Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
I rack my brain for a follow-up question.
Um.
This shouldn’t be so difficult. I’ve gone on plenty of dates with strangers and was able to make idle small talk, so why is coming up with something to talk about with Tess so damn difficult?
Because she’s better looking than you remember.
She’s older.
Not the kid you remember.
Beautiful.
I shift uncomfortably. Stop thinking about your best friend’s sister. Bro code, dude.
Has she changed all that much, or did I just never notice?
Her tank top is bright green—like fresh-cut grass—and her shoulders tan. The fabric dips in front, giving me a glimpse of her cleavage.
She’s wearing jeans and looks the kind of casual that comes with being comfortable in your own skin and comfortable in your clothes because they fit well.
“And then I’ll stay with Miranda because I have no desire to be at home with my parents this weekend.”
Her mouth is moving, but I barely hear a word coming out of it.
“I’m sorry, what?” I have the audacity to ask and feel like a fucking tool for doing so.
She looks as confused as I feel, tilting her head to the side as she regards me. “You asked what I was doing in town this weekend?”
“Shit—sorry, I was listening I swear. I just…”
Can’t stop staring at you.
And the Awkward Human Award goes to me.
For being a fucking moron.
CHAPTER 6
TESS
I’M READY FOR MY NEXT TOXIC RELATIONSHIP. WHERE ARE YOU AT, PSYCHO?
Why is Drew looking at me like that?
He’s not looking at you any kind of way, Tess. He’s deciding what to say next.
I can literally see him thinking. That’s how expressive his face is.
Suddenly, I wish I’d worn the outfit Miranda had picked out for me; something black and sexy—but not too sexy—rather than this crochet tank top and simple jeans. And flip-flops, ugh, why did I wear these dumb sandals?
My best friend tried to convince me otherwise, but I didn’t listen, convinced that when I bumped into Drew, he wouldn’t have any interest in what I was wearing. Probably wouldn’t give me the time of day, given what little interaction we had earlier in my car.
He barely spoke to me then, and he’s barely speaking to me now, but something about the way he’s watching me…
Makes me wish I looked sexy.
Instead, I look like someone’s kid sister.
If there was a rock beneath my feet, I’d kick at it.
As if conjuring my best friend up, she comes through the back patio door, her gaze flickering between myself and Drew. Her brows are set in place, though I bet twenty bucks she’d raise them if she didn’t think I’d kill her.
“Hey, you two crazy kids.” She plucks a red cup from the nearby table and holds it out. “Are you the bartender?”
“I am now.” Drew fills her cup; beer foam spills from the plastic rim onto the top of the keg.
He hands it to her when the cup is full.
“So.” Miranda takes a long, loud sip of foam. It leaves her with a foamy mustache. “Drew.”
Oh no.
I recognize that look.
Drew and I wait to see what she’s going to say.
“Are you single?”
If I had been drinking from my beer cup, I would have choked on it.
The fact she can just blurt random shit like that without thinking.
I clamp my lips shut so I don’t say something like, “MIRANDA,” or scold her, giving myself away.
I play it cool, crossing my arms over my chest and fixing my face into a neutral expression.
Drew nods. “I am.”
Miranda cocks her head. “Like—actually single or single?” She uses air quotes around that second single, implying that he should admit to having a girlfriend stashed away somewhere he’s not telling us about.
It’s a ballsy question to ask for no apparent reason.
“Like actually single. Anything else you want to know? Like what time I go to sleep and what I had for breakfast?” he teases.
“Yeah, actually, what did you have for breakfast?”
“Well, since I was at Grady’s and he is a shitty host, I had six eggs ’cause that’s all he had. I woke up at six—force of habit—went for a run, had eggs, took a shit.” His brows go up. “Let’s see, what else…”
Drew raises a hand to rub his chin.
“Went for a run, had eggs, took a shit. Sounds like a productive morning.” Miranda laughs.
“Had to fend for myself. My host wasn’t around when I woke up.”
“He wasn’t? That’s so rude.”
I stand there like a blob, watching the interaction but contributing nothing.
Get in the game, Tess.
Get in the game.
“You’re welcome to stay at my place,” she says casually. “We have a stocked fridge. I even have protein shakes and protein bars.”
Drew looks impressed. “Protein shakes? You don’t say.”
“I do say. And I work during the day, too—same as Grady. So like, all Tess has been doing is waiting for me to get home.” She pauses. “The two of you should do something in the morning. It’s lame to wait around for Grady to get home when you’ve come all this way to see him.”