Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I sigh dreamily.
One day I’ll get married to someone awesome like Hollis.
Kayden is awesome.
Oh my God and freaking hot, too.
Like the hottest guy in our school.
I keep waiting for Char to tell me she’s suddenly in love with him. She’s not interested, though. This week she’s dating Ryan Cunningham. Who knows who it’ll be next week.
Crunch of tires on gravel has me rushing over to the window. I frown when I see it’s just the mailman. Deciding to kill some time, I prance down the stairs and meet him at the box. He hands me the stack of mail and I sit down on the bottom step to go through it all.
I flip through some bills before finding an envelope from my dad. Eagerly, I rip through the envelope and smile at the silly card. It has Elsa from Frozen on the front. He started writing to me not long after Jordy went to prison. I think Dad thinks I’m still the little girl he left all those years ago. I’m not bothered by the fact he sends me childish cards. It’s the thought that counts. Roan isn’t thrilled that Dad writes to me, but he stays tight-lipped about it. Inside the card are seventeen wrinkly dollar bills. So silly, but it makes me smile.
I love you, Roux.
Dad’s writing is messy, but I can make it out. I’d hoped he would have written a little more, but I’m still happy. I’m just tucking away the money back inside the card when I notice another letter from Oregon State Penitentiary.
I expect Dad’s messy handwriting.
Not his.
Neat. Precise. Edgy.
Jordy.
My heart stammers in my chest. I haven’t spoken to him since the incident. It’s like he closed himself off from us. Just took the punishment like it was his alone to bear. I know it kills Roan, even almost three years later.
Why is he writing?
Because of my birthday?
I rip open the letter, eager to see what sort of birthday card he got me. A simple white card with a hand drawn kitten on the front. Inside, his neat writing looks like art. So beautiful.
Before I can read his letter, the thump of a bass on a car rattles every window in the near vicinity. Flutters erupt in my stomach. He’s here. Oh God. I stand quickly and watch the black Dodge Challenger cruise down our street and into the driveway. A second later, the car shuts off and he climbs out.
Kayden Ramirez.
He’s no longer the tall, lanky, shy boy from middle school. Somewhere along the way, he filled out and grew into this man. At seventeen, he’s every bit as big as my brother. Kayden works out a lot with his brother, so he’s super cut. I drool over his biceps all the time. Char likes to tease me that I’m more in love with Kayden’s biceps than I am with him.
“Hey, Roux-Roux,” Kayden says, his deep voice warming me in all the right places.
“Oh, hey, Kay,” I chirp. “How’s it hangin’?”
How’s it hangin’?
Lame.
I am so lame.
Where is Char?
I need her coolness to save me right now.
He smirks as he saunters over to me and pulls me to him for one of his friendly hugs. I try not to sniff him like a creep. “I think you grew taller since you turned seventeen,” he teases, patting the top of my head.
“Ha. Ha.” I roll my eyes at him. “I seriously doubt I grew in two days.”
“I think you did.” His eyes roam down my front, lingering on my breasts. “Yeah. You did.”
I’m shocked at his words and can’t formulate a response.
He’s kidding. He has to be. No one flirts with me. Especially not Kayden. He’s my best friend aside from Charlotte.
Before I can figure out what to do or say, his phone rings. He answers and then walks away as he speaks lowly on the phone. My hands are shaking. I need to calm myself down before he comes back over here and I do something stupid like throw myself at him and beg him to give me my first kiss.
I sit back down on the bottom step and pick back up Jordy’s card to read it.
Little Hoodlum,
I know you still hang out with that kid.
Well, don’t.
He’s bad news. His brother is fucking Renaldo Ramirez.
So end your little friendship. It’s better this way. Safer.
If I find out you’re still his friend, I’ll have to deal with it.
You do not want me to deal with it, Roux.
Later,
Jordy
I read his letter again to make sure I’m seeing this right. He doesn’t speak to me for years. Years! And this is what he finally says to me. Hot tears burn my eyes as I crumple up his stupid card.
How dare he!
Kayden has been nothing but nice to me. He’s one of my best friends. Jordy doesn’t get to make assumptions about my life and try to control it from freaking jail. I want to scream at him, but he refuses to take visitors.