Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
I can’t wait to hear about all of it when they get back.
“You want a slice of cake?” Finn asks, his hand pressed gently against my back.
I nod, and he touches a kiss to my lips.
“I swear, the two of you are so adorable, it kind of makes me want to puke,” Kayla teases and Julia giggles.
“I think I’m with Kay. No one should be allowed to be so damn cute together.”
Finn doesn’t balk at their words, instead, pressing one more kiss to my lips. This time, he adds enough tongue to make it nearly NSFW or public consumption.
I try to be strong, try to keep the kiss PG, but damn, I swear, whenever this man’s lips are on mine, I kind of forget anything else exists.
I could kiss Finn for hours—days, weeks, months—and never get tired of it. Last Saturday night, after we got back from a Double C event at Dragon Stadium, we lay in my bed and kissed for I don’t even know how long. Seriously. I woke up the next morning with my lips half pressed to his.
It’s insane. Indescribable. And shouldn’t be legal. But hell’s bells, I’m so glad it is.
Kayla fakes a gagging sound, and Finn stops kissing me on a chuckle, heading over to where Ace and Blake stand near the cake.
“I just want you to know,” Julia says, a soft whisper into my ear. “I’m so happy for you, Scottie. This is the kind of love you deserve.” She gives me a gentle hug and then spins on her heel to stop Ace from shoving his entire face into the cake. “Ace! If you mess up that cake, I will stab you with this knife.”
“Ohhhh, is that a threat?” he teases with both hands in the air. “Because it sounds kinky, Jules.”
With a roll of her eyes—and a secret grin—Julia shoves him out of the way, and Ace smirks down at her as she cuts the expensive bakery cake she got for his birthday.
But before any slices are passed out, Blake’s phone pings with a notification.
Both Ace’s and Finn’s phones are next.
Then mine, Julia, and Kayla’s.
McKinley Library. Back entrance. 15 minutes.
“Looks like Double C is calling our name,” Ace announces.
“You sure you want to go tonight?” Blake questions. “I’m happy to see that my future wife texted me first—clearly, she wants me there—but I think we need to let the birthday boy decide what we do tonight.”
“Are you kidding me, son?” Ace retorts with a big-ass smile. “This is fucking perfect. Let’s go!”
“What about your cake?” Julia asks, and Ace just slides the sucker back into its box and picks it up.
“Looks like we’re taking it to go, Jules!” he exclaims and takes her hand. “Let’s hit it!”
I’d question leaving the balloons and streamers and banner and all the other random birthday shit we brought to Zip’s, but Ace is apparently besties with the owner. “Yo, Zippity-Doo-Da! We gotta jet!”
“No worries!” the gray-haired man I’m assuming is Zip calls back from behind the counter. “We’ll handle the mess! You kids go have fun. Happy birthday, Ace!”
“Is it just me, or do you find it almost creepy how Ace seems to know everyone?” I ask Finn as we walk out of Zip’s Diner. Ace is already striding up the sidewalk with Julia’s hand still in his and the cake clutched to his side.
“I’ve given up on understanding it,” Finn comments, flashing a little smile in my direction.
“Honestly, he might not even be a real human,” I say. “He’s probably, like, a robot or AI or an alien from an alternate universe. I mean, he managed to get you to be his friend, which is the equivalent of a miracle.”
“A miracle?” he questions with a smirk. “You saying I’m difficult?”
“I’m saying you’re, like, bad-boy complicated.” I nudge his hip with mine. “Lucky for you, I love bad boys.”
“Hey now,” he says and surprises the hell out of me by lifting me up into the air and over his shoulder. He playfully slaps my ass. “I better be the only bad boy you love.”
I’m giggling now, and he taps my ass again with his hand. “I promise!” I squeal when he tickles my side. “You’re the only bad boy I love!”
“Good,” he says, but he doesn’t put me down on my feet.
“C’mon, Finn, you can’t carry me all the way to McKinley like this.”
“Watch me.”
I shit you not, Finn carries me the entire ten-minute walk to McKinley Library and doesn’t set me on my feet until we’re standing in front of the back entrance.
“You’re a lunatic, Finn Hayes,” I whisper to him and pinch his firm ass cheeks for good measure. He grins down at me and wraps his arm around my shoulders as Lexi opens the back entrance doors to let us all inside.
There are at least seventy or so people are here tonight, and Connor is at the door handing everyone flashlights.