folding the picnic blanket, I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head a bit before my eyes found Kyle.
“I guess we’re really doing this.”
Kyle smirked, his glass-like eyes looking a bit more blue than green with the sky stretching out behind him. “I guess we are.”
My stomach fluttered at the wing tips of a hundred butterflies with the way he looked at me, but I quickly put a lid on that.
I was thankful for his help. It was sweet. It was kind. It was a way to give me a bit of peace while I worked on finding him a house, and then I’d have my commission and Sebastian and I could leave, and Kyle could go back to his superstar life.
This is temporary, I reminded myself.
And I’d keep reminding myself until those stupid butterflies died.
Kyle
“Why do you look so nervous?”
Braden turned to look at me from the driver’s seat of his beat-up piece-of-shit car the following Friday. I’d considered hiring a driver along with a few decoys for this trip to the airport, but when Braden offered to drive, I realized there was no better way to fly under the radar.
There was no way in hell anyone would think an NFL player was in this car — let alone two.
“I don’t,” was my answer.
“The only one looking at your sorry ass right now is me,” he said pointedly. “And trust me when I say you look like you’re two seconds away from being caught cheating on a math quiz.”
I cracked my neck, hanging one arm out the window and watching the trees pass. “You know how I feel about weddings.”
“Sure it has nothing to do with this mystery guest we’re picking up?”
“Madelyn.”
“Ah, so she does have a name,” he said, shifting his grip on the wheel. “You know, you could have given me a heads up. Now I’m the only one going stag to this thing.”
“I didn’t exactly see this coming,” I said.
Braden was quiet for a moment. “You want to talk about anything?”
I flattened my lips when I looked at him, and when my gaze slid out the window again, he chuckled.
“Come on, man. You haven’t posted her on social media. Say what you want, but for you?” He shrugged. “That’s a big deal.”
“I’m private when it comes to things like this.”
“Things like what?” he probed. “Things that are real?”
I laughed, both because I wanted to hide the way I hated how that motherfucker saw right through my shit, and because technically, what was going on with me and Madelyn was everything but real.
It was fake. It was pretend. It was me not taking no for an answer when it came to protecting her and her son.
But looking at houses with her, watching her try on dresses, spending time with her and Sebastian…
Fuck.
I was having a real hard time not blurring the line.
I heaved a deep breath, turning to face Braden. He was the closest thing I had to a best friend. When it came to the guys on my college football team, we were like family. But in my family, we didn’t talk about feelings. So, even when the guys opened up to me, when they let me in on what was happening in their lives…
I had a hard time doing the same.
But I knew now after meeting Sebastian — after facing off with Marshall — this little plan I’d schemed up wasn’t something trivial.
I was already in over my head, and I had a feeling I’d need a friend to help me through it all.
“Don’t make a big deal of this,” I said to start. “And don’t say a fucking word to anyone else — not Clay, not Zeke, not Leo, definitely not Holden.”
Braden’s brows bent together the more names I listed. “Okay…”
I ran a hand through my hair as the GPS told Braden to hook a left. “Madelyn and I knew each other growing up,” I said. “She was my babysitter.”
“Um…”
I held up a hand to stop him. “Just let me get this out. Okay? This shit makes me so uncomfortable I already have hives.” I shifted in my seat. “It’s a long story. She’s only a couple years older than me, but my parents didn’t trust me home alone after I threw a massive party. Our parents were…” My stomach turned. “Friends, or something similar to it, anyway. So yeah, she was charged to watch me.”