Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
“I hope so.”
“Jersey? I guess maybe she’ll be closer to you when you’re filming.” I swallow hard and try to keep an upbeat tone.
“Christ, I hope not. I didn’t even tell her about the show. The less she knows about what I’m up to, the better.”
Ah, that explains why she seemed so surprised to see me. I’m not even offended he hasn’t told his mother about us. He probably wants to protect me. Out of reassuring things to say, I wrap my arms around his middle and hug him tight.
He rests his chin on the top of my head and hugs me back. “Thank you,” he murmurs.
All out of words, we stay that way for a long time—saying nothing but feeling everything.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Molly
After I finish my shift at Miller’s Farms on the weekends, I’ve been heading straight to Griff’s shop to help him work on my car. Today, I asked my friend Becky to drop me off after we clocked out.
She squints through the windshield, staring at the darkening sky. “Looks like rain. That sucks. I wanted to go to the drive-in tonight.”
“What are they showing?” I had other plans with Griff tonight, but maybe he and I can go to the drive-in tomorrow.
“Horror double-feature.”
“Oooh. I think I’d be too freaked out to watch horror movies in my car.” I laugh. “I need a blanket to hide under.”
She chuckles. “I thought you liked horror movies?”
“I do. In a controlled environment.” I cover my face with my hands and peek between two fingers. “Where I can hide.” Or cuddle close to Griff.
She laughs harder. “Please tell me you’re not planning to quit Miller’s after graduation. I know you’re starting your internship, but it’ll be so boring without you.”
A mixture of warmth and sadness spreads through my chest. “No, I’m taking your lead and going to try to work two jobs over the summer. I’ll work days at the office and take as many nights and weekends as they’ll give me at Miller’s.” Anything to earn as much money as possible for school and to keep myself occupied so I don’t miss Griff while he’s away. And whatever free time I have, I plan to help Remy at the bar whether he likes it or not.
“Oh yay!” She bleats a happy little noise. “We should tell Stacy we have the same availability, so she puts us on the schedule together.”
That would make the dreary shifts go by faster. “Let’s do it.” I point to the right. “It’s up here.”
“I can’t wait to see your Chevelle when it’s finished.” She flips on her blinker and slows the car.
“Me too.”
She pulls to a stop in front of the office, and I reach down to hook my arm through the straps of my backpack. “Thank you.”
“See you Monday!” She waves as I close the door.
I hitch my backpack over my shoulders and stare at the building. One of the garage bay doors is up. Griff’s low rumble reaches my ear. I can’t make out the words, but I follow his patient-but-annoyed voice.
At the threshold, I stop. Griff has a car up on the lift and seems to be mounting a tire on a Trans Am. Or at least he’s trying to. A man, who I assume is the owner of the car, keeps yammering at Griff while my man’s trying to pay attention to his work. Anxiety trickles through me. Doesn’t this guy know the garage is dangerous, and he should leave Griff alone to do his job in peace?
Should I interrupt? Maybe draw the man away from Griff so he can finish the job without being annoyed?
“So, this chick is a seven at best, but she’s got major attitude,” the man says.
“Can’t imagine why,” Griff mutters.
The man lets out a hearty chuckle. “Right?”
Lines of tension bracket Griff’s mouth and crease his forehead as he tightens a bolt.
“We’re at the restaurant and she’s talking about this movie she wants to see. And I mean, honestly, after dinner, I thought we’d go back to her place.”
“Sounds like she wasn’t interested,” Griff says.
“Yeah, so I ask her about work and she’s a nurse, so I make a joke about giving me a sponge bath.”
Gross.
“And she gets all offended. So I try again, like, ‘Oh do you have access to the good drugs?’” He punctuates that awful question with an equally terrible laugh. “‘Can you get your hands on some Oxycodone for us?’ And she just…”
I tune out the moronic guy’s babbling. The tension in Griff’s face shifts from annoyance to anger as the guy keeps joking about illicit painkillers. Given his mom’s history, I can’t blame him. Griff’s fingers grip the wrench so tight, his knuckles turn pale. His arm muscles pop and strain as he cranks another bolt into place.
“I pick up the shaker and ask where does salt come from anyway, and she looks at me like I’m stupid—”