Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
George Hawthorne had been convicted of armed robbery, and there had been no connection between him and what happened to my parents, but Chase didn’t want to have anything to do with his father. He always said he already had his family—me, Bowie, and Griff.
Josh and Chase started yelling at each other or the TV screen or whatever again, so I pushed out of the chair and went into the living room. “Are we going to go or what?”
“Just a minute, Kell,” Josh said, not tearing his eyes away from the game.
“Josh! You’re my best friend. Not Chase’s,” I teased.
“You know I love you, but I gotta see the end of this,” he replied.
Rolling my eyes, I went over and sat between them, pouting until the game was over and Josh was talking shit to Chase because his team won.
“I’m feeling very neglected right now.” I crossed my arms as Chase leaned over and nuzzled my neck.
“Aw, come on, baby boy. You know I love you. I don’t like Josh very much, anyway.”
Josh laughed and flipped him off. “You’re pissed because your team sucks.”
“I don’t think I want you guys to be friends anymore,” I joked.
“Yes, you do.” Chase poked my side. He stood up and held his hand out for me. “You ready to go or what?”
“Because it was me we were waiting for!” Ignoring his hand, I stood, and Chase laughed. God, I loved his laugh, loved everything about him. There were still times I’d look at him, simply watch him and think about how lucky I was, that I couldn’t believe he was mine. But then, there were times I’d notice Chase watching me too, and somehow I knew he was thinking the same thing.
Finally, the three of us headed out for Griff’s. We’d told Nat, Knox, and Law that we would meet them there. My brother was working, as always. We hadn’t spoken anymore about his possibly being demi or aromantic. It didn’t feel right to ask, so I let him know I was there if he needed me. He hadn’t dated either, but that didn’t surprise me. Blamed it on work, on the trials, and while I knew those things were true, I also knew Griff and that there was more to it than that.
Josh took his truck, and the two of us went in Chase’s. Everyone was already at Griff’s when we got there, Natalie with this guy Harry she’d been seeing for about a month.
“Margaritas for you three and a beer for Chase, right?”
“Do you still need to ask?” Josh replied, and Griff rolled his eyes at him and mumbled a teasing, fucker.
We drank and laughed, Chase only having the one beer as he would be driving back. At one point I went to the bathroom, and when I came back out, I stood against the wall and just watched them for a moment.
As if he could feel my eyes on him, Chase looked over his shoulder, his brows tugging together. He walked over and cupped my cheek. “What are you doing over here?”
“Just watching you guys. We have a good life, don’t we?” It wasn’t something I’d ever envisioned for myself, not this way, not in Havenwood, and I was happy. I was complete. And I’d done it all by staying true to who I was.
“Yeah, yeah, we do.” He leaned in, held my hip and rubbed his finger over my tattoo, then pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”