Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
They weren’t weirdos like everyone said. Sometimes she caught people whispering about how Kala would be the person most likely to go to jail.
Kala would never go to jail. She would totally get away with all her crimes. And if she didn’t, Lou would break her out.
“But we do need to think about a new date for Lou,” Kenzie mused and looked over at her sister. “Are you still boycotting?”
“I wish you all the best, sis. Have your magical night,” Kala said, letting her head fall back. “It’s a hard pass from me.”
Kenzie stared her sister’s way. “You’re going to let Cooper go with someone else?”
Her eyes closed. “I don’t own him. If he wants to participate in some dumb ritual, he’s free to.”
“It’s not a dumb ritual, and I’m participating with the man I’m going to marry,” Kenzie announced. “We’re making memories.”
That got Kala snorting. “Yeah. You’re going to end up with dumbass Dalton Bernard.”
Kenzie seemed to think about that for a moment. “Well, I like him for now. I only say it because I’m pretty sure Dad has a minor heart attack at the thought of me marrying someone named Dalton. It keeps his mind off what I want to do after college.”
Join the CIA. That was what they wanted. And Kala had promised that one day there would be a place on that team for her.
Everyone seemed to think she would end up a professor somewhere. How surprised would they be when she followed her best friend all the way to the Agency? Everyone seemed to think she was some sweet, brainy girl who could do no wrong. Kala’s mom often talked about what a good influence Lou was on her girls.
Would Charlotte Taggart be surprised to know that she’d been the one to figure out how to remotely set off the fire alarms so Kala wouldn’t have to spend all day in detention? She’d set those fuckers off one after another until they’d released all the detention kids, and Kenzie and Lou had picked up Kala and spent the afternoon at the mall.
The school had a smart system. Lou loved smart systems because she was almost always smarter.
“So are we going to strong-arm TJ into taking you?” Kenzie asked.
That sent her stomach in a spiral. “I already told him no.”
Kala’s eyes opened, and she and Kenzie were suddenly both looking her way. “What?”
Like she couldn’t tell TJ no. Well, she never had before. “He caught me crying at lunch, and I told him what happened. He offered to take me, but everyone would know he was doing it as a pity date. I’m fine. I don’t need to go to prom. I’ll keep Kala company.”
“It’s not a pity date,” Kenzie insisted.
“TJ’s a moron, but I do believe he cares about you,” Kala said. “If he asked you, it’s because he wanted to. Look, I don’t think any of us needs to find true love at this point. We’re too young and we have things to do, but I do realize that Lou’s feelings for TJ haven’t changed since the day she met him.”
“His feelings haven’t changed either,” Lou pointed out, sorrow welling.
They were friends. He’d never felt more for her. He’d been gentle with her when she’d professed her love last year out at the lake house. Kala had snuck some beers down to their campsite, and Lou had learned she was a lightweight.
This isn’t a good idea, baby. I don’t think we make sense as a couple.
Of course they didn’t. He was gorgeous and athletic, and she was…smart. Yeah. Guys loved that about her.
“I don’t think he understands his feelings.” Kala sat up, groaning. “You handle this part, sis. I’m going to vomit if I have to keep going.”
Her bestie wasn’t a feels girl.
Kenzie was. Her strawberry blonde hair was in a ponytail, giving her Malibu Barbie vibe’s as she leaned in. “What Kala is trying to say is TJ might be scared of what he feels for you.”
TJ wasn’t scared of anything. TJ knew exactly who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. He was going in the Army with the plan to make Special Forces as soon as possible. He would find a hot wife and settle into being the hero he was.
She would be his kids’ weird aunt.
“I think TJ is worried he’s not enough for you,” Kenzie continued.
That was where she was wrong. “I’ve told him he is.”
Kala’s brow rose. “You did? I was not aware of this.”
Lou sighed. “Last summer I made my play for him, and he turned me down. He said he couldn’t see us as a couple because we were so different, but if that was true we wouldn’t work as friends. We’re amazing friends, so I don’t get what he was saying.”
Kenzie and Kala were staring at each other, doing that silent communication thing they so often did. Lou would swear they could communicate through a series of small facial expressions.