Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
"Oh." She tucks her spoon into the sundae and lowers it into her lap.
"It was a shock, and after, I felt like an idiot for not seeing the signs. The truth is, people who cheat are deceptive, and it's a good thing when you find out before things get serious and the stakes are higher."
"I was never going to go that far with Eddie."
"Thank the Lord. That guy is a douche of epic proportions."
She laughs and retrieves her spoon, reaching out to dig it in my sundae. I move it closer to her so it's easier to take a big enough sample. Her eyes roll, and she moans again at the caramel flavor, and I internally kick myself for turning down the sex. I'd like to make her moan just by pressing the flat of my tongue to her clit, but that's off the table for tonight. Plus, I don't get the feeling she'd be into my brand of fucking. Too bossy and confident to want what I like.
We spend another twenty minutes sharing our desserts and finding more music in common. Celine's cool. Definitely, a woman I'd like to date if things were different. I've had more fun tonight than I ever had with Lina.
We make our way back to Celine's dorms, and Celine sings all the way. She has shrugged off her sadness, and I'm relieved. It doesn't stop me thinking about what we could be doing if I'd agreed to what she wanted. We could have been at Molly's by now, sweat-slicked, and frantic.
I could have taken her mind off her stresses or, at the very least, relieved some tension.
Outside her dorm, Celine reaches for the handle immediately. I touch her other arm, holding her in place as gently as I can.
"I want you to know I'm here if you need me, okay?"
She turns then, and behind the bright smile, her sadness is just visible. I touch her face and kiss her sweet, pouty lips. Our mouths move like we’ve been doing this forever, like our lips were meant to touch and touch and touch until every nerve ending in my body is awake and ready. Being with Celine is like reaching out to catch a falling star.
If we were both less fucked up by the past, maybe we could enjoy the present together, but it's just not meant to be. Playing games doesn’t feel right.
"Bye, Travis. And thanks."
She leaves me feeling more conflicted than I ever have.
7
CELINE
"Two cheese and ham paninis."
The man behind the counter taps Gabriella's order into the register.
"And these." She holds up two sodas, which he adds to the bill. "I'll get this." Gabriella turns to me with a smile. "You can get the next ones."
Alternating paying just makes things easier, and it's Gab's turn, so I'm fine with it. "Okay. Thanks."
A table by the window is vacated by a couple who were in the middle of a whispered argument when we arrived. I dash across the coffee shop to reserve it, leaving Gabriella to wait for our order.
Through the window, I watch streams of people moving between classes. I think I spot Elias's dark hair, but he disappears into a building across from my current vantage point.
I pull out my phone, open my Instagram account, and search through my notifications. There are a few likes on my most recent posts; the kissing shots with Travis. I can't look at those photos because there is too much passion there that I now know wasn't real. He didn't want me.
Gabriella carefully carries a tray of our food and drinks across the coffee shop, narrowly missing one of Eddie's friends, who stands and shoves his chair directly in her path. "Watch it," she yells, much to his amusement.
"I swear, the guys around here just become bigger jerks by the day."
"You're just spoiled by all your mature boyfriends."
She nods and unwraps her sandwich, focusing on the filling spilling from the end as she takes her first bite. "Mmmm…" Chewing with wide eyes, she watches as I do the same. "It's so good."
I nod in agreement as the hunger that built through my last lecture finally subsides into satisfaction.
"So, we can sit here and talk sandwiches all day, or you can tell me why my brother was sucking your face last night." She raises her eyebrows and stares pertinently at my phone.
"He's helping me with something…I mean, he helped me with something."
"By sticking his tongue down your throat? Travis is a regular good Samaritan."
"You and Ellie told me the best way to get over a bad relationship was with some rebound sex."
Gab's mouth drops open. "That was Ellie, and you had sex with my brother?"
A girl at the table next to us turns and gawps, and I stare at her for long enough to shame her into minding her own business.