Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
It felt... natural.
I lightly gasped when I felt his rough fingers press against mine, ever so slightly.
“School was one of the most important things to her, and she’s not even going to see me graduate. Take me to college like all the other annoying parents dropping off their kids. Crying that their babies are all grown up. I can picture it in my head, her standing there, waving goodbye with tears in her eyes, but it won’t ever happen for me. She’s gone and she’s not coming back,” he paused, collectin’ his thoughts. “Journey won’t remember her at all. Not her smell, not her touch, not the sound of her laughter or voice. She won’t even know her smile.”
“It always lit up a room,” I chimed in, tryin’ to ignore his calloused fingers startin’ to caress the back of my hand.
What was happenin’?
“I guess I should feel lucky I got the time I did with her, but I’m not. I’m fuckin’ pissed. I feel like I’ve been cheated. Like God’s playing some cruel joke on me for being so bad. What’s that saying? Karma’s a bitch? It’s not fair. None of this is fuckin’ fair.”
“You’re right. It’s not fuckin’ fair. No one deserves this. Not even you, Jackson.”
His fingers entwined with mine, and before I knew it, he was holdin’ my hand. I swallowed hard, pretendin’ like his touch wasn’t affectin’ me.
Why was he holdin’ my hand?
“You didn’t have to go up there today and share that memory, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad you did. I’d forgotten about that night. Over the last five years, I feel like I’ve forgotten about a lot of things and it makes me think I’m losing my mind too.”
My eyes widened. His words stunned me in ways I never expected. This was the most he’d ever spoken to me about anythin’ personal. A huge part of me wanted him to continue lettin’ me in. I laid there in awe, just waitin’ for him to say more.
Why did I want him to let me in? I hated him.
“I don’t want to lose my mind, Harley. I don’t want to be like her,” he whispered, so low I could barely hear him. “She’s my mother, the woman who gave me life, and I want to be nothing like her. Do you have any idea how hard that is?”
“You can take the test—”
He squeezed my hand. “Don’t.”
Turnin’ my head, I peered at the side of his face. Changin’ the subject, I asked him, “Jackson, why are ya holdin’ my hand?”
Our eyes locked when he turned his head, grinnin’, “You’re holding my hand.”
“You held mine first.”
“I like takin’ your firsts, Harley.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
My eyebrows lowered, starin’ at him intensely. “Do you like me?”
“Do you want me to like you?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Are you messin’ with me right now?”
“Does it feel like I am?”
“You ain’t answerin’ any of my questions.”
“You aren’t answering any of mine.”
Why are boys so weird?
“What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“That.” He nodded to the pin on my dress.
“Oh. Umm... your mom gave it to me.”
He hastily sat up, lettin’ go of my hand in the process, and I instantly felt the loss of his warmth.
I jerked back when his hands went for my chest. “What are you doin’?”
“Relax, Gremlin. I’m not trying to touch your boobies. You don’t have any.”
“I hate y—”
He was goin’ for the pin, fumblin’ around. He unlocked it and took it off me.
“Hey! That’s mine!”
“No, actually it’s mine.”
“Nuh uh, your mom gave it to me.”
“It wasn’t hers to give.”
“Jackson, it’s a Harley with a sunflower on it. I’m the Harley, and she’s the sunflower.”
“No, the Harley signifies adventure with the sunflower being my mom. Meaning my mom would be along for the ride with me. She gave this to me years ago.”
“Well, she gave it to me last year.”
“What else has she given you?”
I frowned at his question, but immediately tried to hide it.
“What was that?”
“What?” I reached for the pin, ignornin’ his question to the sudden change in my expression. He lifted his arm up higher and away from me. “Give it back.”
“Not a chance.”
“It’s mine!”
“Not anymore.”
“Jacks—”
“What else has my mom given you?”
“Ugh! Fine! I’ll just take it!” With that, I tackled him, but it only lasted for a second. He effortlessly flipped us, and my back hit the shingles with a hard thud.
Ouch.
Now, he was layin’ on top of me.
Holdin’ me completely captive.
<>Jackson<>
Why wouldn’t she answer my question? What was she hiding?
I’ve always been impulsive.
Never thinking about the consequences to my actions.
I went with what I was feeling, always.
Going straight to what would drive her wild, I tickled her ribs. She thrashed around, screaming and laughing all at the same time.
“Shhh...” I ordered. “Hush up, or people are going to hear you.”
“Then stop torturin’ me!”
“I said, shhh...”
I sat on her thighs and gripped her wrists, placing them above her head. She whipped around a few more times to no avail before finally giving up, laughing too hard to fight.