Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry I set you up.” She’s uncomfortable, tugging at the fabric of her gray hoodie.
“But you didn’t set me up. You set Dallas up.”
Over her shoulder, I see two girls come out on the porch, watching with robes on as if we were a sideshow. And perhaps we are; the situation has the potential to have a dramatic conclusion.
Like Dallas, they don’t budge from their spot.
Great.
An audience, just what I need.
Tiffany tries again. “I meant I’m sorry I set him up. I know it had to upset you.”
It did upset me, obviously—it would have upset anyone.
I let her talk, zero interest in filling the silence with wasted words.
“I wasn’t thinking. I was…” She struggles to find words, and I struggle to decide if she’s being sincere. Hard to tell. “Caught up in the moment. When the paparazzi contacted me, I thought, what the hell—why not?”
Why not?
See, that right there…
“How much did they pay you?”
“Not a lot.”
“How much?” I pull my hands out of my pockets, and this time I do cross them over my chest.
“Five hundred.”
This girl tried ruining my relationship for fifteen minutes of fame, for five hundred dollars?
Wow.
“I’m not impressed,” I blurt out. “Like, besides the money, what was your motivation exactly? All you needed to do was get the money shot. Did you actually have to offer to suck my boyfriend’s dick?”
Tiffany steps back from me, insulted. “Excuse me?”
“He told me you asked if you could suck. His. Dick.” I enunciate the word dick, draw the sentence out slowly, wanting to embarrass her in the only way I can.
I’m not the kind of brat who’s going to go crying to the press, so this will stay between the two of us, unless of course she decides to run to the press like she did the last time she didn’t get her way.
“What?!” Tiffany looks outraged. “Why would he do that?”
Why would he tell me?
“I’m sorry, does that bother you?” I snort. I mean, for real, is she serious? “He told me because I’m his girlfriend. He told you he had one after you propositioned him.”
She scoffs. “In my defense, it was a joke. And by the way, plenty of guys would have taken me up on the offer.”
I don’t know what he sees in you…
Her unspoken words linger between us.
You’re plain.
Boring.
Brunette.
“It’s not a joke if no one laughed.” I pause. “Did you laugh when you said it?”
I’m so irritated.
She shrugs.
“What does that mean?” I want to know, then I shrug my shoulders, too. “What’s this?”
Up and down, up and down.
Shit, I’m really pissed. Sarcasm is not my second language, and for a hot second I wonder if my delivery is hitting home.
“Did you laugh when you offered to suck my boyfriend’s cock?”
Tiffany’s face is red, and I don’t think it’s from the wind or the cold, the tips of her ears crimson too.
“You know what, I came over to apologize, and you’re being a bitch.”
I’m being a bitch? No shit! “Do you know I had to stop going to class after that picture of you came out? And my parents were disappointed in me. And I couldn’t go to work. And I second-guessed every decision I’d made, all because you wanted to be on the news by selling your fake story.” I laugh. “Now you stand here apologizing that you got ‘caught up in the moment’.”
I use air quotes.
More sarcasm. Great, Ryann.
“Listen. I can’t stand here all day arguing with you. I have to get home so I can change for work. But I’ll accept your apology and we can agree to stay out of each other’s way.”
“Dallas already told me I wasn’t allowed over.”
I nod. “Good. I honestly don’t want to see you inside the house.” Or in the yard. Or out by the street.
“How is that fair when my roommates are allowed inside?”
She has a good point. “How about I speak with the guys so they’re not allowed inside, either?” Huh, huh, how about that?
I take a deep breath.
One. Two.
Three.
Four…
“Don’t do that,” she begs. “Shannon really likes Drake. She’d be really pissed if she got kicked out of the house because of me.”
Know who I really don’t like? These girls.
They seem fake and vapid and completely out of touch with my reality. Dallas’s reality.
The shitstorm she created.
“Look, you stay out of my way, I’ll stay out of yours. Sound good?”
Tiffany has no option but to nod her acquiescence. “Fine.”
“Great.” I pause. “Anything else or are we good?”
Tiffany narrows her eyes. “We’re good.”
We’re not.
I can see it in the tilt of her brows and the way she narrows those blue eyes.
Yikes.
Kitten has a dark side.
I watch her walk away, clad in that gray hoodie and athletic shorts, still not warm enough for the weather we’re having, but I’m sure her priority isn’t staying warm.
It’s to show off her smooth, tan legs.