Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 19458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Most people are on the top deck of the boat opposite Steven’s. There’s a slide dropping off into the water, people swimming, lounging on rafts, and milling around the beach. I decide to make one more round for Gary before I lose my fucking mind. The music thumps through my chest as I head into the saloon. I see my friends in one corner, minus Gary, Evan, and Frankie, deep in conversation about something.
My fucking knees nearly give out, and if it was about anything other than Gary, I’d feel weak, but it’s him, so fuck any kind of pride. Do I know that logically he’s likely okay? Yeah, but I’m not taking any chances.
“Hey…Travis…” I hear just as I turn to leave the saloon. My eyes lock with Evan’s, and I can see he’s feeling like shit because he hasn’t found the ring yet. It’s obvious how much he wanted to come through for me. “It’s okay…right now…something’s wrong. I’m just worried about finding Gary. Nothing else matters.”
His perfectly shaped brows pull together. Fucker. I’d be jealous of his brows if I wasn’t worried that the love of my life was missing.
“No one has seen Frankie or Gary yet?” he asks.
“Not that I’ve heard. I’m going to go look for them.” Fuck the ring. Fuck the food. I just want Gary.
“I’ll help,” he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He types for a moment and then adds, “I sent a message to Frankie just to check…then to Derek to tell him we’re looking.”
His phone beeps. “Is it Frankie?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“No. It’s Derek. He said they’ll start looking too.”
Thank fuck. I run a hand through my hair and start to walk, Evan on my heels.
“Where should we look first?” he asks. “Does anything jump out at you?”
“I know it sounds crazy,” I reply. “The fact that I’m freaking out, I mean. He’s a grown-ass man, but I know him and I know us, and something is wrong.”
“I don’t think it sounds crazy,” Evan replies. “I think…I think it’s special. What you guys have…it’s rare. I know I’ve never had it.” There’s a sort of sadness to his voice that tugs at my heart.
I head toward the rooms, deciding to check ours one more time. “I’m sorry about that, about Peter. I don’t know all of what you went through with him, but I know he’s a prick and you didn’t deserve it. He’s a master manipulator, and you were a pawn to him just like Gary was.” That took a lot for me to say, but I meant it.
“Thank you. I hate what happened. I hate that Gary got hurt and I feel foolish, ya know? I shouldn’t have believed him. I shouldn’t have gotten tied up in his lies, but he was the first man in my life who ever made me feel like I was something, like I was special, and I loved him. I thought he loved me.”
Fucking Peter.
We get to the door of the room where I held Gary last, and now I’m reaching out and clutching Evan’s shoulder…the kid I used to hate, yet the one who was just as hurt by a toxic man. The kid who has spent his afternoon literally crawling around on his knees to help me. “You were a victim. Gary was a victim. Neither of you deserved it. You should be proud of yourself. You haven’t let it get you down. You’re enjoying your life. You have Frankie.”
He rolls his eyes. “Frankie has become my best friend. I couldn’t have done it without him. I can’t tell you how much time he spent just listening to me, letting me vent, talking to me.”
“And now you have gotten through it.”
He grins. “Yeah…yeah I have. I won’t let myself go through any of that shit again and…well, I’m in a better place than I’ve ever been in. I have better friends than I’ve ever had.”
I hear the truth in what he’s saying. Evan was likely pretty alone when Peter found him. That’s what people like him do—find someone lonely and vulnerable and take advantage of them. Even if he didn’t look alone on the surface, he was. Now he has Frankie and us, too.
“I hear ya.” I squeeze his shoulder again before pulling my hand back and hoping I did okay with all this. I’m not the best person with the emotional stuff, not unless it’s with Gary.
“Thank you,” he says. “Now let’s find your future fiancé.”
“Hell, yes.” I push open the door, hoping and praying my Superass will be there. Of course, he isn’t, and my damn stomach drops again.
“Hey.” Evan nudges my arm as we walk out the door. “We’ll find him. He’ll be okay, and then we’ll find the ring and you’ll propose. One day, we’ll all have a big laugh about this.”