Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Will you be offended if I drop my unmentionables?” I asked.
“No, but you will be when I gag.”
Nice. Screw her, I was cleaning my junk too. So I walked behind the truck and got to it.
“You’re doing it!” she hollered.
“Quit thinkin’ about me naked—it’s weird!” I called back.
It would be awesome if this was how we met Soph and Dylan’s future neighbor, just as I dragged the bar of soap under my balls, something I had no issue saying out loud—emphasis on loud—to Soph.
I was met with silence when I’d expected a familiar shriek or at least some bitching.
“I swear my brain functioned better when I was pregnant,” I heard her say instead. “Is this really happening, Blake? Are you building a house for us?”
I shuddered violently at the cold, the rain picking up further. It was fucking pouring down.
“I promise, honey. It’ll be done next summer.” I tossed the soap near the back tire and rubbed my hands along my torso to get rid of the suds. “I looked into safety netting along the cliffside earlier today. There’re kinds designed to look more like a trellis. That’d be neat, wouldn’t it?” Nothing ruined the natural look like a damn fence, so it would be cool to cover it in vines and whatnot. Mom was obsessed with climbing roses; I knew Soph had liked them too.
“It’s overwhelming.” Soph’s voice was nearly drowned out by the rain. “I still don’t understand the bit about money. I don’t believe it. That’s not Dad’s way of helping.”
I sighed and squeezed as much water out of my underwear as possible, then pulled them up again. If I was gonna tell her everything, maybe now was the best time—when we weren’t face-to-face.
“I came out to them,” I confessed. “Mom reacted like I knew she would. Dad didn’t say much, but a few days later, he offered me three hundred grand to start fresh somewhere else.”
Embarrassment burned through me. I couldn’t help it. This wasn’t like all the times I’d come home drunk or when I’d failed a test. It wasn’t the same as stealing Dad’s car, getting caught smoking pot, or getting fired. This was me. Just by being myself, I was an inconvenience, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
“Tell me you’re joking,” Soph gritted out. “He did not do that.”
I swallowed hard and tilted my face skyward, grateful for the darkness, grateful for the rain that washed away everything I didn’t wanna show. You do what’s best for your family. What a farce.
“Blake,” she pleaded.
I cleared my throat and wiped at my cheeks before stepping out of the dark. The growing fire in the grill cast glowing shadows on the cliffside behind Soph, and it was easy to see the devastation in her eyes.
“Don’t cry, sis.” I pushed back my hair and shivered as rivulets of icy water made their way down my back. It was definitely time to get warm and dry.
“I hate them,” she croaked. “I’m never talking to them again.”
“Shush. We save our hate for Georgia Tech.” As soon as I was under the roof, I snatched up the towel and began drying off. “They’re still our folks. Teddy and Isabella’s grandparents.”
She scoffed at that. “See if I fucking care. I’m not having my kids near them if they can’t accept you for who you are. I know you’re all—” She waved a hand, dismissive. “You know, respect everyone’s opinion and whatever—and fine. They’ll have to respect my opinion then, too, and they can go to hell. Teddy and Isabella are my children, and I decide what kind of people I want around them.”
I wasn’t gonna argue with her when she was upset. Right now, I didn’t have it in me to defend our folks either.
“Cover your delicate eyes.” I stepped out of my boots and boxer briefs, to which she squeaked and spun around to find the cooler highly interesting. Not a whole lot was in there—two packs of hot dogs, hot dog buns, mustard, a couple beers, and the boys’ leftover meatballs.
It was an amazing feeling to put on a pair of dry underwear and sweatpants. A hoodie followed quickly, and then I repositioned one of the chairs closer to the grill. As soon as my ass landed in the camping chair, I could aim my feet toward the heat.
“Speaking of my little niece,” I said. “Where is she?”
“With Dylan’s mom.” Soph put the hot dogs on the grill before sitting down next to me. “I’d invite you to come with us to Seattle tomorrow to pick up Teddy, but Sebastian’s comin’ too…”
I drew in a deep breath, bugged by the return of the Sebastian Stab, as I’d come to call it. After I’d left Washington last time, it felt as if someone took a knife to my chest every time his name flitted through my thoughts.